Open Eye:Chat

Police use of Web 2.0

I had an interesting meeting with Rick Muir at the Institute for Public Policy Research this week.

Rick is a Senior Research Fellow on the Democracy and Power Team at the ippr. They are currently doing a piece of work for the NPIA called policing 2.0  (which is essentially exploring the impact and uses of web 2.0 technologies in the police service).

Rick is trying to establish what has been, and is being, done so far (for example: use of online tools for police-to-citizen, citizen-to-citizen and officer-to-officer collaboration in crime reduction).

I have highlighted a number of things being done in places like Cumbria, North Northants BCU, Nottingham City BCU, Hull, GMP and West Midlands and have discussed some of the people and units using services such as Twitter, but, if you're doing good things and striding boldly into the use of 2.0 technologies, then I would encourage you to contribute to the report and contact Rick directly (please let me know too ! twitter.com/openeyecomms).

Rick can be reached through the ippr switchboard at 020 7470 6100 or directly on Twitter at twitter.com/rickmuir77

'Public information does not belong to Government, it belongs to the public on whose behalf government is conducted’

If you are interested in the development of digital services and the potential that it has to affect the delivery of service in the public sector, you ought to take a quick look at the beta report that the Power of Information Taskforce has recently released.

The Taskforce, which recently ran the ‘show us a better way’ competition (previous post refers) brought together a group from government, industry and the third sector, to enable better public service delivery.

Their report, which follows, Lord Carter’s interim report on Digital Britain, is about improving Digital Britons’ online experience by providing expert help from the public sector online, where people seek it, and by freeing up the UK’s public sector information for innovative new services.  The report seeks to move into the mainstream activities that are currently minority best practice.

The report makes 25 recommendations, a number of which have a direct bearing on the provision of policing information and the accessibility of that information.

The recommendations most certainly speak directly to the need for a cultural shift in staff access to the internet and a much broader understanding and use of the collaborative tools that are shaping our world.

The report makes recommendations to help this culture shift and make more transparent the public sector’s attempts to engage online, which, the authors believe, ‘public servants should do as a matter of course’.

A selective flavour of the recommendations:

Public servants should be active in online peer support forums concerned with their areas of work, be it education specialists in parenting forums or doctors in health forums

Public servants will require adequate internet access to take part in social media as part of their job

Unlock innovation in leading public sector sites using a ‘backstage model‘, a standing open online innovation space allowing the general public and staff to co-create information-based public services.  This capability should be a standard element of public information service design.

Invest in innovation that directly benefits the public by ensuring that public sector websites spend about as much on innovation as leading knowledge businesses. 

The public services can break out of the traditional challenge/response model of consultation by using the latest online tools.

Public bodies are often required to publish notices and other information in newspapers, by physical notices or by other means.  The same information should now also be published directly to the internet.

‘Usability’ critieria should be published with an implementation plan to central government websites.  The criteria and guidance should be published as soon as possible with an implementation plan by June 2009.  The approach should be extended to the websites of the wider public sector including local government, health and police.

The Permanent Secretary Government Communications should bring forward a plan to train communications staff in the basics of social media and a modern web presence by Q3 2009

A new external high level advisory panel should replace the Taskforce, reporting to the Minister for Digital Engagement.  The Panel should advise Ministers and public servants on the latest developments in the area in the UK and overseas, scrutinise departmental plans and capabilities, set priorities for the Cabinet Office’s R&D fund, and drive and monitor progress in implementing the recommendations set out above. It should publish regular reports on the internet about developments and the government’s progress. The panel should be established by June 2009.

The timing outlined in the recommendations does provide a sense of momentum, possibly fueled in some part by the Obama effect and the rapid 2.0 changes in United States governmental web services.  It is definitely a fast moving agenda, and one well worth contributing to and keeping an eye on.

GOATs do roam

The Sunday Times has been a particularly rich vein of thought material this weekend.

I note that Gordon Brown has sent a team to see what they can learn from the Obama campaign. They better stay there a very long time because there is a whole heap to learn.

As Obama transitions to power, people who have signed up to be on his email list (Roughly 13M people on Obama's key individual network at the last count) are receiving email and text messages about the next stage of change, Organizing America, and the part that they can play in it. The message links to a YouTube video and there is a website that calls people to action (see the screen shot pictures).

There is a Citizen's Briefing Book where people get to make suggestions and vote on other peoples suggestions for issues to be addressed. The book goes to Obama for his consideration.

In short, the Obama team have built, and are continuing to build, community with access and apparent influence. Not sending out 'good news stories', not just hoping that their messages are the right messages reaching the right groups about the right issues at the right time, but building communities of interest, insight and action within the Obama framework. Pure web 2.0. Pure effectiveness.

Now, even allowing for the differences in personalities between US Citizens and UK Citizens, compare the UK process. Here we have 'GOATS' (Government of all the talents) and a range of eminent Lords being appointed to said 'GOAT' status. Building community? Citizen involvement? Web 2.0? Inspirational ? Don't think so.

It's art Jim

Text meets art. Well it does at a great site that I've just found. http://www.wordle.net/ You input a heap of words (in my case the content of my last few blog posts) and the site turns them into a word cloud, highlighting the words that you have used most frequently. Really cool, customisable and lots of fun. 

Put in your latest command team minutes and see what you get !

Here is my word cloud

And just for fun, the Executive Summary of the Government's Green Paper on Policing

 

Blogs, Bloggers & Twitter

I’m running a Citizen Focus Course for the NPIA this week. Part of the course is an input that I give about marketing and communications and in particular, the need to embrace web 2.0 thinking and techniques and move away from old fashioned ‘organisation out’ messaging and embrace a less centralised approach which builds community and allows people to engage with the brand.

This normally leads to a discussion about the merits, wisdom and benefits of blogging. My view is unequivocal: Colleagues (and BCU Commanders in particular) should be blogging. For me it’s a no brainer because…

You control the message
The only real ‘cost’ is the investment in the time it takes to write each post
It allows you to reach a new and wider audience through an additional communications channel
It presents the human side of policing and allows people to see the challenges and dilemmas that you face.

I find it interesting that whilst colleagues are still coming to terms with blogging (most state that they don’t regularly read blogs, despite the fact that blogging has now been around for quite a while and you are reading a blog at the moment !), the wider world has recognised the benefits of blogging and is looking at the integration and use of new communications channels, such as Twitter (think 140 character micro blogs which allow you to create your own social network (group of friends etc), follow people of interest (Obama, Branson, OpenEyeComms ) or follow specific companies (Supermarket chain X has an upcoming Sale and special product announcements).

It would be interesting for you to find out what your force press office position is on blogs and bloggers. Are blogs monitored by them? Who are the influential bloggers in your area ? What are their hot button issues ? Do any local notables blog ? About what? What is the Press Office stance on citizen journalism and bloggers ? When they hold a meet the press' evening, are influential bloggers invited ?

These, and many more issues, have popped into my thoughts as a result of the recent decision by the NPYD to provide police press accreditation to three bloggers.  There is no doubt that Citizen Journalism is here to stay. What’s your force position on it ?

Bedfordshire, Norfolk, North Yorkshire & Dyfed Powys

January. Good time for reviewing things.

So, in a moment of alcohol free madness, I decided to review the locations by force of the people who subscribe to this website. Shoulda hadda drink.

Anyway, after much ticking and checking, I seem to have subscribers from nearly every force in England and Wales. Thank you to you all. I really do appreciate you taking the time to read my stuff.

The review has been a reasonably inexact exercise (it’s a technical thing) but, it appears as though…

the largest group of subscribers, by far, use their private email addresses to subscribe (so...can't tell which force they are from)

I appear to have a lot of subscribers in GMP, Devon and Cornwall, Lancashire, South Yorkshire and Hampshire.

Colleagues subscribe from PSNI, Scotland, North Wales, South Wales and a range of government departments and private organisations. Thank you to you all. When you’re writing, it’s good to know that someone is reading.

It’s hard to tell, but I appear to have no subscribers in Bedfordshire, Norfolk, North Yorkshire or Dyfed Powys. What’s wrong with you guys ?

So, here’s the thing.

This year I want to focus on building community on this site. I have a number of plans for developing the website which I will outline as the year progresses, but  building a substantial, active, online community is central to the whole thing.

So. The sales pitch.

If this site informs, amuses or stimulates you, please pass the details on to your colleagues. You can forward a particular post using the tools at the bottom of each entry, or just pass the URL along to colleagues ( many thanks to Shaun Donnellan in GMP for his sterling efforts in doing just this !).

And, if you know anyone in Bedfordshire, Norfolk, North Yorkshire or Dyfed Powys...get in touch with them, send them an email, call them, let them know. I’d love to get people from every force subscribed ! (if you are from these forces and are already subscribed... let me know !).

As we start another year, I hope that you will all be safe, well and happy in 2009.

Best regards (and thank you once again)

Mike

Progress on 'crime mapping'

Is it me?

OK. So I looked at the various iterations of crime mapping that seem to be taking hold across forces. Specifically, the Met, West Midlands, Lancashire, West Yorkshire and Hampshire are test locations for crime mapping.

I have been thinking of appropriate words to use to describe the sites, but decided in the end to provide you with the links and let you choose the words.

See what you think.

Obviously the big beast in the policing jungle is the Met. Their site can be found here. They aggregate figures for burglary, robbery and vehicle crime (why? what is the thought process behind producing a collective view of ‘bad’. What use is that to me as a consumer. What use is that If I park in the area and want to know if my car is going to be safe, how can I tell ?). The figures are then produced as gently confusing blocks of colour which tell me whether I am above or below the Met average. On the positive side, the site is attractive and use is made of Google Maps.     

The West Mids are a very good force, so it is interesting to see the approach that they take. Once again however, there is a reluctance to provide specific crime data and a use of OS mapping, but the site is graphically pleasing and does allow customised interrogation. Am I alone in hating the blocks of colour key codes that these sites are using? Is it a bold yellow block, a pale yellow block ? Does that mean this percentage or that percentage increase?

Up to West Yorkshire then. Ah, the public sector approach to design and information provision. Look and marvel. Ordnance Survey mapping again (Mmmm Mmmm), restricted information and no ability to look at map data over a period and criteria of MY choice. On the positive side, I guess at least its out there and providing some useful mapping capability.

Not too sure about whether I have the right sites for Lancashire and Hampshire. They may or may not have their mapping sites sites up. Currently findable on their sites is the multi agency MARIO site in Lancashire (searchable criteria across a number of agencies, but OS mapping and trend colour blocks) and of course CADDIE in Hampshire (similar to MARIO).  

OK. Now go and look at crimereports.com Google maps based, clean, pleasing design, useable, searchable by date, distance, crime type etc etc. 

You choose.

Useful tool or additional stick?

If you really want to understand the public sector performance agenda for the future, you have to get to grips with the workings and implications of Comprehensive Area Assessment.

For the first time, through CAA, the police, councils, fire and rescue services, primary care trusts and other partners will be held collectively to account for their delivery of better community safety outcomes. CAA will provide people with an overview assessment of community safety outcomes in their area, drawing together the views of the full range of inspectorates. It has far reaching implications for comparability of service provision and performance.

The Audit Commission has published a helpful consultative document which provides a good overview of how it all hangs together (downloadable from the Audit Commission category in the sidebar or click on the report image).

 

They have also published a Powerpoint presentation which shows how the information might be presented on the interweb (click on the images to enlarge).

The interface is a little bit clunky, but hopefully that will be sorted out by the web designers.

Essentially, you navigate pretty simply to your area. this then shows an overview page... 

 

and a 'summary' page...

A little bit further on and you get the 'assessments of local public services' page, which lets you select the  organisational assessment, VFM and use of resources categories...

and then things get interesting. Clicking on the 'police' page will allow you to look at performance data and make comparisons with last year, the average for similar areas, neighbouring areas and the national average...

The next page will allow you to check out where else this issue is a priority and what their performance is like against yours...

Are you starting to see what a powerful tool this is likely to be ? It will certainly have some interesting public perception implications. Thinking of moving to the area ? Starting a business? I'd want to be checking this site to see what things were like and how the public services were performing. Living there already? Am I getting value from the services I already pay for?

And from the organisational perspective. How will this data link to the marketing and communications strategy for the BCU ? To the partnership marcomms strategy? To the Police Authority strategy ? How will this be linked to (and context provided within) force/partnership/authority websites ?

It's going to be a useful tool and thought needs to be given now, as to how you are going to maximise it's benefit. The full Powerpoint can be downloaded from the Audit Commission here.

400 times more bacteria than the average office toilet seat

By way of a health service to readers of this blog, I bring you this story from the BBC

Apparently, keyboards can be 'dirtier than a toilet'. That made you look down and check yours out, didn’t it.

Which? have been analysing keyboards and their conclusion is that, as many people eat their lunch at their computers, leaving crumbs, the keyboards can often harbour harmful bacteria.

Microbiologist Dr Peter Wilson told the BBC that a keyboard was often "a reflection of what is in your nose and in your gut". Nice.

And sharing is not always a good thing. Sharing a keyboard could actually be passing on illnesses among office workers. According to Dr Wilson "Should somebody have a cold in your office, or even have gastroenteritis, you're very likely to pick it up from a keyboard."

Poor personal hygiene, such as not washing hands after going to the toilet, could also be to blame. To observe interesting personal habits check out washyourhands.tv

And just in case you were wondering.........

The researchers also found that, compared to men, on average women have three to four times the amount of germs in, on and around their work area.

Happy typing...

Openeye gets a makeover

OK. It's finally happening. I've put it off long enough. It's time for this website to get a make over and redesign.

Having just carried our a review of police web sites for a client, I guess that the 'physician heal thyself' principle now applies to my own site. 

So. What improvements would you like to see ? I'm only too aware that there needs to be a better search facility and that document navigation needs to be easier, but is there anything else that you want ? Do you have a view on style, on content, on presentation?

I'm talking to the web people at the moment, so let me know.