So what is ‘digital’?
What is digital? It’s certainly a buzz word that you hear mentioned nowadays; everyone wants to ‘go digital’, but what does it actually mean? And most importantly what does it mean for you, the residents, the council and businesses that we serve?
The fact that we ask this question shows that there isn’t a simple definition. Digital can mean technology, a new way of working or doing things online. For some it could even refer to the digits lit up in green on their bedside clock showing them the time. It is open to interpretation, which is why we need to be clear about what digital means to us so we can pass on a clear message to you about the work we are doing.
So what does it mean here at Newham Council?
Well, digital certainly does mean new technology and more online services, but it’s also about people, the devices they use and they way they engage with them. With the arrival of mobile devices and social media we are no longer restricted by the limitations of our desktop computers. We are digitally connected; able to consume services on the move and share our experiences with others. So as a council we need to think again about the way we deliver our services online and how they are used by our residents.
Work has already begun here in the Newham Digital Services team to design better digital services for Newham. You can find out more about what’s going on in our blog post.
It’s early days and we don’t know yet what these services will look like yet, but what we are clear about is what we want to achieve by investing in digital services.
We want to:
- Make it quicker, easier and more convenient for you to use our services on a device of your choice, whether it is a smart phone or a laptop. We want your experience to be so good that you choose to go online rather than wait for help on the phone.
- Design services with you so we start with your needs not our own. We want to continue to design and test ideas with you to make sure we meet your needs in the future.
- Build trust by consistently building good quality digital services.
- Give staff and residents the tools to tell us about things they see in the community so we can deal with them before they become problems.
- Become more open and transparent about the work we are doing and the data we keep.
- Improve access to digital services by making it easier to use them and break down the barriers that stop people from being able to access them.
Technology does not stand still and progress has moved at an unprecedented rate in recent years. This creates a big challenge for us as a council, particularly as we deal with the ongoing pressure caused by deep cuts to our funding.
However this is a challenge we have to embrace to ensure we prepared for the future and able to meet the needs of our diverse and changing community in years to come.
