What can you expect from LOTI in Q2?
Below we outline 25 specific things the LOTI community will be working on as part of our Objectives and Key Results for the second quarter of Year 3, which runs from 16 October 2021 – 15 January 2022.
Thank you to everyone who’s supporting this work!
DEVELOPING CAPABILITIES
Skills & Capability
1 – Launch LOTI Women Digital Leaders’ Network – The proposal is to a) form a cohort of at least two women from each LOTI borough to attend the highly regarded UPFRONT confidence course provided by Lauren Currie, and b) establish a forum through which women working across the LOTI network can collectively mentor each other, share experiences across different levels of seniority and actively shape and address LOTI’s key areas of work. Read the proposal.
2 – Publish a guide to recruiting for hard-to-fill roles – Responding to our data skills capacity discovery, this guide will provide advice on simple changes boroughs can make to their recruitment processes to maximise the chances of hiring talented digital, IT and data professionals.
3 – Design and set date for LocalGov Data Careers Day – We plan to hold a careers day to promote the benefits and dispel the myths of working in localgov data roles. Colleagues from Barnet, Brent, Camden and Lewisham are sharing their insights for this work.
4 – Finalise design of LOTI Data Academy – We plan to flesh out the design of a data academy aimed at increasing awareness and skills among senior leaders, general council staff and data teams. Colleagues from Barnet, Brent, Camden and Lewisham are sharing their insights for this work.
5 – Launch Senior Leaders ONS Data Programme – One specific instance of point 4 is finding a cohort to attend the Office for National Statistics’ data training for senior leaders. LOTI would facilitate the cohort and host complementary discussion groups. This would be open to all LOTI boroughs. Proposal here.
6 – Publish full MVP of Digital, Data & Innovation Capability Model – Pending confirmation from Bloomberg Associates that they can be our build partner, an 8 week sprint will be formed to conclude this project.
7 – Identify and salary benchmark set of priority list of roles – Starting with data roles, LOTI will commence work on benchmarking salaries across our network.
8 – Publish first set of videos for LOTI Leadership Series – We’ll create an initial prototype series of videos aimed at raising awareness about key concepts in digital and data for senior leaders. View the proposal.
Future Workplace
9 – Publish Future Workplace report – LOTI Researcher, Sam Nutt, will publish his first report on the key trends, challenges and opportunities based on his interviews and research on the future workplace.
10 – Hold webinars on Future Workplace with corporate partners – A number of corporate and academic partners will share some of the latest findings from their own research to support borough decisions on the future workplace.
Innovation in Procurement
11 – Publish deep-drive factsheet on existing tech and contracts, new suppliers, low code and innovations in Social Care – Recognising that it’s hard for boroughs to provide information about the technologies they use and their associated contracts, we’re proposing to take a deep-dive into specific service areas instead. Each deep dive would include four sections: 1) A list of the technologies that are currently in use by each borough, together with boroughs’ levels of satisfaction with them; 2) Details of newer, more innovative suppliers, focusing on SMEs and start-ups who offer interesting and relevant tools. 3) Examples of initiatives run by councils or other partners to develop their own tools and products, whether open source or low-code. 4) Examples of how councils in the UK or abroad are using technologies and other digitally-enabled methods to create new service models or address needs in novel ways.
Cyber Security
12 – Complete design and cyber security pilot. Following a discovery conducted in Q1, we’re finalising a design spec and engaging with the National Cyber Security Centre and boroughs to explore how collaboration can strengthen boroughs’ cyber security activities.
SERVICE INNOVATION
Data Collaboration
13 – Confirm data collaboration project aimed at interesting senior leaders – We’ll be working with London Councils’ colleagues to identify priority areas where they’d like to see data make a difference. Our initial enquiries are looking at how data can improve interventions in predicting and preventing rough sleeping.
14 – Pilot pan-London IG resource to aid completion of Data Sharing Agreements (DSAs) – The Information Governance group for London (IGfL) and Met Police have brought to our attention that a number of DSAs urgently need to be finalised and signed by multiple bodies across London, including all London boroughs. LOTI is working with the MET, GLA, London Councils and Barnet, Brent and Camden to rapidly put in place some pan-London IG resource to enable this.
15 – Complete discovery into establishing a pan-London Data Ethics Process – We’re conducting interviews with organisations who have established data ethics practices to help inform what we need at a borough and a pan-London level in terms of tools, processes, engagement approaches and governance structures to ensure that data collaboration projects involving multiple organisations are conducted to the highest ethical standards. View the project brief.
New Service Models
16 – Launch LOTI Government Innovators Series – We’ll be hosting online fireside chats with some of the world’s most interesting government innovators. View the proposal.
Digital Inclusion
17 – Complete Discovery into Temporary Accommodation in London Boroughs – We’re currently running an 8 week discovery with FutureGov, funded by the GLA, into the nature of digital exclusion in TA hostels. RBKC, Westminster, Camden, Waltham Forest, Newham, Kingston, Enfield, Redbridge, Richmond and Wandsworth, Hounslow and Hackney have signed up to support this work. View the project page.
18 – Complete co-design phase of Dementia Care project – We’re currently running this project with the Helix Centre, funded by the GLA. Hammersmith and Fulham, Westminster, Newham, Lewisham and Ealing are the first boroughs to sign up to support this project. View the project page.
19 – Complete Digital Exclusion Story Map build and testing – The project team from Barnet, Brent, Kensington and Chelsea, Southwark and Westminster are creating a story map that includes detailed analysis of data relating to digital exclusion for over 65s. The story map will be tested by boroughs and VCS partners and iterated to meet their needs.
20 – Complete discovery into improving use of Social Value – We’re scoping this project area, suggested by boroughs and will share more details in the next few weeks.
21 – Complete discovery into making better use of Social Tariffs – We’re scoping this project area, suggested by boroughs and will share more details in the next few weeks.
22 – Produce a guide for sourcing devices – We’re scoping this project area, suggested by boroughs and will share more details in the next few weeks.
23 – Design digital inclusion triage questions – We’re scoping this project area, suggested by boroughs and will share more details in the next few weeks.
SMARTER LONDON
Digital Districts
24 – Finalise design and set date for Net Zero design sprint with LEDNet – We’re working with the London Environment Directors’ Network (LEDNet) to identify and prioritise key environmental outcomes to form the basis of an intensive design sprint in January. The sprint will bring together London borough environment directors with London’s leading technologists and data experts to explore how digital, data and innovative smart city approaches can support the delivery of the capital’s environmental goals.
25 – Launch air quality collaboration pilot – We’re working with boroughs to ensure that smart city air quality sensors in London are interoperable and that shared insights are available across the city.
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Eddie Copeland
