I attended a seminar yesterday afternoon organised by the Periodical Publishers Association, the organisation which represents publishers of both consumer and business media.
The subject was mobile, and how this can be incorporated into the media mix for business publishers.
I have to say I was sceptical. Most people are already weary under the weight of e-mails that find their way into in-boxes during the course of the day. This point has been made abundantly clear in surveys of LocalGov.co.uk users. As a result, we only send our registered users a weekly summary of the news on the site and alerts as when the big stories break.
My concern about using the mobile stream deepened on hearing examples from consumer media, including readers of Hello! magazine paying for the latest image of Posh climbing out of a taxi to be beamed to their mobile. I can't find a link to this service on the magazine's website, though.
But parking this scepticism for one moment, there are applications for local government users as long as the terms of engagement are transparent... that is, you only get the information you want.
We have ideas, but I would like to hear from you.
If you have any further thoughts on services your may wish to receive via your Blackberries, PDAs, phones etc please leave a comment using the link below. You can e-mail me direct if you prefer at publisher@localgov.co.uk
Thanks
Tuesday, 30 September 2008
Tuesday, 23 September 2008
More video on Localgov.co.uk
Our editorial team has been busy again today getting a video together for our sister title, Surveyor magazine.
The video is a vox pop of public opinion on council winter services - or road gritting, to use its more popular term - and will be shown at Surveyor's leading conference for council officers in this field, Cold Comfort, which is taking place in Cardiff as I write. You can view it here.
The vox pop is a well-used (possibly over-used!) tool in local newspapers and it has its uses for Localgov.co.uk, too, given that councils' public service remit. Accordingly, we will be conducting these from time to time covering a range of service areas and initiatives.
And on the subject of video, MJ editor Michael Burton will be starting a video bulletin covering the major issues of the week. Michael has vast experience of the local government field and has been writing and commenting on the issues affecting the sector for more than 20 years.
We are aiming to have his first video live on Thursday.
The video is a vox pop of public opinion on council winter services - or road gritting, to use its more popular term - and will be shown at Surveyor's leading conference for council officers in this field, Cold Comfort, which is taking place in Cardiff as I write. You can view it here.
The vox pop is a well-used (possibly over-used!) tool in local newspapers and it has its uses for Localgov.co.uk, too, given that councils' public service remit. Accordingly, we will be conducting these from time to time covering a range of service areas and initiatives.
And on the subject of video, MJ editor Michael Burton will be starting a video bulletin covering the major issues of the week. Michael has vast experience of the local government field and has been writing and commenting on the issues affecting the sector for more than 20 years.
We are aiming to have his first video live on Thursday.
Monday, 22 September 2008
Performance pays?
Back at my desk after the predictably soggy Scottish trip and I was interested to read comments on the site with regard to a story on managers’ pay.
The article is concerns the assistant chief executive at Mid Sussex DC defending above inflation pay increases for its top line staff.
Six senior officers are set to get an average of £7,000 extra each, a move the council’s deputy chief executive Kathryn Hall has justified, saying the officers have taken on more responsibilities.
With less fears over the economy and the inevitable effect on the public purse (see MJ editor Michael Burton's blog), this may be fair comment.
But in these uncertain times, and the Prime Minister’s constant calls for restraint in public sector pay, it understandably grates.
Indeed, commentators on this story suggest that more junior officers have had additional burdens but have not had the reward.
Meanwhile, at the Lib Dem conference, Vince Cable, the party’s Treasury spokesman, told delegates that as part of a new tax-cutting pledge, he would force all ‘non-frontline’ public servants earning over £100,000 annually to re-apply for their jobs.
A spokesman later added that the move would be ‘more of a value for money exercise to ensure that people on high public sector salaries provide genuine value to their organisations’.
Pay is always a thorny issue. If you have further views, it’d be good to hear from you. If you have views you'd like to share, please use the link below.
The article is concerns the assistant chief executive at Mid Sussex DC defending above inflation pay increases for its top line staff.
Six senior officers are set to get an average of £7,000 extra each, a move the council’s deputy chief executive Kathryn Hall has justified, saying the officers have taken on more responsibilities.
With less fears over the economy and the inevitable effect on the public purse (see MJ editor Michael Burton's blog), this may be fair comment.
But in these uncertain times, and the Prime Minister’s constant calls for restraint in public sector pay, it understandably grates.
Indeed, commentators on this story suggest that more junior officers have had additional burdens but have not had the reward.
Meanwhile, at the Lib Dem conference, Vince Cable, the party’s Treasury spokesman, told delegates that as part of a new tax-cutting pledge, he would force all ‘non-frontline’ public servants earning over £100,000 annually to re-apply for their jobs.
A spokesman later added that the move would be ‘more of a value for money exercise to ensure that people on high public sector salaries provide genuine value to their organisations’.
Pay is always a thorny issue. If you have further views, it’d be good to hear from you. If you have views you'd like to share, please use the link below.
Thursday, 11 September 2008
Blog holiday
Just to let you know I won't be posting for a while as I'll be spending a soggy week camping in the Highlands.
Should be back in action on the 19th September.
Should be back in action on the 19th September.
Kate Barker Interview
Chris Smith, the news editor on The MJ, has secured an interview with economist Kate Barker, a member of the Monetary Policy Committee and author of the Barker Housing Review.
Given the current turbulence in the housing market, it seemed timely to speak to her. Sadly, we didn't manage to get clearance to film it, but we do have a full transcript online.
Mrs Barker has some interesting comments on the role of councils and the developer in the housing mix, and responds to the recent Policy Exchange/London School of Economics report which, for some, appeared to call for the 'abandonment of regeneration in the North'.
You can view the interview here.
Given the current turbulence in the housing market, it seemed timely to speak to her. Sadly, we didn't manage to get clearance to film it, but we do have a full transcript online.
Mrs Barker has some interesting comments on the role of councils and the developer in the housing mix, and responds to the recent Policy Exchange/London School of Economics report which, for some, appeared to call for the 'abandonment of regeneration in the North'.
You can view the interview here.
Wednesday, 10 September 2008
Segway video
Our editorial team attended an event in London yesterday.
MPs, led by the ever charismatic Lembit Opik, descended on the Department for Transport to lobby for a change in the law on Segway personal transporters... currently deemed illegal.
Mr Opik and his fellow Segway fans believe that this mode of transport could help fight congestion and pollution.
We've put together a video of the event... and one of our team had a chance to try the 'vehicle' for himself.
Check it out here.
MPs, led by the ever charismatic Lembit Opik, descended on the Department for Transport to lobby for a change in the law on Segway personal transporters... currently deemed illegal.
Mr Opik and his fellow Segway fans believe that this mode of transport could help fight congestion and pollution.
We've put together a video of the event... and one of our team had a chance to try the 'vehicle' for himself.
Check it out here.
Tuesday, 9 September 2008
Not a pint-sized problem
As I walked to my local train station for a trip to Manchester on Friday, I was stopped by a teenager who said: ‘Can you get ‘em in for us?’
I thought I’d misheard him.
The request repeated , I cottoned on to the fact that he wanted me to go into the off- licence and buy him ‘eight cans of Stella’. ‘I’ll give you the money,’ he added.
I refused. He looked about thirteen.
His request was timely, if nothing else.
That morning I had heard on the radio that certain radio DJs had come under fire for promoting a booze culture.
Among those in the firing line in the Government-funded research was Chris Moyles, presenter of Radio 1’s breakfast show, who can boast a huge audience, many of them impressionable youngsters.
I then came across the article in Localgov sister title the MJ on NEETs - youngsters ‘not in education, employment or training’. ‘Red’, a hyperactive 18 year-old Liverpool fan, is quoted in the piece.
Despite the buzz surrounding the city’s Capital of Culture celebrations, Red says the city has nothing for him and his friends, ‘so we hang around here during the day and get drunk at night’.
It struck me that these examples highlight the challenges posed by alcohol misuse. On the one hand, you have the affable, social face of excessive drinking, embodied by Moyles. On the other, you have the escapist recourse to alcohol fuelled by boredom and exclusion.
They are two distinct problems in many respects, but the effects can be felt heavily in local communities. Tackling them is far from simple, requiring a complex, multi-agency response allied to a wider sense of responsibility towards alcohol.
On this latter point, the wider media does have a role to play.
I thought I’d misheard him.
The request repeated , I cottoned on to the fact that he wanted me to go into the off- licence and buy him ‘eight cans of Stella’. ‘I’ll give you the money,’ he added.
I refused. He looked about thirteen.
His request was timely, if nothing else.
That morning I had heard on the radio that certain radio DJs had come under fire for promoting a booze culture.
Among those in the firing line in the Government-funded research was Chris Moyles, presenter of Radio 1’s breakfast show, who can boast a huge audience, many of them impressionable youngsters.
I then came across the article in Localgov sister title the MJ on NEETs - youngsters ‘not in education, employment or training’. ‘Red’, a hyperactive 18 year-old Liverpool fan, is quoted in the piece.
Despite the buzz surrounding the city’s Capital of Culture celebrations, Red says the city has nothing for him and his friends, ‘so we hang around here during the day and get drunk at night’.
It struck me that these examples highlight the challenges posed by alcohol misuse. On the one hand, you have the affable, social face of excessive drinking, embodied by Moyles. On the other, you have the escapist recourse to alcohol fuelled by boredom and exclusion.
They are two distinct problems in many respects, but the effects can be felt heavily in local communities. Tackling them is far from simple, requiring a complex, multi-agency response allied to a wider sense of responsibility towards alcohol.
On this latter point, the wider media does have a role to play.
Friday, 5 September 2008
Localgov tricks and tips: Search
There's a great deal of information on LocalGov.co.uk. In addition to the 40,000 or so listings in the directory, there are thousands of articles stored in the site, and hundreds of jobs and events.
To help your through the wealth of data, there are a number of search options on the site which I will outline in this post.
Basic or ‘quick search’
First, and most obvious, you can run searches across the whole of LocalGov.co.uk using the search bar which appears on every main page in the site (shown above).
Tap in your keyword or expression and LocalGov.co.uk will provide you with a list of references, categorised by site section. A search tips link has been included on the search bar to assist you.
If you do not want to search the entire site, you can search by section via the search bar too. Simply click on the drop down to reveal the sections in LocalGov.co.uk
Section-based searches
In addition to this main search, LocalGov co.uk offers a range of more tailored searches.
For example, in the news section of the site, you can select a site topics or sectors to refine your search, or select a number of sectors by holding down the ctrl key while clicking on headings.
These screens also allows you to specify a date range for the search, either by searching on a predetermined period (a week, a month for example) or by setting your own date range.
Given the volume of information contained in subscription-protected part of the site, the directory, a number of search options are available, allowing you to search by officer type, organisation type and filter site statistics.
News ‘FASTsearch’
In addition to the quick search, the site also features a fast search function of the news section. This requires you to select a term in a news story with your mouse, double click and the three most recent articles relating to that term are displayed.
It does take a bit of deft mouse work, but this is a useful tool to access more information about a particular project or initiative quickly, without have to run a full site search.
One last trick. To save you having to type expressions into the search bar, your can select the term from an article and LocalGov.co.uk automatically fills the search panel in for you.
If you have further suggestion for improving the search functions on LocalGov.co.uk, please either leave a comment on this post or email me.
Happy searching!
To help your through the wealth of data, there are a number of search options on the site which I will outline in this post.
Basic or ‘quick search’
First, and most obvious, you can run searches across the whole of LocalGov.co.uk using the search bar which appears on every main page in the site (shown above).
Tap in your keyword or expression and LocalGov.co.uk will provide you with a list of references, categorised by site section. A search tips link has been included on the search bar to assist you.
If you do not want to search the entire site, you can search by section via the search bar too. Simply click on the drop down to reveal the sections in LocalGov.co.uk
Section-based searches
In addition to this main search, LocalGov co.uk offers a range of more tailored searches.
For example, in the news section of the site, you can select a site topics or sectors to refine your search, or select a number of sectors by holding down the ctrl key while clicking on headings.
These screens also allows you to specify a date range for the search, either by searching on a predetermined period (a week, a month for example) or by setting your own date range.Given the volume of information contained in subscription-protected part of the site, the directory, a number of search options are available, allowing you to search by officer type, organisation type and filter site statistics.
News ‘FASTsearch’
In addition to the quick search, the site also features a fast search function of the news section. This requires you to select a term in a news story with your mouse, double click and the three most recent articles relating to that term are displayed.
It does take a bit of deft mouse work, but this is a useful tool to access more information about a particular project or initiative quickly, without have to run a full site search.
One last trick. To save you having to type expressions into the search bar, your can select the term from an article and LocalGov.co.uk automatically fills the search panel in for you.
If you have further suggestion for improving the search functions on LocalGov.co.uk, please either leave a comment on this post or email me.
Happy searching!
Thursday, 4 September 2008
Flexible Fenland
There is an interesting response on the site today from chief executive of Fenland DC Tim Pilsbury.
Writing in Localgov.co.uk sister title The MJ, Mr Pilsbury outlines his surprise at the media coverage after it emerged that one of his council’s officers would be retained on a part-time basis after he had moved to Australia.
It looks like the Cambridgeshire district has fallen victim of the silly season, as Mr Pilsbury says that his council had the ‘world’s media on its doorstep’ last week. What certain elements the popular press did not really want to stomach, though, is the rationale behind this move.
Good succession planning is something all competent organisations should aspire to, and Fenland is doing just that with this move.
The officer in question, Mat Taylor, will work remotely one day a week to maintain continuity through the next service planning cycle.
As Mr Pilsbury points out, the council will also have a coach and mentor for Mr Taylor’s replacement and, due to a reshuffle of the corporate management team, this has all been achieved on a cost-neutral basis.
This story, therefore, says more about media attitudes to local government and, to a lesser extent, flexible working practice.
For some hacks, the image of a council officer working on the beach was too good to ignore… naturally, it would be a great skive too, as that’s all working from home is, right?
You’ll note from my biog that I’m a little biased here. I divide my time between a home office and our London HQ.
The fact is that technology has improved considerably and, with the right management structures in place, working practices as flexible as the Fenland example are possible, however radical they may appear at first.
Writing in Localgov.co.uk sister title The MJ, Mr Pilsbury outlines his surprise at the media coverage after it emerged that one of his council’s officers would be retained on a part-time basis after he had moved to Australia.
It looks like the Cambridgeshire district has fallen victim of the silly season, as Mr Pilsbury says that his council had the ‘world’s media on its doorstep’ last week. What certain elements the popular press did not really want to stomach, though, is the rationale behind this move.
Good succession planning is something all competent organisations should aspire to, and Fenland is doing just that with this move.
The officer in question, Mat Taylor, will work remotely one day a week to maintain continuity through the next service planning cycle.
As Mr Pilsbury points out, the council will also have a coach and mentor for Mr Taylor’s replacement and, due to a reshuffle of the corporate management team, this has all been achieved on a cost-neutral basis.
This story, therefore, says more about media attitudes to local government and, to a lesser extent, flexible working practice.
For some hacks, the image of a council officer working on the beach was too good to ignore… naturally, it would be a great skive too, as that’s all working from home is, right?
You’ll note from my biog that I’m a little biased here. I divide my time between a home office and our London HQ.
The fact is that technology has improved considerably and, with the right management structures in place, working practices as flexible as the Fenland example are possible, however radical they may appear at first.
Wednesday, 3 September 2008
Safe as houses?
After much speculation ministers have unveiled plans to ease he pain of the ailing housing market.
Amid what the experts have referred to as ‘tinkering’, using tools such a year-long holiday for stamp duty on a fifth of homes currently on the market, a role has also been identified for councils.
These measures are designed to help ‘decent’ people, to use the communities secretary Hazel Blears’ expression, struggling to buy for the first time or struggling to keep hold of their properties.
Indeed, the measures could help some people stay in their homes during these difficult times... first time buyers may continue to think twice, though.
But the Local Government Information Unit thinks more can be done, and urges councils to be ‘imaginative and bold’ in providing support for mortgages.
It cites examples such as Liverpool City Council’s plans to act as a guarantor for mortgages.
Commendable as this may be, one can’t help thinking that there is a worrying sense of the inevitable about all this.
House prices are still over-valued in this country and some commentators have been claiming for a while now that a correction is needed –the full expression of market forces, if you like.
A year or so ago, many were predicting a gentle fall in the market and not a repeat of the 90s crash. A lid would be kept on interest rates and unemployment would remain strong, they said.
What they didn’t account for would be the sub-prime lending crisis and the subsequent shrinking of the mortgage market, and energy and food price hikes. Now, employment in this country looks less certain.
So, with this cocktail of conditions, a correction seems inevitable, particularly when financial institutions have closed their doors to customers to let their burns heal.
One can hope there won’t be a crash, but how much should councils get involved with ameliorating the effects of an ailign housing market that ultimately they cannot control?
Amid what the experts have referred to as ‘tinkering’, using tools such a year-long holiday for stamp duty on a fifth of homes currently on the market, a role has also been identified for councils.
These measures are designed to help ‘decent’ people, to use the communities secretary Hazel Blears’ expression, struggling to buy for the first time or struggling to keep hold of their properties.
Indeed, the measures could help some people stay in their homes during these difficult times... first time buyers may continue to think twice, though.
But the Local Government Information Unit thinks more can be done, and urges councils to be ‘imaginative and bold’ in providing support for mortgages.
It cites examples such as Liverpool City Council’s plans to act as a guarantor for mortgages.
Commendable as this may be, one can’t help thinking that there is a worrying sense of the inevitable about all this.
House prices are still over-valued in this country and some commentators have been claiming for a while now that a correction is needed –the full expression of market forces, if you like.
A year or so ago, many were predicting a gentle fall in the market and not a repeat of the 90s crash. A lid would be kept on interest rates and unemployment would remain strong, they said.
What they didn’t account for would be the sub-prime lending crisis and the subsequent shrinking of the mortgage market, and energy and food price hikes. Now, employment in this country looks less certain.
So, with this cocktail of conditions, a correction seems inevitable, particularly when financial institutions have closed their doors to customers to let their burns heal.
One can hope there won’t be a crash, but how much should councils get involved with ameliorating the effects of an ailign housing market that ultimately they cannot control?
Tuesday, 2 September 2008
Welcome...
... to the start of something that I hope you'll find interesting.
Having worked on Localgov.co.uk for over a year now - and with quite a few exciting developments around the corner - I thought it would be helpful to establish this blog to keep users aware of new site features and, more importantly, to get your feedback.
I've had some interesting and fruitful chats with users over the last 12 months or so and some of the suggestions have already been incorporated into our on-going improvement programme. Others have been factored into further developments.
However, this blog will not just be about the site. It'll give me, and you, an opportunity to comment on issues affecting the local government sector. A good number of you have aired your views directly in response to articles on the site and I was keen to carry this over to the blog.
In common with the site comment, you will have the option to post anonymously if you wish, as I realise that some of you are constrained by your employers. That said, please keep things clean... and legal!
Having worked on Localgov.co.uk for over a year now - and with quite a few exciting developments around the corner - I thought it would be helpful to establish this blog to keep users aware of new site features and, more importantly, to get your feedback.
I've had some interesting and fruitful chats with users over the last 12 months or so and some of the suggestions have already been incorporated into our on-going improvement programme. Others have been factored into further developments.
However, this blog will not just be about the site. It'll give me, and you, an opportunity to comment on issues affecting the local government sector. A good number of you have aired your views directly in response to articles on the site and I was keen to carry this over to the blog.
In common with the site comment, you will have the option to post anonymously if you wish, as I realise that some of you are constrained by your employers. That said, please keep things clean... and legal!
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