The Local Digital Declaration has been launched which sets out the guiding principles that will help support local authorities to deliver digital services that meet the needs of citizens.
The key principles of the Local Digital Declaration include designing with users in mind and creating an open learning culture that encourages local authorities to share learning. These are the principles that have been guiding Stockport Council’s digital programme and the reason they were involved in the drafting of the declaration.
Councillor Elise Wilson, Cabinet Member for Reform and Governance at Stockport Council says:
“People are at the heart of everything we do in our Digital by Design programme. The people who develop the services in our digital teams, those who deliver them at the front line and the residents who use them to support their lives. We may be delivering new technology but our end goal is to use digital to improve the customer experience.”
Digital transformation is a complex, expensive and time consuming activity and local authorities are all faced with reducing budgets. The declaration encourages public bodies to work together in the future and pool local authority collective ability and resources to better effect for all.
Cllr Wilson adds:
“We already open-source our new digital capabilities so that they can be reused by other organisations and we frequently share our learning experiences. In September we will open our doors with the launch of our Open Days, which will offer regular opportunities for other public bodies to see what we have done and how we are doing it.”
Find out more about Stockport Council’s digital programme and the Local Authority Digital Declaration
- The Digital Declaration was initiated by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and The Government Digital Service (GDS) with collaboration from over 30 public bodies and local authorities, including Stockport Council. Further information here: https://localdigital.gov.uk
The Council has invested in a programme of digital transformation which uses digital solutions to deliver public services in new and more efficient ways that will better meet the changing expectations and needs of our residents and businesses.
Whilst traditional phone and face to face methods of contact are still available, more and more of Stockport Council’s services are being offered online and the Council’s aim is for all who can to use digital channels.