Research with Council Officers & Members

Officer & Member Survey

To gather a broad sample of data, during the summer of 2010 the study is collecting data from both officers and members through an online survey. The survey is seeking to understand, the current and future practices of local councils in interacting with neighbourhood websites, their experiences of using them and their views on the sites' potential to support the work of local councils.

Officers can take part through this link.

Members can access the survey here.

Council Officer's Workshop

On 21st June, the project team ran a workshop for council officers in London to explore the issues raised by citizen-led neighbourhood networks. After hearing first-hand from some of London’s most successful neighbourhood sites, participants explored the implications.

They considered the benefits that might be derived from councils working with the sites, the barriers to doing that and what they would need to do to make progress.

The group confirmed that amongst the key barriers were the fear of losing control of key messages and the need for councils to think through where, within organisational structures, responsibility for interacting with the sites is best allocated.

The group identified a range of benefits that might arise from collaboration, including cost savings from co-production as well as improved levels of engagement.

Amongst the resolutions participants took away were to convene working groups to think through a co-ordinated response to neighbourhood websites and, for some, thinking through the role the authority might take in supporting the development of a healthy local website ecosystem.