4.19 — weeknotes — really out and about with purpose this week

Lots of out and about this week, which has been really good to see people and some time to stop and think as well, which is really needed!

Monday and Tuesday was in Hounslow house and stayed over — so got in my usual run around Hounslow in the evening — always nice. First thing Monday morning was some Stakeholder groups interviews for another Director role elsewhere in the Council. I think it’s great that colleagues have the opportunity to be part of the selection process for senior and important roles.

Tuesday was my Level 7 management development day, started a new topic this time — Strategy. Very broad and even though I have implemented a Digital Strategy a number of times now, there was still so much to think about in terms of new ways of thinking about things and techniques for implementing them. As always with these courses

Wednesday I was part of a keynote panel session at the GovNet conference in Westminster. The topic was Digital Leadership: Working Together and Building Links to Retain World-Leading Digital Status (just a small topic then). There was a great discussion among the panel and some great questions as well from the audience — certainly enough to keep us on our toes and challenged. Great chairing as well by Jos Creese. Was odd and great to be at an in person event, with the

Stayed for the rest of the day and managed to catch a number of great sessions.

Theo gave an update on the digital inclusion work across London. The last panel session of the day was excellent and a topic I am so interested in. Data and trust. In fact that was a theme of the day really coming up in a number of different sessions across the day. This really links into the work that we are doing on Data at the Council.

Also managed to catch up with Nadira from Socitm as well, whilst I failed miserably to attend their session it was great to catch up with her. Have the President’s Conference in a few weeks as well which is another excellent in person event.

So much to reflect and think on during and after this event. The importance of diversity, of data, of genuinely involving communities in the design of services, of bringing together policy and digital together to work together to get the policy and processes right first time (together), of networks of people coming together, of taking an ethical and honest approach….

Throughout the week the team have been ensuring that the new Councillors have had their kit rolled out to them, they have had a induction into their Information and Cyber Security responsibilities and some training on everything. They have done an amazing job to get everything moving forwards. We start on the replacement kit for returning members in a couple of weeks!

Tune of the Week: Random and old skool — The Tamperer Feat. Maya — Feel It 1998 HQ