Government Business 29.6

Another day, another government

In our last edition, we were talking about Liz Truss and her new government. However, following a series of dramatic events, she only lasted 45 days in the job.

Now we have the third prime minister of the year. Some of prime minister Rishi Sunak’s appointments have already been criticised. Suella Braverman was reappointed to her role a week after she resigned for a data breach. Gavin Williamson resigned over bullying claims, which Sunak allegedly knew about before his appointment. Now, deputy PM Dominic Raab is facing a formal investigation into his behaviour after two formal complaints were made against him.

One of the first acts of the new government was chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s recent Autumn Statement, which set out tax rises and spending cuts. So far, it has had a better reception than the mini budget of his predecessor Kwasi Kwarteng, which was a catalyst in the downfall of the previous government.

In this issue, we cover different ways to prepare for winter, from facilities management to road maintenance. There are articles on drainage, fire safety and groundscare on what needs to be done in these industries. Finally, the technology section includes digital transformation and the digital skills gap.

Polly Jones, editor

on 0300 123 2220 or visit www.ipso.co.uk

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Contents Government Business 29.6

07 News

Sunak becomes Prime Minister and appoints new government; Chancellor delivers Autumn Statement; One in five pounds of public sector procurement awarded to SMEs

12 Energy

A recent study from E.ON and the UK Green Building Council revealed that UK cities need urgent transformation in order for the UK to meet it net zero targets by 2050. GB spoke to Julie Hirigoyen, chief executive of the UK Green Building Council

15 Facilities Management

With winter approaching, the weather getting colder and wetter and the days getting shorter, there is lots you can do to prepare. GB shares ten top tips for facilities management prep for winter

20 Road Maintenance

With winter coming up, road maintenance is more important than ever and it’s a good idea to get ahead before the cold weather really begins

22 Drainage

The drainage industry is key to long term environmental sustainability in a multitude of ways, many of which would not be immediately apparent. This paper aims to identify these, as well as set out how the industry is addressing them

29 Fire Safety

The Fire Sector Federation (FSF) has published a white paper calling for a wider discussion to create a national fire safety strategy that goes beyond current legislative proposals

33 Signage

Signage can bring real benefit to your organisation and it is a very cost-efficient way to do so. GB looks at the benefits of good signage

38 Groundscare

Paul Rabbitts, chair of the Parks Management Association looks at the challenges facing those who maintain our parks

42 Green Spaces

Footways is a network of quiet and enjoyable routes for walking in London, here Emma Griffin, co-founder of Footways discusses the benefits of having access to green spaces close to where we live

44 Homelessness

Homelessness has been a challenge for local authorities for a long time, the ‘How can data stop homelessness before it starts’ report published by EY in conjunction with Maidstone Borough Council, analyses the roles that technology can play in helping to move from reacting to homelessness to actively preventing it. GB spoke to John Littlemore head of housing & regulatory services at Maidstone Brough Council

47 Conferences and Events

It is fair to say that if you are reading this magazine and these articles, you are probably a professional in your area of expertise. The very desire to expand your knowledge through personal development, relevant articles, industry publications and their inherent educational content means you are a cut above the rest and should be considered a professional… but a professional what?

53 Frameworks

Recruiting talent to the public sector is not easy, but Crown Commercial Service’s Executive & Non-Executive Recruitment Services framework helps to ease some of the pressure

63 Tech - Digital Transformation

Cllr Neil Prior, deputy chair of the Local Government Association’s Improvement and Innovation Board discusses digitalisation and embracing technology

67 Tech - Digital Skills

Martin McFadyen, head of public sector at Virgin Media O2 Business discusses the digital skills gap and how the Connect More Programme is helping people gain the digital skills they need

73 Tech - Blockchain

Douglas Heintzman, chief catalyst at the Blockchain Research Institute looks at how blockchain can be used in government

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Sunak becomes Prime Minister and appoints new government CENTRAL GOVERNMENT

He previously served as chancellor under Boris Johnson and his resignation was part of the reason for Johnson’s exit from office.

Previous prime minister Liz Truss resigned after 45 days in the role, making her the shortest-serving PM in British history. The resignation came after several of her own MPs called for her to resign, following ministerial resignations and U-turns on economic policies. In the days before her resignation, chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng was sacked and home secretary Suella Braverman resigned.

Sunak began naming his cabinet almost immediately with some familiar faces back in their previous roles.

resignation letter she said: “I have made a mistake; I accept responsibility; I resign.”

James Cleverly also retains his role as foreign secretary, after also being appointed by Truss.

Dominic Raab is justice secretary and deputy prime minister having previously served in the role under Boris Johnson. He did not serve in this role under Truss. He has previously served as foreign secretary and covered for Boris Johnson when he was in hospital with Covid.

Ben Wallace remains as defence secretary, a role which he has held since July 2019 and Tom Tugendhat is back as minister for security.

Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister last month following the resignation of Liz Truss. He won the leadership race after his rivals Boris Johnson and Penny Mordaunt dropped out.

Sunak becomes the first British-Asian prime minister and the youngest prime minister in over 100 years.

AUTUMN STATEMENT

Jeremy Hunt remains as chancellor. He was appointed by former PM Liz Truss a little over a week before, after her previous chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng was sacked. Upon appointment, Hunt reversed several of his predecessor’s policies. He previously served as health secretary under David Cameron.

Suella Braverman was reappointed as home secretary less than a week after her resignation following a data breach. In her

Thérèse Coffey is back in the cabinet as environment secretary. She briefly served as health secretary and deputy prime minister under Truss.

Her previous position as health secretary has been reclaimed by Steve Barclay who briefly held the position under Boris Johnson after Sajid Javid resigned.

READ MORE

Chancellor delivers Autumn Statement

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has delivered his long-awaited Autumn Statement in the House of Commons.

Hunt began his speech by acknowledging that the UK is in a recession and that things will get worse before they improve.

Among the measures announced is a reduction in the threshold for when the highest earners start paying the top rate of tax, from £150,000 to £125,140. This means those earning £150,000 or more will pay just over £1,200 more a year.

There will be a windfall tax on the energy industry of 35 per cent from 1 January 2023, until March 2028. This is up from 25 per cent. There will also be a temporary levy of 45 per cent on electricity generators. It is expected these two measures will raise about £14 billion next year.

Hunt has confirmed the government departments can expect a squeeze and that they will have to make “tough decisions to deal with inflationary pressures in the next two years”. He did say that overall spending on public services will rise for the next five years after accounting for inflation.

According to the chancellor, the health budget will be protected. However, he has called on the NHS to “join all public services in tackling waste and inefficiency. He said: “That doesn’t mean asking people on the frontline to work harder, but rather asking challenging questions on how to reform all public services

for the better.” Hunt has announced that the NHS budget will be increased by £3.3 billion in each of the next two years.

The chancellor included an extra £1.5 billion for the Scottish government, £31.2 billion for the Welsh government and £650 million for the Northern Ireland executive to tackle pressures on schools and the NHS.

Hunt has also announced that it is not possible to maintain the 0.7 per cent target of overseas aid spending, with spending to remain at around 0.5 per cent.

Sizewell C nuclear plant will be going ahead, which will create 10,000 jobs and provide power for six million homes for 50 years. Northern Powerhouse rail and HS2 will also be going ahead with £600 billion of investment over the next five years.

There will be targeted support for the cost of living, with additional payments of £900 to be paid to those on means-tested benefits, £300 to pensioner households and £150 to people on disability benefits.

The National Living Wage is set to rise for over 23s from £9.50 an hour to £10.42. This is equivalent to a pay rise of £1,600 for a fulltime worker.

Benefits will also rise in line with inflation. From next April, means-tested benefits including Universal Credit will rise in line with September’s inflation figure of 10.1 per cent.

Pensions will also rise in line with the 10.1 per cent inflation increase.

Rent rises in the social rented sector will be capped at 7 per cent in the next financial year.

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered a reply, saying “Here we are at the end of 2022, three prime ministers, four chancellors and four budgets later.”

“And where do we find ourselves? In a worse place than we started the year.”

She said: “What does the chancellor have to offer today?”

“More of the same - with working people paying the price for his failure. The Chancellor should have come today to ask for forgiveness, at the very least he could’ve offered an apology.”

READ MORE

Gove returns as levelling up secretary

Gove previously served in the role under Boris Johnson, but was sacked after calling for Johnson to resign. His sacking was one of the catalysts that led to Johnson’s resignation.

Gove has also previously served as education secretary and justice secretary.

Upon the news, Cllr Tim Oliver, Chairman of the County Councils Network, said: “The County Councils Network (CCN) would like to welcome Michael Gove back to the position of Levelling Up Secretary. Michael demonstrated during his previous time in the department that he was a strong supporter of local government around the cabinet table, and understands the opportunities and challenges facing councils right across the country.

“We worked closely with Michael and his ministerial team to develop the Levelling Up White Paper and then the Levelling Up and

Regeneration Bill, and it is now critical that levelling up is delivered across England. Key to this will be keeping the momentum going on the county devolution agenda, and this should include a clear commitment to the principles underpinning the white paper and turbocharging devolution, starting with announcing the next set of areas to agree devolution deals, and opening up a second round of county deal negotiations.

“Earlier this year Michael committed to providing financial certainty to the sector and we now want to work with him to deliver this. Investing in and empowering county authorities will go a long way to ensuring that local areas can boost economic growth and bolster England’s productivity in the long run, while ensuring that residents have access to excellent services and the most vulnerable are protected.”

READ MORE

HOUSING

Gove commits to building 300,000 homes a year

Speaking to the BBC, housing secretary Michael Gove has said the government is committed to building 300,000 homes a year by the mid 2020s.

The commitment was part of the manifesto pledge, but former prime minister Liz Truss said she wanted to scrap “Stalinist” housing targets.

Gove claimed he wants to build more homes for ownership and rent, though meeting the target would be difficult due to economic circumstances.

He said: “We need to be straight with people: the cost of materials has increased because of the problems with global supply chains and

PROCUREMENT

also a very tight labour market means that the capacity to build those homes at the rate we want is constrained.”

He also said that new developments should have the consent of local communities.

Many have described the current situation as a housing crisis, with long waiting lists for council houses and many living in substandard conditions.

In 2017, chancellor Phillip Hammond outlined the target of building 300,000 homes a year by the mid 2020s and this was recommitted to in the 2019 manifesto.

Boris Johnson attempted to increase building, by forcing councils to accept new housing developments in certain areas. Though this was stopped after opposition from his own MPs.

Also, earlier this year, former housing secretary Robert Jenrick said that the government would “miss their 300,000-homes-a-year manifesto pledge by a country mile”.

READ MORE

One in five pounds of public sector procurement awarded to SMEs

Just over one in every five pounds (21 per cent) spent by Government on public sector procurement in 2021 was awarded to small and medium enterprises (SME), a report from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), powered by Tussell, has found.

The BCC’s SME Procurement Tracker – the UK’s most comprehensive source of data on SME procurement, in partnership with Tussell – has revealed that while the value of published public sector procurement spending with SMEs has increased, the proportion of total Government money awarded directly to SMEs has not grown over the past five years. Based on procurement expenditure data published by public bodies for transparency purposes, the value of reported public procurement spending in the UK increased significantly over the period 2016-2021. The

amount spent on third-party goods, services, and works increased more than two-fold during this time, rising from £80 billion in 2016 to £181billion in 2021.

The total value of direct public spending with SMEs in 2021 was up significantly on previous years, nearly doubling from £20 billion in 2016 to £38 billion in 2021.

In 2021, just over 105,000 SMEs invoiced the wider public sector directly for a median annual amount of £32,000. However, SMEs are now receiving a relatively smaller amount of reported direct Government procurement spending than they were five years ago.

In 2016, 25 per cent of public sector procurement spending was awarded directly to SMEs. By 2021, this figure had dropped to 21 per cent, indicating that only just over one in every five pounds spent by Government

on public services went straight to SMEs, excluding indirect spend with SMEs via the supply chain. This is significantly behind Central Government’s target of spending one in every three pounds with SMEs by 2022, a target which also includes indirect spend with SMEs via the supply chain, which is hard to measure.

As a proportion of their overall procurement budget, direct spend with SMEs by Local Government bodies was the highest at 38 per cent. NHS bodies across England spent 22 per cent of their procurement budget with SMEs, while Central Government was significantly lower than the average – awarding only 11 per cent to SMEs.

READ MORE

Michael Gove has returned to his previous position as secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities in Rishi Sunak’s new cabinet.

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Targeting net zero

A recent study from E.ON and the UK Green Building Council revealed that UK cities need urgent transformation in order for the UK to meet its net zero targets by 2050. GB spoke to Julie Hirigoyen, chief executive of the UK Green Building Council

Net zero is an important topic at the moment, with lots of organisations striving to reach this goal, can you briefly explain what the study discovered with regards to cities meeting net zero targets?

The built environment is directly responsible for around a quarter of the UK’s carbon footprint, rising to over 40 per cent if you include surface-level transport. To reach net zero by 2050, carbon emissions from this crucial sector must be substantially reduced.

Over the next 10 years, our cities need to rapidly transform if we are to make enough progress to lessen the worst impacts of climate change. In practice, we’ll need to see greater integration of nature and green spaces within our cities, fewer private vehicles on the road, alongside greater access to low-carbon public transport, and an embracing of smart technology solutions to help us consume less energy and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.

Why is it so important for cities to aim for net zero?

More than half of the world’s population live in cities, which are also home to most of our

built assets and global economic activity. Cities consume over two-thirds of the world’s energy and account for more than 70 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions. Global heating above 1.5C (against pre-industrial levels) would have devastating consequences for our cities and the costs of climate action dwarf the costs of inaction. Earlier this year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that humaninduced climate change is causing dangerous and widespread disruption in nature and affecting the lives of billions of people around the world. Action must be taken at every level – city-by-city, neighbourhood-byneighbourhood – if we’re to avoid a climate breakdown.

Can you tell us what the Streets of the Future initiative aims to achieve and how it will do this?

Streets of the Future provides collective insight from UK Green Building Council’s members and E.ON into how our cities will need to transform as we move closer to our 2050 ambition and interim targets. It aims to demonstrate the scale of the challenge ahead and how urgent action is required to ensure we can meet these goals. It does this by visually presenting some of the changes you may see across our cities in the future. Take a look!

With global warming such an urgent problem, what do you recommend cities do to meet net zero targets?

Setting out your city-level climate ambition is a welcome first step. However, having a plan and strategy to get there is vital, including setting interim targets throughout your decarbonisation journey. Whilst 2050 still feels far away, the reality is that by 2030 most cities must halve their emissions, so the next few years are critical. Key climate actions that cities must take include decarbonisation of their built assets (both new and existing), increased reliance on renewable energy generation, electrification of their transportation infrastructure, and enhancing resilience through the integration of more nature-based solutions. They should also consider how the urban planning system maximises net zero carbon outcomes, and review

Cities overconsumetwo-thirds of theworld’senergyand account for more than70percentofglobal carbonemissionsdioxide

their food production, waste and water management systems, as well as carefully targeting investment in more deprived communities and low-carbon industries.

And how will implementing these measures benefit the local area, the local residents and the local authority’s purse?

By investing in climate solutions, city leaders can mitigate economic and social risks, deliver health benefits to local citizens, create new jobs and tackle growing inequalities between rich and poor. The move to be more sustainable will change life as we know it, supporting and enhancing the wellbeing of local individuals, businesses, communities and future generations. For example, one of the biggest changes we must embrace is reduced dependency on private vehicle ownership, accompanied with more reliable public transport links. Public transport eases congestion, reduces emissions and air pollution, whilst connecting us with others across our community.

What are the best ways for local authorities to reduce energy usage in public buildings?

Fundamentally it’s about identifying the right interventions for each building; there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Low hanging fruit that doesn’t require major intervention would include retrofitting with LED lighting throughout and installing sensors to automatically turn lights off when there is low occupancy, optimising building management systems and controls, and upgrading old or inefficient appliances (e.g. kitchen and printers) and equipment

(e.g. radiators and fan coil units). Deeper retrofit works to substantially upgrade a building might involve increased insulation to floors and walls, increased air tightness, installing new windows or thermal bridges, and replacing central plant and machinery such as swapping gas boilers for air source heat pumps or adding photovoltaics on the roof and facades. It’s also important to look at how the building is being managed and scaling up the use of smart technology to improve efficiency and responsiveness. Finally, influencing behaviour change across those who occupy public buildings and encouraging a culture of conservation is critical – and perhaps the most challenging aspect to implement.

How can we encourage residents to reduce their energy usage to have a positive impact on the city?

At the time of this interview, UK citizens are facing an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis, soaring energy and food bills, and growing economic and health insecurity in a postpandemic world. So, it should be common sense to take action to reduce energy usage, reduce monthly bills, increase consumer spend, and improve health outcomes. In the UK, we have one of the draughtiest housing

stocks in Western Europe, meaning the increasingly costly energy we buy is leaking out of our windows, doors and walls. In addition to cutting energy bills and reducing carbon, creating warmer and better-quality homes will bring health benefits, saving the NHS money and bring wider societal benefits. It is estimated to cost the NHS some £1.4bn per year to treat those people who are affected by poor housing.

Have you got any final top tips on net zero and energy reduction for cities?

To date, local leadership has been essential in delivering some of the progress we have seen towards our climate goals, particularly in areas such as domestic retrofit. Local and city authorities must continue scaling up successful decarbonisation schemes, whilst calling for national government support to enable local action to go further and faster. Relying on the scale and ambition of current central government policy alone, the UK would fail to meet our carbon targets – both national and local. L

In the UK, we have one of the draughtiest housing stocks in Western Europe, meaning the increasingly costly energy we buy is leaking out of our windows, doors and walls

Preparing for winter

With winter approaching, the weather getting colder and wetter and the days getting shorter, there is lots you can do to prepare. GB shares ten top tips for facilities management prep for winter

Over the winter, weather can be unpredictable, snow, ice, rain and wind can all pose significant risk to buildings and you need to be prepared.

Buildings themselves can tend be the main area of focus, and pre-emptive maintenance is a must to try to avoid any nasty surprises. However, management of the site is also important, making sure it is safe and access remains clear.

Below are ten areas to focus on ahead of winter.

Water

Perhaps the most obvious thing to check is water supply. A burst pipe can cause a lot of problems very quickly. You should check the mains, pipes and taps for any signs of damage and make sure taps are turned off properly to prevent pipes from freezing.

It should be noted that vacant properties are at more risk from burst pipes due to colder temperatures in unoccupied buildings and the longer time it may take for a problem to be discovered. It is important that pipes are adequately maintained and insulated, especially if your property is going to be vacant for long periods over Christmas.

Power

Power is essential for the running of any organisation and extreme weather can have an effect on this. It may be worth investigating generators or other alternative power supplies such as solar panels, if your power supply is cut off, or even to combat the energy crisis.

If you do have an alternate power supply, ensure it is properly maintained and make sure you have a plan if power does go out. Perform an energy survey and audit and identify where savings can be made. Make

sure unused electrical items are switched off if the building is closed over Christmas.

Heating

Though you may not have used your heating for a while, it is important to make sure it works and to identify any problems before you actually need it. A comfortable working environment is essential for productivity and comfort in your workplace. Make sure to listen to staff and service users about the temperature of the building. Ensure your boiler is serviced regularly, and make sure the heating is scheduled to come on if the building is to be empty over Christmas to avoid the aforementioned burst pipe.

Windows and doors

To ensure your power and heating are used as efficiently as possible, make sure all your windows and doors are working properly and there are no draughts. This can also prevent mould. Some handles and catches may become stiff during the winter months, so it is important these are maintained and any issues are identified before they become a problem and you can’t shut the door properly. E

Power is essential for the running of any organisation and extreme weather can have an effect on this

Finally, if any problems are anticipated with any of the above or extreme weather is forecast, make sure procedures are in place so that staff and service users are safe at work and can get home safely too

 Cleaning and hygiene

Virus circulation is expected to be high this year, after two years of reduced mixing over winter and Christmas and it is essential that cleaning and hygiene is maintained to keep staff well, keep your organisation running and reduce pressure on the NHS and other key services.

The colder weather also means people are less likely to make use of natural ventilation – opening a window – giving airborne viruses more chance to spread.

Another part of cleaning is keeping buildings free of visible dirt. Wetter weather and fallen leaves mean dirt, mud, leaves etc can be brought into the building and spread, making it look unclean. Wet leaves and water also present a slip hazard.

The best ways to prevent dirt spreading are a good doormat and regular cleaning.

Roof

Though it may not seem obvious or easy, it is critical to check the roof of your building before winter. Roof maintenance is essential to protect against cold and wet weather.

Check for missing, loose or cracked tiles before they get worse and check for leaks. You should also check for pooling water on flat rooves and any signs of damage on ceilings on the inside.

Gutters and drains

Following on from the above, make sure to check your gutters and downpipes for leaks and blockages. Ice and snow can make problems worse and a damaged gutter or downpipe can cause water to get inside the building.

Make sure to clear leaves from drains and the surrounding area to make sure they are not blocking drains ahead of any heavy rain. A blocked drain in a storm can become overwhelmed very quickly and cause access problems as well as flood damage to a property.

Walkways and roads

Fallen leaves can be a slip hazard, so it is important to clear them to ensure your paths and walkways are safe, especially if your facility caters for vulnerable users.

Snow and ice is the biggest issue to face walkways and roads in the winter months. Be prepared for snow clearance and removal and make sure you have a good supply of grit. It is important to grit surfaces before the ice hits.

If you have plants, it is important to look after them too, so they survive the winter and provide a nicer place to work and visit.

Outside lighting

Outside lighting is essential to keep staff and services users safe, especially if a building is not in a public area with already provided street lights. It will be dark by the time most people leave work now and even when some people arrive. Good lighting reduces the likelihood of accidents, such as trips and vehicle collisions. It also acts as a deterrent for crime and makes those using the facilities feel safer.

Check your wiring and lamps, and make sure any breakages are fixed. Ensure any timers and motion sensors are working.

Security

Security is critical if your building is going to be shut over Christmas and as the days get shorter. Make sure your lights and alarm are working properly. You should adjust the timers on your lights as it gets darker sooner and get your alarm serviced. Dark nights and empty buildings are attractive for potential criminals.

Finally, if any problems are anticipated with any of the above or extreme weather is forecast, make sure procedures are in place so that staff and service users are safe at work and can get home safely too. If possible, allow staff to work from home if difficulties are expected.

With everything listed above, the most important takeaway is always prevention is better than cure. Make sure you have done what you can ahead of winter, so you are prepared. In all cases, it is important to have emergency plans and clear lines of communication with service providers in case the unexpected happens. L

Light and dark

getting the balance right

Urbis Schréder offer LED lighting and control solutions, connecting spaces and places to enable improved environments, whilst reimagining the way light is used through efficiency, innovation, sustainability, and expertise. We’ve spent over 100 years refining our approach to lighting. Our unparalleled experience in lighting city centres, roads, bridges, tunnels, buildings, and workspaces enables us to develop solutions for tomorrow’s needs, connecting global expertise with a local perspective to build legacies for future generations.

Tackling climate emergencies

As more and more councils are declaring climate emergencies, environmental issues and impacts are increasingly becoming a key factor in the decision-making process. It’s vital that we put sustainability front and centre of everything we do, and work hard to minimise the impact of the built environment on the natural world. However, we also need to be mindful of maintaining a safe environment for the people who use and inhabit these places.

Momentum for change Councils across the country have faced substantial financial challenges in the wake of years of significant funding cuts, with many forced to review budgets for local services including streetlights, to save money. Streetlighting accounts for a significant proportion of a local authority’s overall electricity consumption, typically 30 per cent (less if street lighting assets have been converted to LED), and outdoor public lighting is also a significant contributor to CO2 emissions. However, as UK government policy drives towards Net Zero by 2050 and with many local authorities declaring climate emergencies, there is momentum for change.

Lighting promotes safer streets for women

This focus on energy efficiency and minimising the environmental impact of street lighting is much needed, but is simply reducing the amount of lighting in our public spaces the best solution for everyone? The murders of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa have prompted a wave of concern about women’s safety on the streets. 63 per cent of women now say they feel less safe walking at night, a rise of 17 per cent since 2018. These women are less likely to go out to dimly lit areas; in fact, they are 50 per cent less likely, and this understandable

reluctance is having a significant impact on the night-time retail and hospitality economies. But a recent report from the University of Sheffield revealed that where areas were well lit at night, there was a 36 per cent reduction in all crime and a 38 per cent reduction in rape crime. So, if streetlights are diminished, then so too is the feeling of women feeling safe while they walk.

Clare Thomas, head of applications and solutions shares three top tips on how to start a lighting redesign journey: Don’t just see this as a tick box compliance exercise focused on the financials; take a holistic approach to your design, bridging the gap between the financials and the trust potential of the space.

Tap into the alternative central government funding, e.g. the Safer Streets Fund, which is supported by the Safer Streets – Crime prevention toolkit. Connect your community lighting to the environmental, social & governance (ESG) agenda.

By using the right lighting solution and working together to design, procure and implement it, local authorities can immediately impact operational and maintenance costs as well as improve public spaces, connect communities, and contribute to the sustainability agenda.

Urbis Schréder’s ‘Logic’

approach

Urbis Schréder’s Logic approach allows you to create sustainable and flexible spaces that help you adapt to your community’s changing needs. Individually controlled for local demands but connected too, for a holistic approach. The holistic approach looks at everything and doesn’t solely focus on one area. We think a major part of the issue is that lighting is treated as a separate entity, when really, it’s a fundamental service we are providing for people within those environments. Well-planned and logical, integrated lighting can overcome so many challenges – and we’re helping clients choose lighting that creates spaces and places people love to be in. Of course, the best solution is no lighting, but if we are providing lighting, for example on a dedicated pedestrian/ cycle route, isn’t it important to think about surround lighting to ensure good visibility/feeling of safety? And is this lighting approach inclusive e.g. for those with sight impairment?

Talk to us about making the right connections and how we can offer you bespoke lighting solutions by contacting us below. L

logic@urbis-schreder.com

FURTHER INFORMATION

Lighting experts Urbis Schréder discuss their approach to lighting and how to manage lighting redesign

–

With the right design and technology, lighting can completely transform a space and how (or whether) people use and experience it

– Clare Thomas, head of applications and solutions at Urbis Schréder

BUILDING SOMETHING BETTER.

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On average, our services deliver carbon savings of 20 per cent and cost savings of up to 20 per cent. We offer so much more than just sustainable waste, and water solutions, offering cost effective energy solutions to decarbonise your estate. Ecological transformation remains a key focus of our approach and goes beyond just the solutions and being an active part in helping you understand your building by using innovative technologies. Find out more in our latest video: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=4fq27T1_Trk&t=2s

How could a partnership with Veolia benefit your business?

Veolia understands that every building is different, and managing your estate can be challenging but understanding your energy and FM requirements shouldn’t be. A collaborative partnership with Veolia could deliver real results for your government building. We will take the time to get to know what your needs are and adapt our approach. Ongoing investments in new equipment allows you to benefit from the latest technological innovations and help you stay ahead of the curve. We can even embed our employees with environmental knowledge and experience directly into your business - a fairly unusual approach, but one that ensures we understand your objectives and to help your government building achieve its goals across the board. Our holistic approach enables us to utilise our broad

portfolio of services across a variety of areas. For example, our work with Carbon Clean is helping us to become the first UK operator of Energy Recovery Facilities (ERFs) which utilise carbon capture technology. This will enable us to further utilise waste as part of the circular economy. Working with Veolia means you will have access to industry-leading data analytics and an FM-trained Account Management team that speaks your language.

Unlock your potential - What solutions can Veolia offer? We can support you in initially identifying areas of carbon savings to develop a carbon reduction strategy, and implement new solutions and technologies across your whole government business. These can include integrating green energy into your energy mix, whilst ensuring the security of supply. We can also look at waste when thinking about carbon. With the focus currently on building back better, now is the perfect time to think about reducing your carbon footprint. You need to find ways to decarbonise your building that are cost effective, fit in with existing infrastructure and cause minimal operational disruption. Veolia can support you to look into options such as carbon and hydrogen, to help you innovate and prepare your government business for a less carbon-intensive future, not to mention positioning yourself as a ‘good neighbour’ in your local surroundings to establish your position as a greener building for the sake of your reputation and your environmental credentials.

Can you give us some examples of the work you have done?

We are now at the forefront of innovation, and the real dedication to what we can achieve lies in the results we deliver to our customers. In the fight against climate change, we have helped local councils to do more with less. Motivated by the climate

emergency we accelerated Leicestershire City Council’s journey to net zero carbon by installing 603 solar panels, drastically reducing resilience on the Grid. We replaced fossil fuel boilers in County Hall and the existing Biomass boiler has been used to feed a low carbon District Heat Network. At Beaumanor Hall, a former stately house used as Military Intelligence in WW2, we replaced high carbon heating with Airsource heat pumps and heavy batteries to provide heat and hot water, saving 75 per cent of CO2. The building has now opened and operates as a training centre and residential facility for young people. Across all three sites, we save 399 tonnes of carbon emissions per year, that’s the same as a Social Cost of Carbon value of £48,112/ year*. Explore our VR experience to find out more: http://app.1stepnorth.com/veolia/

How Veolia can help you achieve Net Zero

With Net Zero on the horizon and UK electricity consumption set to double by 2050, by addressing industrial, commercial and domestic energy efficiency, we already have the proven ways to make major cuts in emissions today ready to apply the emerging technologies to help achieve the target. Government buildings need to adopt an innovative approach to reduce and manage their carbon footprint. We offer a one-stop shop approach - our FM team can work with you to identify key areas where efficiency can be improved, manage projects, and utilise the expertise of other areas to deliver the changes that will make real progress taking the pressure off you beyond sustainability and help support the aim to ‘level up’ the UK. Crown Commercial Service supports the public sector to achieve maximum commercial value when procuring common goods and services. In 2021/22, CCS helped the public sector to achieve commercial benefits equal to £2.8 billion - supporting world-class public services that offer best value for taxpayers. L

To discuss our extensive range of FM services visit us below

FURTHER INFORMATION

www.veolia.co.uk LinkedIn: VeoliaUK

Veolia provides a range of FM services, including waste and water management and energy solutions. Working in a collaborative partnership with Veolia can help deliver benefits for your building

your

Looking after our roads in winter

With winter coming up, road maintenance is more important than ever and it’s a good idea to get ahead before the cold weather really begins

In order to ensure proper resilience from your roads, it is important to perform maintenance before the wet and cold weather properly sets in. As the old saying goes, “failing to plan is planning to fail” – leaving your road network vulnerable to the cold will cause more problems and prove more costly in the long run.

We all know that in cold weather, water gets into cracks in the road and freezes and expands, damaging the road surfaces. This combined with heavy traffic means potholes are formed and they only get worse.

Charity IAM RoadSmart reports that 79 per cent of the 2000 motorists surveyed in February believe that potholes are a bigger issue for them than three years ago. 90 per cent of those polled had been

affected by potholes in the last year, 32 per cent said they had changed route to avoid them and 16 per cent said they had reported a pothole to the authorities.

Repair backlog

According to the Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance Survey 2022 (ALARM), there is a £12.64 billion backlog of carriageway repairs – amounting to £75.7 million for each local authority in England and Wales. In the foreword of the survey, Rick Green, chair of the Asphalt Industry Alliance said: “Against a backdrop of increased costs caused by rising inflation, the message from this year’s ALARM research

is clear: those responsible for maintaining our local roads are fast approaching the point where they are no longer waving but drowning. They have a legal responsibility to keep our roads safe, but flat funding allocations to carriageway maintenance in real terms – and rising costs – means they have to make difficult choices about keeping their networks open and safe today, versus improving structural resilience for today and tomorrow.”

Due to funding restrictions, there tends to be a short-term approach to road maintenance, with reactive rather than proactive treatments, though authorities are doing what they can – ALARM reports

We all know that in cold weather, water gets into cracks in the road and freezes and expands, damaging the surfacesroad

that 1.7 million potholes were filled last year – one every 19 seconds.

Prevention is better than cure However, it is much more expensive to repair individual potholes than to surface dress and maintain a road for ten years. Regular proactive maintenance of roads is more sustainable and cost effective than letting roads deteriorate, and then needing reactive repairs.

Many surface treatments are available, such as surface dressing and these treatments are quick to apply, generate minimum waste, lower the carbon footprint of roads and generate savings for local authorities.

It is not only cost benefits that can come from road maintenance – safety is also an important factor. Improved road surfaces mean better texture and better skid resistance – both of which are particularly important for the winter. It means that drivers won’t be swerving to avoid potholes, potentially endangering themselves and other road and

pavement users. Again, this is more dangerous in winter, when the roads may be icy.

Planning

Once the pre-emptive road maintenance is taken care of, local and highway authorities should plan for any adverse weather conditions. This means making sure that your gritters and snow ploughs are well maintained and you have a good supply of grit. You should also make sure the drivers are trained and accustomed to their routes. Make sure you keep up to date with short and long-term weather forecasts and ensure you have duty rotas to cover 24 hours in the case of extreme weather or sudden weather changes. Of course, you should have winter maintenance plans, in coordination with any partners. These should monitor road surface conditions and the weather. Make sure systems are in place that mean decision makers and implementors are able to make decisions and react appropriately. Make sure you have enough grit supplies and a gritting plan before you need it, so you

are ready to go before it gets icy or snowy. Identify priority areas. Grit should be laid before the ice forms. It is also good practice to keep a record of what has been gritted and when. Share information with local residents on your winter plan and let them know which roads have been gritted and if any roads should be avoided. For example, Barking and Dagenham council provide extensive information for local residents on their website They say: “Our aim is to clear all priority roads of snow as soon as conditions permit and clearance work will continue as necessary.

“We give the highest priority to main roads, public transport access routes, access to hospitals and hills with high volumes of traffic.”

“We try to hand grit areas such as shopping parades, stations, school roads and medical centres if the weather is prolonged or severe.”

You can also share information with local residents on how they can help themselves and their neighbours. This could include removing snow when it is fresh, instead of after it has been compacted by footfall and traffic; never use water to clear snow and ice as this can refreeze and form black ice and look out for vulnerable neighbours if you are able.

Winter road maintenance is a big task, but forward planning can make a big difference in protecting your roads, improving safety, saving money and making a big difference for local residents. L

The drainage industry and the environment

The drainage industry is key to long term environmental sustainability in a multitude of ways, many of which would not be immediately apparent. This article by the National Association of Drainage Contractors aims to identify these, as well as set out how the industry is addressing them

This paper does not comment on the welldocumented issues that surround the water companies’ discharge of waste into rivers and the sea and the damage that is being done to our environment due to underinvestment in sewage infrastructure. Rather, it focuses on everyday drainage issues that do not form part of the water company sewer estate. The most obvious impact that drainage can have on the environment is in respect to pollution. Illegal dumping of waste has been a problem for many years with irresponsible contractors avoiding the cost and inconvenience of using designated waste sites. This can take a number of forms, from simply lifting up manholes and discharging waste illegally into public sewers to emptying tankers into farmers’ fields. Such behaviour damages the environment with human waste

entering water courses. It also damages the industry, both by disadvantaging responsible contractors who take the time and trouble (not to mention cost) of discharging waste legally, and by bringing the drainage contractor industry into disrepute. Then there is the issue of mixed and cross connections whereby clean and foul water waste are either combined or directed to the wrong drainage system. Simply this may result in foul waste entering clean water run off systems, and vice versa, or the systems simply

being combined for the sake of expediency. Of course, it is not the drainage contractor industry that causes these problems; generally it is developers and the construction industry. However, the drainage industry does have the opportunity to identify such problems and either correct them, or report them to their customers for them to address. Indeed in some cases, contractors may report such issues to relevant authorities for action such as on large scale residential or industrial developments.

The obviousmostimpact that drainage can have on the environment is in respect to pollution

Off grid drainage systems are also an issue with either inappropriate sewage management system installations and poor (sometimes completely absent) maintenance. There are of course legal provisions in play here (which differ in England and Wales), but there are few outside of the drainage industry who can identify these issues, and know how to correct them.

Of course, there is the more visible impact of backed up drains through blockages in homes, public buildings and commercial premises which can cause their own environmental damage, not to mention health issues. The drainage industry routinely deals with such challenges using ever more sophisticated equipment and technology, such as CCTV, high pressure water jetting, electromechanical repair and

patching and lining. In such circumstances there are some that refer to it as the fourth emergency service, and there is no doubting the industry’s position as the fourth vital utility alongside water, gas and electricity.

But it doesn’t end there. The drainage contractor industry also covers such disciplines as highway and gully maintenance, oil separator and interceptor maintenance, road sweeping and large site (such as airport) sweeping and cleaning. Many of these activities require the extraction of water from water hydrants, and this is an environmental issue in its own right.

Highway and gully maintenance is very topical at this time. It has become customary, using advanced tanker vehicles, to clear gullies on highways and separate solid and polluting substances from ‘grey’ water, and

then to use that water to flush down the gullies after clearing them - this is known as decanting. The solid and polluting waste is then disposed of at an approved waste centre. As the nearest approved centre can be many miles away, this technique saves many long and unnecessary tanker journeys reducing cost, but more importantly, carbon emissions. The reason that the subject is topical is that current Environment Agency rules do not permit grey water decanting, probably because the rules were put in place before vehicle technology enabled grey water separation from solid and polluting waste. More about this later!

Oil and interceptor waste management is something that the average person would know nothing about! Petrol stations and restaurants are required to have separators/ interceptors to separate water from oil to limit pollution from waste from these sources. In effect, the devices trap the oil and store it to be removed through regular maintenance. Unfortunately, whilst there are some responsible petrol station operators and restauranteurs who are E

There are some that refer to it as the fourth emergency service

 conscientious about maintenance, the vast majority are not. This results in unnecessary pollution, and can be attributed to a total lack of enforcement of what is a legal requirement. The UK can learn from countries like Ireland that are very proactive in ensuring compliance with maintenance regulations.

Sweeping activities are more straightforward, but to avoid environmental

damage, operators must dispose of waste in a responsible manner.

And so on to the issue of hydrant use. Water accessed from hydrants does of course belong to the water companies, and they generally prescribe the standpipes that contractors must use to extract water, which should take place with the appropriate license. Unfortunately, there is substantial

water theft that takes place with irresponsible contractors using unauthorised standpipes to take water illegally without a license. Whilst this in and of itself is not damaging to the environment, it is the case that improper standpipe use can result in foul water contamination of clean water supplies, which is a real problem for the water companies. The other environmental impact from the drainage industry is from vehicle carbon emissions. The industry employs thousands of vehicles varying from small vans to very substantial tankers which are on the road all the time. There is limited use of electric vehicles now emerging, but the reality is for

The UK can learn from countries like Ireland that are very proactive in ensuring compliance with maintenance regulations

large tankers, the battery power required to propel them make them impractical. The industry believes that hydrogen power will provide much greater opportunities to move away from fossil fuel powered vehicles, as has been demonstrated by JCB. So how has the industry been addressing all these issues? Well, a little over ten years ago two small contractors in London formed a body called the National Association of Drainage Contractors (NADC). With encouragement from Defra, NADC set about establishing a training and certification regime primarily to ensure that all contractors and their engineers and operatives became aware of health and safety issues which can impact on them and the general public. The regime also set about certification in the use of all the services that contractors provide and the equipment and vehicles that they use.

As the Association grew, some four years ago, it established an Environment and Waste (E & W) Committee to focus on the issues that have been highlighted above. In addition, a new approved contractor scheme called DrainSafe was launched in 2021 which was unashamedly modelled on the existing Gas Safe and Water Safe schemes. The E & W Committee engages with Government and other appropriate stakeholders to address issues such as gully maintenance and hydrant use. It also issues guidance to contractors on issues such as oil separator/interceptor maintenance, off-grid sewage management systems and mixed/cross connections.

DrainSafe, as the approved contractor quality mark, exists to uphold the highest standards in the drainage industry with the intention of stamping out illegal activities and poor quality service. It is there to support responsible contractors to operate on a level playing field and to eliminate ‘cowboy’ operators from the industry. As a by-product of this, there will be substantial benefits to the environment by policing of the issues for which the E & W Committee is responsible. DrainSafe will also enable customers

(residential, commercial and private sector) to identify those contractors who act responsibly towards the environment.

There is a long way to go in ensuring that all avoidable environmentally damaging activity caused by drainage issues is addressed, but the drainage industry is determined to play its part. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

https://nadc.org.uk/

Training & Consultancy Ltd is was created to provide cost-effective, high-quality training products for individuals and organisations, delivered by expert staff.

The team at Sentina have many years experience in the drainage industry, ranging from multi-million-pound contracts to small domestic customers requirements. We aim to build on that experience by delivering an honest, cost effective, down to earth service to our customers.

DrainSafe will also enable customers to identify those contractors who act responsibly towards the environment

Sentina

Transforming the public estate for a greener and smarter future

With the ever-changing landscape of the workplace, now is the time to look at how to adapt and transform the public estate. For the past 14 years, GovNet Events has been providing a forum for the asset, estates, and facilities sector. The industry is at a turning point with shifting workplaces, looming net-zero goals, and an ageing estate

The recently published Government Property Strategy sets out how the government will transform the public estate over the next eight years. This year’s Smart Asset and Estate Management Conference explores how government departments are tackling the challenges that a postCovid workplace brings, implementing the levelling up agenda while ensuring that buildings are sustainable and energy efficient to hit net-zero targets.

Redefining the public estate

The 2050 carbon net-zero goal is a mammoth task for departments across government, one that will not be achieved without cross-cutting action on decarbonisation within our estates.

The public estate is a huge contributor, with 156.8 million m2 of floor area in 136,844 built assets across the country.

The newly released Government Property Strategy outlines three missions: transform places & services; a smaller, better & green public estate; and improve professional excellence and insight.

Mark Chivers, government chief property officer at the Office for Government Property will be presenting the keynote address at Smart 2022 and will be discussing the government’s 8-year plan.

Part of the plan will be to look at how to consolidate the public estate and continue to level up across the UK. One of the initiatives, launched to help redefine the public estate, is the Government

Hubs Programme. Mark Duddy, deputy director at the Government Property Agency will be discussing the national strategy on Government Hubs and how the programme is helping with regeneration, levelling up and sustainability.

Creating a smaller estate can aid in reaching carbon net-zero targets but it is only a start. Our morning panel at Smart 2022 will look at how the sector can understand the tools that are available and help manage expectations. This expert panel features Simon McWhirter, director of communications, policy & places at the UK Green Building Council; Louisa LeRoux, net zero programme manager at the Government Property Agency, Michael O’Doherty, project

director at Local Partnerships and Joe Tilley, sustainability and strategic portfolio director at the Crown Commercial Service.

Improving energy efficiency through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme

Another strategy implemented by the government to hit net-zero targets is the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. It supports the aim of reducing emissions from public sector buildings by 75 per cent by 2037, compared to a 2017 baseline, as set out in the 2021 Net Zero and Heating and Buildings strategies. We will hear from the scheme’s delivery body Salix Finance about the progress being made towards equipping public estates across the country with the funding to access clean, renewable energy to heat buildings and optimise their performance. The latest example of the scheme’s success is the £7.45 million improvement of energy efficiency in Salford’s public buildings, seeing 30 public buildings across the city save 2,498,663 kWh of energy and 584 tonnes of carbon. This discussion will map the path towards reducing fossil fuels as well as making public buildings more comfortable and cheaper to warm.

Technology and data in the sector

Reaching net-zero targets and improving sustainability can be aided by advances in technology. CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Design and Computer Aided Manufacturing) are not new to the sector, but their full potential is now only being realised. CAD/ CAM allows engineers to design buildings in a virtual environment allowing them to identify and address any issues with the building before construction. However, it is not just new buildings that need to be sustainable and fit for purpose, retrofitting and upgrading the current public estate is a massive undertaking. BIM (Building Information Management) is used to manage all aspects of design, supply chain, construction, and lifecycle of the building. Since the use of PropTech and data are vital for the development of the industry, we have created a dedicated afternoon stream at this year’s Smart Conference. The stream kicks off with a presentation from Bridget Wilkins, head of digital citizen engagement at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Bridget will look at the current PropTech Engagement Fund that aims to connect and level up local councils. The fund, in excess of £3.25 million, will be spent on 28 projects across England, trialling cutting-edge digital tools to make the planning system more open, engaging and accessible. Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon have been awarded £285,000 under the PropTech Engagement Fund; the funding will be used to produce a set of interactive maps for residents to identify what future infrastructure is needed in their local area, to ensure communities have a greater influence

on planning policies and delivery plans. Bridget will discuss the fund, and the current projects in the works and will explore how the use of digital solutions can enable wider public participation in designing local communities.

The stream also features a crossgovernmental panel discussing how to maximise efficiency in the public estate using data-driven PropTech. Panellists include Christopher King, NHS Open Space lead and principal strategic asset manager at NHS Property Services and Ralph James, FM & technical services manager at the Met Office. They will explain how to best utilise and analyse data using flexible reporting systems, increase your property’s performance while decreasing cost and can shed a light on how different departments are using PropTech at present.

Levelling up skills

With the rapid onset of digital transformation in government, it is vital to have a workforce ready to tackle the new challenges that might arise. Last year, the Cabinet Office announced their Government School of Property, to boost public sector expertise within property management. This programme aims at giving training, and access to industry-recognised accreditation from organisations such as the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and the Institute for Workplace and Facilities Management. This programme can cultivate an environment for professional and personal development and fosters relationships between new peers which can have lasting effects. Dr Janet Young, Government Head of Property at the Office of Government Property joins us at Smart 2022 to discuss the progress of the project and how upskilled property professionals can help deliver the 8-year Government Property Strategy.

Tackling the backlog

The Government School of Property is a great programme that not only provides professional and personal development for the current workforce but can be a draw for new professionals. The industry needs new faces as there is currently a massive maintenance backlog. The whole public estate has a £21.7 billion annual running cost. In the NHS alone, it is estimated that there is a £5 billion shortfall in maintenance spending across trusts and primary care sites. The NHS is not alone in the facilities struggle, buildings across the public estate are ageing and need repair. Not only is the estate massive, it is also spread across departments thus each having its own buildings and particular set of issues. From schools to office buildings, each department is struggling with dilapidated buildings and post covid occupancy and can learn from each other.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about an increased focus on health and safety within public estates, such as ensuring buildings are adequately ventilated and air filtration systems are sufficiently monitored. Making use of artificial intelligence software throughout a building or estate has shown to be an effective method of optimizing building performance for occupants. It leads to reduced costs, identifies energy wastage, reduces the carbon footprint and removes chances of human error, among other benefits. As the government estate strives for a greener, more sustainable future in line with net-zero commitments by 2050, these systems are essential. We will look at the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on facilities management in public sector estates with an array of renowned panellists, including Craig Varian from the Department of Work and Pensions; Tim Warneford from Warneford Consulting; and Angela Harrowing from the Cabinet Office. They will address methods of improving energy efficiency and what still needs to be done to ‘build back better’ within the workplace.

Join us on 8th December at the prestigious QEII Centre, London for the Smart Asset & Estate Management conference as we bring together commercial leaders, decision-makers and innovators from across the public sector. Last year’s Smart Asset & Estate Management conference was attended by over 300 delegates, with 49 per cent of them in senior roles such as directors and heads of departments. After a virtual event in 2020, our 2021 live event was a roaring success. Delegates enjoyed the opportunity to be back together and share lessons learned throughout the pandemic. The asset strategy lead at St Andrew’s Healthcare said: “This was the first conference that I had attended since the pandemic began. I had a great day catching up with some old faces and meeting new ones. The talks were informative and thought-provoking. Great to see the Estates/FM world coming together to share best practices.”

This year’s conference will continue to look at how to create a sustainable and efficient public estate. The agenda this year is jampacked with keynote sessions, interactive panels, thought-leadership seminars, and practical case studies. Our interactive session formats enable you to network with like-minded peers, share resources and rethink estates & property management in the digital age. Tickets are available now, public sector members get an exclusive 30 per cent discount, using code: SMARTPSI30 register your place today below. L

The industry needs new faces as there is currently a massive maintenance backlog

Federation calls for a national fire strategy

The Fire Sector Federation (FSF) has published a white paper calling for a wider discussion to create a national fire safety strategy that goes beyond current legislative proposals

The ‘Developing a National Strategy for Fire Safety’ document sets out a possible pathway for the fire sector and government to work together to create a safer society from fire.

The proposals were developed by a new FSF Fire Safety Strategy Board, with leadership expertise drawn from across a diverse range of sectors including, fire safety, fire and rescue, construction, insurance and building control.

The Federation believes that the UK needs to think afresh about fire safety and in doing so make better use of the collective knowledge, expertise and understanding that exists to create a fire safe society.

The white paper suggests the UK lacks a holistic fire safety strategy. This failure is because the prevailing aim too readily seeks to reconcile and compromise rather than take

forceful action to achieve a clear objective. A new holistic strategy is therefore needed to offer coherence, guide policy following diagnosis of the weaknesses and analysis of barriers that are preventing greater success. It argues that fire safety improvement has historically been a low priority in Britain. Despite singular stages of improvement, usually following tragic fires, and occasional investment in step changes, the approach over many years’ indicators shows progress remains evolutionary rather than proactive and planned. The current pathway just isn’t good enough and is best described as one of stuttering

The paper says there are many reasons for this situation, not least complacency. Two decades of low fire deaths and constant juggling of priorities for public expenditure left policy makers believing the false assumption that they really had fire under control. Cited as one clear example with profound consequence was the stagnation of Building Regulations for fire at a time when the construction sector’s juggernaut was expanding in economic importance, following greater and new investments in practices and solutions.

Constant investments and changes in construction techniques, developed from sound reasoning like, achieving better value, meeting E

The believesFederation that the UK needs to think afresh about fire safety

Fire Safety

interconnections so they work effectually with each other to benefit public safety.



requirements to lower energy use with better insulation, the pressing need to build more homes faster, etc. resulted in a series of changes such as introducing alternative materials, some with more combustible content, alongside industrialised offsite manufacture of building elements.

The building workforce also evolved, altering its overall understanding of fire and on-site supervision, with its focus shifting towards integrated supply trains and itemised cost management.

Significant change of this kind ultimately led to fire being a lower priority yet still having to compete against numerous other policy imperatives all demanding policy and financial attention.

The Federation considers this lowering of placement in the policy prioritisation framework a serious miscalculation; one that urgently needs reassessment and readjustment to recognise that prioritisation affects all types of investments and lowering raises the risk of further catastrophic failure.

Fire safety in the UK must not continue to be reactive to tragedy. This is not to dismiss reaction to failure, learning from the past remains a key component to advancement, but it has to be seen in the context of what has and is happening in the round.

Right now, the country is embarking upon a cultural and legislative regime shift in building safety, attempting to define and rigorously enforce compliance with fire safety at the design and construction stages of buildings.

However, this crucially important process is considered a relatively discreet part of what is an infinitely far more complex and larger scale problem, one that goes way beyond construction.

Looking at life safety from fire, which impacts so many other spheres of occupation and endeavour, should not be seen as a series of isolated problems, but as the parts of a holistic issue. This means pulling the many policy areas currently operating in siloes together, building

Redressing this policy indifference should ensure that the subject of fire is seen as invested in the widest public and stakeholder communities and not the prerogative of one government department, like the Home Office, or even in one service, albeit the fire and rescue service. Operating as we do now, demonstrates limited understanding and constrains scope leading to overly restricted thinking at a time when really what’s needed is a clear “Four Nations Inter-Departmental” fire safety strategy.

The white paper points to the absurdity of the omission of an integrated UK Fire Strategy in the built environment.

Two separate policy areas, construction and occupation, are managed within two separate government departments, when it is self-evident that they must be coordinated if success is to be achieved.

Likewise, a strategic oversight is required to ensure every priority does not ignore how it may impact on fire. The current example of the fire safety implications of the ‘Green Agenda’ driving zero carbon targets to meet climate challenges is a case in point leading to broader questions like: “Have the implications for fire been addressed, examined and understood? Or are we again expecting risk to be absorbed, mitigated and controlled following experience?”

Fire safety in the UK must not continue to be reactive to tragedy

Having a coherent strategy that aligns with national and devolved government, coordinates policy and action, departments and stakeholders, research and observations, technologies and materials is seen as fundamental if the UK wishes to be ‘a first nation’ in controlling fire. Renewing and realigning the UK’s perspective on fire is critical to that ambition.

Using what expertise exists is also crucial to translating this complex area of overwhelming detail into a clear and understandable plan. Fire has a fragmented technical sector with many users operating in different disciplines across multiple fields.

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry has provided a powerful insight into this sector through the optic of a single event, it has created a clearer view of the availability of the wide range of expertise capable of supporting policy in the fire environment. It has also illustrated, as the example of the available expertise and knowledge of material behaviour under test conditions shows, how despite having pertinent information around fire test performance, this might fail to be communicated, translated and escalated to influence important action because of commercial confidentiality.

Conversely, a progressive strategy to reduce the size of central government, restating its central role as final arbiter rather than leader and promoter of action, has had an impact. Government expertise has been deliberately reduced, transferring responsibility closer

to the actions of implementation and decision making, without prior assessment that appropriate and suitable capability and capacity exists; leading to a question of whether parliamentarians engaged on public safety, through scrutiny and legislative oversight, are in turn well advised.

It is incumbent upon everyone in the built environment to avoid further complacency and address problems we know continue to exist and may evolve in future. Industry is well placed to understand these problems, and just as importantly, some of their solutions.

Engaging positively and supportively with government, the Federation believes a National Fire Strategy is the most effective way to achieve the shared aim of a fire safe society. The desire is to have a road map to deliver an effective and resilient fire safety agenda aligned within a secure and sustainable environment and that requires collective actions in both industry and government. The fire sector can use its unrivalled knowledge and experience to define the route to better fire safety. Moving forward, the Federation has identified three areas for immediate priority: raising competency; mitigating fire risk in modular and other buildings using mass timber; together with partnering the construction sector to raise awareness of fire risk from innovative new products and methodologies. Work has already begun to establish industry working groups in these areas and develop proposals for government.

The Federation invites opinion, views and partners to consider and comment on its proposition that the UK needs a national fire safety strategy; one that enables industry and government cooperate to achieve agreed priorities for success. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

The White Paper is available to download here

Comment may be offered to: exective@firesectorfederation.co.uk

Fire Safety

A comprehensive door-by-door inspection would provide details of all fire doors that are fully compliant, as well as detailing all deficiencies that would compromise the integrity of the door.

DB Fire Safety Limited are qualified to carry out a comprehensive door-by-door inspection of fire doors; providing a documented and detailed report for your records.

For further information on how DB Fire Safety Limited can help with your fire risk assessments, or fire door inspections, you can email David Black at david@dbfiresafety.co.uk. Alternatively phone 0800 772 0559

FPA Member

That’s a good sign

Signage can bring real reward to your organisation and it is a very cost-efficient way to do so. GB looks at the benefits of good signage

There are many different types of sign that your organisation may need: external to highlight where you are located, wayfinding signs to direct people to where they need to be, health and safety information, fire exits etc.

Signage is one of the first things people see when they visit your organisation. It is important for your signs to be clear, as this gives a good impression of your organisation. Clear and concise signage makes your organisation look trustworthy and legitimate, whereas misleading or unclear signage can be confusing and produce a negative impression. Good signage shows you

care about your staff and visitors and as the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

An easier visit

Signs make it easy for people to visit, clear and concise signage makes the visitor experience easier. In government, visitors from the general public maybe be unfamiliar or, depending on the nature of your organisation, already uncomfortable visiting your office or location and a good sign can help reduce some of this stress. If the signs are easy to follow, visitors

showssignage

will feel more relaxed. If you are already stressed, difficulty navigating an unfamiliar building is not helpful.

Signs are important for the smooth running of an organisation – if people know where to go, they are unlikely to go the wrong way, stand in the wrong queue, cause crowding in a lobby or need to ask for help. Signs can also help people get the help they need more quickly, once they are where they need to be – signs near a queue or in a waiting room can provide people with the information of what they need when it is their turn to be seen – for example if they need photo ID.

Of course, signs are designed to be helpful, so don’t provide too many. Think about what information a visitor would need and where the best place to display it would be. It is important not to overload your visitors.

It is important not to provide too many signs, but it is also important not to provide too much information on your signs, as visitors need to be able to pick out what they need to know quickly. Don’t put any information that isn’t necessary on your signs.

Advertising

Signage helps in advertising, if visitors and service users know where you are located ahead of their needs, this can help them E

Good

you care about your staff and visitors

avoid confusion. It also creates a uniform idea, that visitors will come to recognise.

Signage isn’t just about advertising, it is also important to keep people safe. It is crucial to indicate fire exits and safety equipment to keep staff and visitors safe and provide assistance in an emergency.

Signage should always be part of health and safety strategies, and can protect against accidents like trips or falls. As well as keeping people safe, it can protect against lawsuits in the event an accident should happen.

Signage relating to health and safety should be more prominent and clear than any other signage you have on display.

Health and safety signage for example on

fire escapes or Covid can reassure staff and visitors that their safety is taken seriously. A safety sign should be up-to-date and compliant with regulations (for example fire exit signs should be green with white text). As with any signs, they should be clear and readable and in a good state of repair.

Cost benefits

One of the major benefits of signage is that it is a cost-effective and long-term way to achieve all of the above. Once a sign is installed, it is yours to keep, requires no maintenance and lasts a long time. Particularly from an advertising and health and safety perspective, signage is one of the most cost-effective things you can do. Good signage provides a better experience for staff and visitors and is a very simple and cost-efficient way to do this.

L

Signage isn’t just about advertising, it is also important to keep people safe

New report by Civica and Dods Research

Poor data management. Integration issues. Lack of standards for data collection.

Just some of the challenges government departments are facing as they work towards the goals of the National Data Strategy.

Read more in our latest research. Download now

Old tech, new tricks: why public services should modernise, not scrap outdated apps

App modernisation offers an abundance of advantages, which are not yet widely appreciated. In the current climate, renovating existing software applications can save a considerable amount of time and money, in terms of procurement, on-boarding and training

Legacy IT is becoming an ever-bigger headache for public services across the UK. Given the breakneck pace of digital advancement, yesterday’s technology trailblazers can very quickly become today’s vintage systems. From local parish halls to Whitehall, this pattern is constantly repeating itself, leading to both cost and security implications. Breaking out of this legacy IT ‘cycle’ will require a completely different way of thinking.

Old tech, new problems

Ageing apps create a litany of problems for public servants and these will only grow worse as momentum builds to make services more digitalised, automated and integrated. As highlighted in the Government’s recent Digital, Data and Technology Playbook, obsolete software is particularly vulnerable to cyber-attacks, placing vital public services at serious risk. We’ve already seen numerous examples of this both at home and around the world, including denial-of service attacks on the NHS and local councils. In the current global climate, we can almost certainly expect more complex forms of cyber-crime to become the norm. Legacy apps often require niche skills to maintain them which can be difficult to source. Switching from an older application to a newer one can incur significant costs for a public body, both in terms of new skills and training required. Then of course, there’s the time and costs associated with maintaining on-premises infrastructure for applications which are not cloud-based.

Don’t scrap it, modernise it

In the face of all these challenges, it’s easy to understand why public bodies

are constantly procuring new software applications to replace older ones. But there is a better – smarter – approach. Rather than scrapping old apps, public bodies should instead look to modernise them. App modernisation offers an abundance of advantages, which are not yet widely appreciated. In the current climate, with our public finances under enormous strain, renovating existing software applications can save a considerable amount of time and money, in terms of procurement, on-boarding and training. Modernising an existing app also minimises the risk of disruption to services and valuable hours lost as a result of lengthy procurement and on-boarding of new solutions. This could deliver tangible benefits for both officials and service users alike. In the longer-term, modernised apps are also easier to maintain, ensuring a level of futureproofing and scalability.

Ageing software can be modernised and moved to the Cloud, offering improved reliability and resilience, as well as security and performance. Moving to the Cloud negates the need for on-site infrastructure and the costs and security implications involved. Crucially, modernised apps ensure easier and more secure sharing of data across public services, ensuring a higher quality of service for citizens, particularly those most in need.

For overburdened public bodies, app modernisation might at first seem like a more complex, arduous option than simply starting from scratch with a newer solution. However, with the right software supplier working in lockstep on every step of the journey, our public services can ensure their existing tech is operating more efficiently, at lower cost, demanding less resources.

This will result in far better outcomes for both public services and citizens alike. L

Civica is the UK’s largest software company focused on the public sector. With over 30 years of proven expertise, we hold an undisputed leadership position in our markets around the world.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.civica.com

Ian Holden is managing director (central government) at Civica

Parks maintenance in a world of new austerity – the challenges we face

Rabbitts, chair

As the current chair of the Parks Management Association, I have many conversations with colleagues across the sector who work in parks and open spaces. Within Local Government, the charitable sector, trusts, volunteer groups, we manage among us all, over 27,000 parks. We face incredibly growing challenges in our sector.

In 2016, the previous ‘State of the UK Public Parks’ report was published by the Heritage Lottery Fund. That report identified that there was a need for central government, local authorities and a variety of partners to work together to address the problem of declining budgets, and the impact of the loss of finance on the quality, availability and future sustainability of the UK’s parks. In the most recent 2021 ‘State of the UK Public Parks’ report, published by APSE, they are disappointed to have to repeat many of the warnings made five years ago. Funding for our parks is once again at a tipping point with the loss of parks funding in further decline from £500 million lost between 2010 and 2016 to a further £190 million in 2021. A total of £690 million over the past decade.

Whilst this report reflects on initiatives to stimulate parks, APSE finds that continued austerity measures have not been ameliorated by central government support, which has amounted to sporadic and small-scale grants to support initiatives such as ‘pocket parks’ and small renovation projects or the recent Levelling Up Fund for parks (£85,000 awarded to a number of authorities with defined deficiencies). In many cases, funding can only be accessed by costly and inefficient

bidding systems, which take little account of local need. Therefore, the financing of urban parks has continued to be woefully inadequate for local authorities, who manage around 85 per cent of the UK’s urban parks.

Decline in standards

This has affected how we now manage and maintain our parks and open spaces. Many of my colleagues who recently assessed several sites across England were appalled by the significant decline in standards –mowing regimes affected, derelict and on occasions, unsafe play areas, footpaths full of potholes, overflowing litter bins, buildings boarded up. The cuts have been severe, and we are led to believe that we are about to enter a recession like never before.

Pandemic

Yet parks were the saving grace to many of us during the recent global pandemic, valued by communities and even publicly by politicians. So how is the sector facing up to yet another period of new austerity? Many organisations who represent the wider sector are working hard in raising the need for more funding to central government, including the Parks Management Association, Fields in Trust, Keep Britain Tidy, Green Flag Award, Grounds Management Association, and the Landscape Institute, along with others. Little funding is forthcoming, and this is unlikely to change soon. Park managers are being innovative in the way they operate. In many places, mowing regimes are being relaxed which benefits wildlife. Lancaster City Council has

recently adopted a Grassland Management Strategy which others are now looking at more closely. Cost saving but also beneficial to the environment. Park managers are being more commercial in the way they operate, with businesses who operate in parks having to pay their way – cafes, fitness instructors, sports clubs, and other organisations. Car parking charges are often introduced, and visitors almost expect to pay to park their car these days. There is a greater emphasis on self-management with many councils having asset transferred such facilities as bowling greens, allotments and in some cases, pitch management and maintenance to volunteer groups or community organisations.

Technology

The use of technology in parks management and operations is becoming more common. The concept of SmartParks is not new, but gradually we are seeing such introductions as Wi-Fi in parks, charging points, bins with sensors, solar powered compactors, and irrigation systems that are automated which react automatically to soil conditions and moisture. Saughton Park is Edinburgh’s first green-powered park. By combining a microhydro scheme to generate electricity and ground source heat pumps to generate heat, it utilises its natural assets in a sensitive way to decarbonise its energy demand and reduce its energy bills. Greenspace Scotland described Saughton Park as embodying the newly emerging model of a ‘low carbon park’. The development and design teams, together with technical partners, explored the potential of different green energy options. The utilisation of Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) technology using electricity from a microhydro scheme sited on the Water of Leith emerged as the most

Paul

of the Parks Management Association looks at the challenges facing those who maintain our parks

viable solution and was included in the masterplan to cut the park’s energy bills over the long-term. Initially, there was the potential to provide heat to other buildings around the park and connect the GSHP into an existing District Heat Network serving the local area.

Climate change

Climate change is impacting on us all, and this is affecting how we also manage parks and open spaces. The hot summer of 2022 and the subsequent drought saw many green spaces turned into scorched earth landscapes, dust bowls and much of our horticulture struggling. Climate change is now with us, and we are seriously having to look at how we mange these areas going forward. This will include diversifying landscapes, changing maintenance regimes, selecting plants and trees that will tolerate these changes as well as looking at how visitors use these open spaces.

These are all significant challenges that the sector must embrace, or we lessen the value of these important spaces for our future generations. To do this, we must work together with a coordinated voice, providing the evidence, lobbying, raising our profile,

Parks Management Association

The Parks Management Association has partly been established to lobby for the need for good-quality public parks. This case has been made incessantly over the last twenty-five years and continues to be made. It has however, been set up to give a voice to parks professionals, those who know more about these places than anyone.

We work in them daily; we know our trees and our flowers, our water management and our ice-cream sales, but we also know our users; we know how vital parks are across our communities, and especially in poorer communities. These are not pay-per-entry leisure facilities or stately homes; free access to good quality parks and open spaces is as fundamental to physical and mental health as free access to health care. We are often called ‘The Natural Health Service’.

www.addagrip.co.uk

The hot summer of 2022 and the subsequent drought saw many green spaces turned into scorched earth landscapes, dust bowls and much of our horticulture struggling

Redesigning a playground

Loughton Town Council are currently in the process of redesigning their park and playground equipment. With the location also a flood plain, careful planning was essential, as the council explains here

The Roding Valley Recreation Ground is a popular park area, located in a residential area of Loughton, Essex, and bordering the Roding Valley Meadows Nature Reserve. It also acts as a flood plain for the River Roding.

Changes needed

The current play area, managed by Loughton Town Council, is tired, uninspiring, dated and worn. Geographically, the vicinity around the playground floods which leaves the area unreachable through certain times of the year, and causes issues with the surfacing of the play area. This has progressively been getting worse in recent years, with the changing weather conditions. The location, being isolated within the park, also increases the risk for the potential of anti-social behaviour.

As such, this existing playground needs to be dismantled, along with the playground surfacing, and re-instated to the natural surroundings (pre-park condition).

New location

A new location has been identified for the redevelopment of the site and the Council went out to tender via the Government’s Contract Finder earlier this year in spring/ summer, requesting tenders to complete the works on the existing play area and for a new innovative, inclusive and

educational playground for ages 4–14 years to be designed and installed. Contractor’s environmental policies were also an important consideration in the Council’s evaluation process. With the new site area also prone to flooding at times, a key feature of the project is for the new play area to be constructed at the same level as the existing tennis courts and running track in the recreation ground, with drainage between the mound and playground.

The mound sits adjacent to where the new playground, subject to planning requirements, will be situated.

Residents’ input

The Council, being keen to include residents’ and park users’ thoughts and ideas into the final design, and with the wonderful support of local schools and Loughton Library, invited both adults and children through Public Consultations to participate in helping to choose the new play equipment. A number of images were chosen as representative of the types of

play equipment available. These were listed under the following themes/headings: multiplay, swings, balance beams and trails, floor graphics, roundabouts, springy, educational/ imaginary/interactive play, see saw/rocker.

Adults were asked to choose equipment they thought was essential; desirable, but not essential; and items they felt it was not important to include. Children were asked to select their favourite pieces of equipment.

Suggestion boxes also captured ideas not represented within the images shown. The Council were really delighted with the amount of time and support given by everyone, and were able to include this incredibly important feedback into the final chosen design.

This is an exciting time for the Council. With the tender having now been allocated to the successful contractor, Loughton Town Council are working on planning requirements.

All being well, the new park area, which will be accessible throughout the year, will be constructed and open for our young residents and park users in spring 2023. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

www.loughton-tc.gov.uk/ Home_2488.aspx

towereChildrenasked select their favourite pieces of equipm ent

The benefits of a green city

Footways is a network of quiet and enjoyable routes for walking in London, here Emma Griffin, co-founder of Footways discusses the benefits of having access to green spaces close to where we live

We’ve all felt it and the evidence proves it: spending time in nature makes you happier and smarter, prevents disease and helps you care for the environment. The good news is that people in the UK are spending more time outside and making increasing use of green spaces near homes. During the Covid-19 Lockdowns, we soon learnt there was no need to drive to the countryside to connect with nature when there were so many beautiful spaces on the doorstep. The bad news is that engagement with nature is unequal, with low income, ethnic minority and some age groups significantly less likely to enjoy it.

Breaking down these barriers requires material changes – improvements in accessibility, better planning, and a huge reallocation of road space for planting. But we also need to change minds and challenge assumptions about how we use green spaces. To reach a city’s diverse communities, this requires a huge range of tools, technologies, innovations and wayfinding solutions. There’s no “one size fits all”; we just need an open mind.

The evidence

There are countless studies on the importance of green space for our mental and physical health. Urban woodlands for example have been associated with positive impacts on cardiovascular function, weight, respiratory

health, the immune system, depression, cognition and attention and social cohesion. The University of Essex’s Green Exercise Research Groups’ extensive work has shown that “individuals have less mental distress, less anxiety and depression, greater wellbeing and healthier cortisol profiles when living in urban areas with more green space.” More people are making the most of these benefits. According to Nature England’s Monitor of Engagement of the Natural Environment, a massive UK survey conducted between 2009 and 2019, the annual total of visits to the natural environment increased from an estimated 2.9 billion visits in 2009/10 to almost 4 billion in 2019.

By far most of these visits are close to people’s homes, taken on foot to parks, woodlands and open spaces in towns and cities. Between 2009 and 2019, the average distance travelled to green spaces decreased from 6.8 miles to 4.9 miles.

But the MENE study also revealed stark inequalities in how different age, ethnic and socio-economic groups use and experience the natural environment. Sixty per cent of white adults and children walk through green spaces on their way to other places, compared to 30 per cent of Black participants and 44 per cent Asian. There were also clear

differences in provision of green spaces between socioeconomic groups. The data showed that the most affluent 20 per cent of wards in England have five times more parks and general green spaces than the most deprived 10 per cent.

London Nature Trails

We had this data in mind when developing the London Nature Trails with the Mayor of London this summer. The Mayor’s intention was to connect Londoners to nature on their doorstep and address the inequalities in access to green space across the city.

We developed four walking routes which connect natural spaces in areas lacking large parks and open spaces, using green “corridors”, such as waterways, small parks, and tree-lined streets. The routes are Burnt Oak to Wembley in north London, Bermondsey to Brockley in the south, Wanstead to Royal Docks in the east and Swiss Cottage to King’s Cross centrally.

The routes pass through a huge variety of habitats and some spectacular and hidden nature sites including Stave Hill Ecological Park in Southwark; Welsh Harp Open Space in Brent; Bow Creek Ecology Park in Newham; and Camley Street Natural Park in Camden.

We published the trails as four pocket-sized printed maps on the August Bank Holiday and distributed maps for free from local

libraries, stations and community spaces. A series of free nature activities also took place during the launch weekend to encourage people to enjoy the routes and local green spaces. Walkers can follow the routes on their phones via the Footways website and the free Go Jauntly walking app. More information about this project can be found at footways.london/london-nature-trails

More projects

Projects like the London Nature Trails will be even more important when green or active travel social prescribing become the norm. The government recently announced a new trial for GP practices in England to offer social prescriptions for walking, wheeling and cycling to improve mental and physical health. This is a fantastic example of transport, active travel and health officials working together to improve health and tackle health disparities.

Thankfully, there are a growing number of tools and activities for GPs to choose from when prescribing active travel in green spaces.

Earlier this year, we published Central London Footways, a printed and digital map of walking that links London’s mainline stations and key destinations with green, quiet and interesting streets. The aim of this project is to improve the quality and health impact of A-to-B journeys in the capital. We think the easiest way to stay healthy is by embedding activity into daily routines.

The Ramblers’ network of volunteers runs thousands of Wellbeing Walks across England, so people can join short group walks near where they live.

Walking app, Go Jauntly has a new routing feature that recommends the greenest routes within the user’s vicinity, so they can either plan leafy A-B journeys or create nature-filled circular walks.

Since London became the world’s first National Park City in 2019, there are now

Camden Council has recently transformed Alfred Place Gardens, once a drab road near Tottenham Court Road into a pretty linear park with plants, seating and play spaces

150+ volunteer rangers across the capital helping communities connect with nature.

Urban Good’s National Park City map was the first to present London as a network of parks, woodlands, playing fields, rivers and lakes, rather than roads and buildings. Like Footways, this is another example of using mapping to change how we think about and use the city.

City Girl in Nature produces videos and other works to engage and connect young inner city people with the natural environment.

TfL has recently published its Leisure Walking Plan. As part of the new Leisure Walking Plan, TfL has partnered with Go Jauntly to digitise the Walk London network – one of the world’s largest urban walking networks.

Infrastructure

But initiatives such as these are only useful if delivered alongside improved infrastructure to embed green space into every part of the city.

We need more trees and in particular a diversity of trees to create urban forests; we need more rain gardens, or sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) which not only reduce risk of floods but allow space for biodiversity and communities; we need to stop paving-over front yards for cars and start filling them with plants; we need more green walls, more green roofs, more guerrilla gardening, more garden ponds, the list goes on.

And then, most critical of all, to ensure access to green spaces is safe and equal, we need to create traffic-free links to green spaces. To achieve this, cities must embrace a city-wide

system of road space reallocation through road pricing and low traffic neighbourhoods. This takes time, of course. But in the meantime, there are easy wins such as ‘parklets’, which transform parking spaces into pockets of green. Not only do parklets provide green space, they empower communities, build social alliances and allow people to invest in the streets they live in.

The reallocation needn’t stop at a car parking space: whole streets can be transformed into parks. Camden Council has recently transformed Alfred Place Gardens, once a drab road near Tottenham Court Road into a pretty linear park with plants, seating and play spaces.

Not just about green space

But it’s not just green or blue spaces that make us happy and healthy in cities. There are lots of other factors that improve the quality, safety and happiness of an urban environment. When devising the Footways walking network in central London, for example, we considered a street’s architecture, the amount of traffic, the number of places to rest, the number of shops or people. All these factors impact our enjoyment of and connection with a space.

Many of these changes, tools and technologies needn’t require massive budgets - just a different way of thinking about what the city is for and how we allocate space. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

https://footways.london/

Tessa Jowell Boulevard, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, East London (Image© Dan Kanolik)

Tackling homelessness with data

Homelessness has been a challenge for local authorities for a long time, the ‘How can data stop homelessness before it starts’ report published by EY in conjunction with Maidstone Borough Council, analyses the roles that technology can play in helping to move from reacting to homelessness to actively preventing it.

GB spoke to John Littlemore, head of housing & regulatory services at Maidstone Borough Council

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Maidstone Borough Council?

My name is John Littlemore and I am the head of housing & regulatory services at Maidstone Brough Council.

Why did Maidstone Borough Council decide to use a new approach to tackling homelessness?

Preventing homelessness is a key priority for the Council. We are well aware of the negative impacts that homelessness can have on people’s lives, their employment prospects, educational attainment and their health & well-being. As an early adopter of the Homelessness Reduction Act we were continuously searching for new and innovative ways to help our residents, in particular to avoid the trauma of becoming homeless. We became aware of the EY product, and the developing use of analytics within the public sector to enhance the experience of both officers and residents.

We were especially struck by the opportunity to reach out to people at an earlier stage, before matters reach crisis point.

Can you tell us about the new approach and how it works?

We worked with EY to pioneer a new approach to tackling homelessness by designing and implementing ‘OneView’ – an innovative data and analytics tool that brings together data from different areas to identify those at risk of future homelessness and enables councils to understand their services in a holistic way – ultimately transforming the way that vulnerable groups are supported. The data extract is based on those characteristics that indicate the resident has a high probability of becoming homeless in the next 6 months. The OneView system also enables data held by separate authorities to be viewed by the staff providing the assistance. This empowers the staff member to look across a spectrum of presenting issues and think more broadly about solutions. For the resident, this reduces the need to repeatedly provide the same information to a range of agencies.

What positive results can you share with us?

During 2020 we received around 650 alerts from the system. We limited the number of

interventions we could support to 250, which inadvertently created a control group of 400 who were not assisted. The outcomes for each group was marked. Only 2 per cent of those helped became homeless and went onto need temporary accommodation; compared with 40 per cent becoming homeless and 19 per cent of those needing temporary accommodation in the control group. OneView has been proven to deliver immediate benefits to residents with tangible examples of families who without the support they are now receiving, were on a trajectory to presenting as homeless in the near future and who otherwise may not have come to our attention until a point which was too late for a successful intervention. This enabled a better outcome for residents and a significant cost avoidance for the Council.

Have you faced any challenges along the way?

Understandably colleagues were concerned with how data could be shared in a compliant and safe manner. GDPR is a consideration and the infrastructure put in place enables the controlled sharing of information that is compliant with legal gateways and is reinforced by data sharing agreements. Use of the system enabled us to continuously review the outcomes we were seeing and to nuance the data extracts until this was finessed to achieve the most effective results. It is interesting that we have never had a

resident complain or question how we came by the data that prompted us to reach out to them. In fact the contrary, with residents grateful for the assistance that has been given.

How can other local authorities use this approach to tackle homelessness?

Maidstone Borough Council has proven the concept. We have embedded this approach across our housing team and I am convinced that the project is a major contributor to our continued high rate of success in preventing homelessness.

What advice would you give to other local authorities looking to try new ways to tackle homelessness?

Be bold, be prepared to explore different ways of preventing homelessness. Data analytics was well known within the private sector but not often applied in the public sector; any scepticism I may have had was soon dispelled when the resulting evidence was so positive. We acknowledge that schemes like this do not build new affordable homes and that remains our long-term goal, but if they provide a way to help our residents to maintain a stable home then the time and energy is well worth expending. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

https://www.ey.com/en_id/ government-public-sector/how-can-datastop-homelessness-before-it-starts

Be bold, be prepared to explore different ways of preventing homelessness

So what is a PCO? Why might you need one? And how has COVID changed the role?

It is fair to say that if you are reading this magazine and these articles, you are probably a professional in your area of expertise. The very desire to expand your knowledge through personal development, relevant articles, industry publications and their inherent educational content means you are a cut above the rest and should be considered a professional… but a professional what?

When we think “professional”, it is all too easy to focus on the lawyers, doctors and other historic “professions” that have made a name for themselves over the last few centuries. But what about the local government professionals, the policy professionals, the publicity, communications and marketing professions? The list goes on and eventually includes the conference professional.

The challenge is not that we don’t necessarily recognise these professions, it is that so often they are done by someone

with a different job title or focus for their role. So, we end up with a situation where the HR professional is also the conference professional, or the publicity professional is also the policy professional. Individual roles covering multiple specialisms are not uncommon and often necessary, but in every instance, there comes a time when a specialist focus is needed and in my experience that is often a need for a

PCO (professional conference organiser).

A PCO tends to take two forms – the inhouse person such as myself, who due to the number and nature of the organisation’s events means that a full time individual or team is needed. Or that of the agency PCO – those specialist companies who can parachute in to work on a particular event or portfolio of events.

So, what specifically is a PCO? Well, we are E

Conference and Events

There comes a time when a specialist focus is needed

Written by Emma Duffy, co-chair of ABPCO –The Association of British Professional Conference Organisers

and Events

Conference

 slightly different to a typical event organiser because we specialise in conferences for the not-for-profit, association and public sectors. We therefore understand the constraints of governance, working with committees/ opposing views, public funds, financial constraints and the myriad other issues that occur when organising a conference or event in our specialist sector. Your need for an in-house or external PCO will depend on your organisation’s individual situation, but we are a powerful resource to consider. However, like everyone else, our role has changed due to the pandemic – so even if you already knew you needed a PCO… you might not be aware of the many changes we, like you, now face.

Ultimately, PCOs bring communities together and facilitate the sharing and communication of knowledge. They hold pivotal roles within an organisation as the events and conferences that they produce impact directly on engagement, learning, revenue and the external profile of an organisation to its stakeholders. The PCO therefore sits at the heart of each organisation’s long-term sustainability.

Traditionally PCOs might have provided full-service management for conferences, including but not limited to, conference design, registration, site selection, venue selection, platform selection, audio-visuals, IT support, logistics, leisure management, marketing, printing and web services, sourcing speakers, funding and sponsorship, financial management and budget control. As you can see, the list is extensive and some elements might well be covered by a variety of individuals in an organisation lacking a specialist PCO. However, the pandemic and subsequent global changes have accelerated change, not least for the role of the PCO. The macro-environment and external forces have impacted us all, and we need to be prepared. Here are just a few areas where PCOs are continually growing their skillset:

Political and economic: Every day and every single headline impacts us as people and the organisations we work for and engage with. From the fact that events were first to close and last to open during the pandemic, and post Brexit policies - to the cost-of-living crisis and the impact of Trussonomics; PCOs need to be aware of and understand the impact and implications of such challenges at both a micro and macro level. The world is in a constantly changing place, the fields in which we all operate are being constantly re-set, and it’s a PCO’s role to understand and respond to this.

Social: As PCOs we need to have at the forefront of our minds the re-defined

social conventions that we are continuing to adjust to. How do we convince people to travel to our conferences and gather with their communities, when so many work from the comfort of their own homes? How can we adjust our conference design to include the need for remote attendees, and what will happen to our networking receptions and the serendipitous ideas that stem from chance conversations if our events are online?

Technological: Who had heard of Zoom in 2019? Yet now we all use it, and other platforms continually. We have all become accustomed to our meetings ranging from a text chat, through ‘virtual’ to a full face-to-face meeting. And often, if we cannot take part as it occurs, then, like television, we can watch it on-demand at a convenient time. How do we bring all this technology together? Eventtech is a field of expertise in its own right – and one the average PCO will know all about.

Environmental: Sustainability and climate change are hardly new topics – but making them a part of our event planning process is now of paramount importance. How can we balance the economic and social objectives that can be maximised by meeting face to face with the unwanted impact it inevitably has on the environment? We must all work harder at all points of the conference design process to mitigate negative impacts, and to share best practice.

Legal: The pandemic added layers of legislation for us to navigate, many of which haven’t left us. When can we be confident about booking, and for how many? What happens if circumstances change and impact on our event? How can we ensure that terms and conditions and insurance policies are fair? How do we know precisely what legislation is in place on any one day and in any particular country? Event organisers must all have broader information sources than ever before if they are to mitigate risk, which is once again why the role of a PCO is so vitally important.

Government events are, to a PCO, a core part of their everyday life. They are our raison d’être and we are here to help. Whether you choose to appoint an in-house individual and team or agency, they will take up the strain and offer expertise you didn’t even know you needed, moving your events and subsequently the whole organisation to the next level. L

www.abpco.org

Ultimately, PCOs bring communities together and facilitate the sharing and communication of knowledge

Crown Commercial Service (CCS) Executive & Non-Executive Recruitment Services framework

Minerva was founded in 2013 and has successfully delivered over 500 senior leadership and non-executive appointments in the intervening years. We set out not to become the largest firm, but to pride ourselves in quality, committed to a holistic and human approach that separates us out in our industry. We help our clients, candidates and partners navigate change, hire the best people, and shape the future.

Our work spans many sectors and types of role, from Chief Executive, and other Executive Director level roles across all functional areas, to non-executive Chairs and Board Members. We are as comfortable finding leaders who will deliver strategy and policy, as well as much as more operational roles. We have successfully placed candidates in more or less all areas of the United Kingdom, from Aberdeen to Plymouth and from Bangor to Ipswich. Supporting the development of the regions is a key theme in our work.

We place great emphasis on our approach to client and candidate care: we commit to being responsive, honest and warm in our interactions with anyone who engages with the firm. We set high standards for ourselves and are confident that we come close to realising them without fail.

A core purpose for us is to do our bit to reduce inequality in the workplace, change the composition of top teams over time, and to push for better representation of candidates coming from typically under-represented backgrounds. Since we started, more than 50% of our appointment candidates have identified as female, and more than 15% as coming from global majority (some prefer the term BAME) backgrounds.

The range of roles we have worked on in recent times includes:

CEO / Executive Director

COO / Operations Principal Director of Human Resources / Organisational Change Chair and Non-Executive Director IT / Procurement / Finance

Change and Transformation Director Marketing / Communications / Strategy Leadership / Governance Director / Deputy Director Principal Officer Divisional Director Head of Service Corporate Director Strategic Director Executive Director Assistant Director

You will find we take pride in our agility. We flex what we do and our approach to meet your needs, often adapting our resourcing and process to ensure the best outcome. We do not oversell candidates but present a rounded view of them, recognising that the most complete picture will help you make the best decision.

To find out more about us and what we do, please visit www.minervasearch.com or email us at hello@minervasearch.com

Our prospectus can be viewed here

Minerva is thrilled to have been named as a supplier on

Recruiting in the public sector

Recruiting talent to the public sector is not easy, but Crown Commercial Service’s Executive & Non-Executive Recruitment Services framework helps to ease some of the pressure

Public sector recruitment is hard at the moment, with funding cuts and budget squeezes meaning there are likely fewer positions available and fewer resources available to fill vacant positions. The pandemic has led to people retiring earlier than expected and Brexit has caused a shortage of employees. These problems are universal across the job market so there is also competition for the top talent, with the private sector often able to provide higher salaries and better benefits.

The framework can help you with your recruitment process, from start to finish and offers several suppliers and services.

It allows all public sector organisations to access executive and non-executive recruitment services for permanent, fixedterm and inward secondment roles.

The framework splits the available recruitment services into core or non-core and both are available on a modular basis, so you only buy the services you need when you need them.

The core modular services are identifying and attracting potential applicants to apply for positions, assessment and evaluation and offer and appointment. These all include customer planning. Buyers are able to access all core services from suppliers as part of an endto-end recruitment service. Non-core modular services are not included in the end-to-end recruitment service, but can be accessed if needed.

The non-core modular services include strategy and planning, talent development services, talent mapping, reserve lists and talent pools, executive development and

coaching, technology services such as applicant tracking systems (ATS) and video interview and international recruitment.

First steps

Before you start your candidate search, think about what you want to achieve. Do you want to hire someone for a vacant position on the same job description as the person who left or could you shuffle some responsibilities? Would it be better to hire two people to share a role or to fill a vacant position internally? Look at how your organisation works and see if you could benefit from redefining some job descriptions or reallocating some roles or responsibilities to make your organisation run more smoothly.

Identifying and attracting potential applicants

The framework can connect you with agencies that will be able to help you from the beginning of your candidate search. Firstly, write attractive adverts and job descriptions. Public sector positions can sometimes be E

 uninviting for those looking for a new job or a career move. Make sure your job ads are personable and enthusiastic and make the job look enjoyable. Try not to use overly formal language that could put people off. Highlight what is good about working in the public sector, that may be different from the private sector, for example job security and having a positive impact on society. Emphasise the importance of the public sector and the essential services you provide. Think about the benefits you can offer that won’t cost any money, such as working from home and flexible hours. Despite the pandemic, a lot of private sector organisations still don’t offer these benefits, even though a lot of workers want them, it doesn’t cost a penny and can in fact improve employee satisfaction and therefore productivity as well. It can also widen your candidate pool, for example to parents with school-age or younger children, who may not have been able to take a full-time office job before.

You can also provide benefits such as training and mentorship which are littleto-no cost and will actually benefit your organisation in the long run, by improving the skills and confidence of your new hire.

Young hires can also reverse mentor their senior colleagues by providing guidance on things like social media, cybersecurity and software implementation.

Don’t be afraid to advertise your open positions outside of government job boards,

for example if you are hiring for an admin role, post your job ad on an admin job website.

It does not hurt to invest in technology – an efficient, easy-to-use and well-run application platform can make you more inviting to potential applicants and increase the number of applications. Good technology can reduce your costs elsewhere in the long run. Also updating the technology you use for day-to-day operations can make you more attractive to applicants. E

You can also provide benefits such as training and mentorship which are little-to-no cost and will actually benefit your organisation in the long run, by improving the skills and confidence of your new hire



Social media is a great place to advertise for local positions and can help you attract young people who may not have considered a career in the public sector or others who are looking for a career change.

Think about your brand. If you are a local council for example, make sure the local residents know what you do, have a local newsletter, send councillors to local events, respond to queries promptly etc. If local residents have a good perception and awareness of what the council does and a positive attitude towards them, then they are more likely to want to work there.

Assessment and evaluation

The framework also offers assessment and evaluation as a core module, meaning there are suppliers to help you find the best candidates once you have put your job ad out there.

Make sure you have policies and strategies in place to help you evaluate the best candidates – a supplier will be able to help you with this. Consider assessment tools such as AI, which can save the hiring team money as well as help you find the most qualified candidate.

Work with your supplier to come up with appropriate and informative interview questions and avoid the old classics like

“Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?” and “What is your biggest weakness?” Assess the interest of the applicant in the vacant position, those who are genuinely interested in the role are more likely to be successful and stick around for longer.

When interviewing a candidate, create a positive and welcoming environment. Be friendly and approachable and start with some small talk and general chit-chat before launching into the interview. Acknowledge and respond to their answers and don’t just move from one question to another. If someone is coming into the office for an interview, make sure you are prepared, you have a room set up and the place looks friendly and welcoming, as well as clean and in good repair. This can be the difference between a candidate accepting a position or deciding to go somewhere else.

Be prepared for the questions a candidate might ask, and have an answer ready. You can also use this opportunity to share the pros of working for your organisation. For example, they may ask about benefits or career advancement. Public sector organisation tend to have well-defined and clear career progression opportunities that may not be available in the private sector. You should always keep an open mind, if your admin assistant has retired after 30 years in the same role, don’t assume that the perfect candidate is a similar person. It might be the perfect position for a recent school-leaver rather than someone with years of experience. Make sure you follow all guidelines and regulations, whether these be legally enforceable or at your organisation level. Note that some government agencies have very E

Work with your supplier to come up with appropriate and informative interview questions and avoid the old classics like “Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?” and “What is your biggest weakness?”



strict regulations and you need to make sure you follow these.

Think about the criteria that are necessary for the role. Does someone need experience or could you hire someone inexperienced and train them up? Is a degree really necessary? This can be a barrier for applicants from lowersocioeconomic backgrounds, who could do the job just as well as someone with a degree.

Offer and appointment

The final core module of the framework is offer and appointment. Make sure you have a flexible recruitment process and get back to candidates quickly, acknowledge receipt of their application, thank them for coming in for an interview etc. If a candidate doesn’t make the shortlist, or doesn’t make it past the interview, let them know. This creates a good impression in their mind and they are more likely to remember you as an employer. If they have to wait a long time to hear back from an interview, they may already have taken another job. If they never hear back from you, they are unlikely to want to apply for another job in your organisation, even if they may be a good candidate. Remember word-of-mouth is important, particularly if you are a large local employer such as a council or a hospital.

Make sure to check references before offering your candidate the job.

Your appointed supplier will be able to help you with the job offer. Remember, there is no guarantee your chosen candidate will say yes.

When making a job offer, your chosen candidate should receive all the information they need to make an informed decision. If there is information missing, this may lead to them leaving the role prematurely if something unexpected happens once they start the job. A

job offer should include the candidate’s name, the job title, the salary and start date. It should also include terms and conditions, benefits and requests for any required legal documents, such as proof of right to work in the UK.

Once a candidate has accepted a job offer, make sure a contract is sent promptly. This should already be prepared.

Your organisation should already have templated offer letters and contracts, but make sure everything is approved by the relevant team or manager and the legal department or representative.

The chosen candidate may have questions, make sure these are answered promptly.

The framework

Crown Commercial Service’s Executive & Non-Executive Recruitment Services framework lists suppliers that are able to help in every category listed above. It also provides several other benefits. Hiring managers are able to choose which suppliers they engage with and how.

The framework offers the ability to direct award, which can save time and money, especially if you are looking to fill a vacant role quickly.

The framework includes capped maximum costs, to protect buyers from market price increases. This is incredibly important at the moment. There are also no hidden costs, as everything is included in the cost of

the service. There are discounts available for hiring more than one candidate.

Suppliers will do a lot of the work for you, for example, it is a requirement that they develop employer value proposition, which ensures that candidates want to work for your organisation. The EVP also includes any benefits that the employee will receive including pay and learning and development opportunities.

Suppliers must also work towards civil service diversity and inclusion requirements, that are also likely in place in your organisation and can help you achieve your own D&I aims.

Finally, framework support is available from CCS’s customer and agreement management teams.

More information is available on CCS’s website, including details on how to buy and all the framework documents.

If you have vacant roles to fill, or are looking for a new recruitment services provider, CCS’s Executive & Non-Executive Recruitment Services framework provides all the information and suppliers you need to be able to do this, as well as customer service teams to help you along the way. L

https://www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/ agreements/RM6290

Remember word-of-mouth is important, particularly if you are a large local employer such as a council or a hospital

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Cabling considerations: greenfield vs. brownfield smart building design

Smart buildings are making their move. Around the world, more than 115 million smart buildings are expected to be operational by 2026. But what many fail to consider is that there are two types of smart buildings represented in this number—greenfield and brownfield smart buildings. As the industry rolls out 70 million more smart buildings in the next four years, it’s safe to assume that most will be brownfield projects (renovations to existing building) vs. greenfield projects (new construction). Brownfield and greenfield smart buildings come with their own benefits, challenges and cabling considerations. As a result, they must be managed differently.

What to know about greenfield smart building design

Because they’re designed and built from the ground up, greenfield projects don’t face the restrictions and constraints often found in brownfield projects. In a greenfield project, it’s easier to align visions and goals across teams because everything is fresh and new.

Although this “newness” may seem like an advantage, it can also create unanticipated obstacles. With a blank canvas, it’s easy to get carried away with possibilities and lose sight of needs and practicality. It can also be difficult to prioritize needs vs. wants.

Creating a “smart building” doesn’t mean that all systems must be integrated. Instead, a smart building establishes purposeful, meaningful connections between systems to add value to people and processes based on what needs to be observed and managed.

For example, a smart hospital wants its irrigation systems to connect to the internet to check upcoming weather and adjust accordingly. But does the irrigation system need to communicate with the hospital’s imaging systems? Even though it’s possible to make this happen, it’s not beneficial because it offers no advantage.

Because greenfield projects have no existing infrastructure to work with, they typically take longer than brownfield projects. Project planning may begin several years before a facility becomes operational. Technology evolves so quickly, telecommunications budgets and scopes that are created in 2022 may not address what will be needed in 2028 when a building opens its doors. Technology, needs and priorities will change over time - and cabling designs, plans and programs of work need to be agile enough to adapt to these shifts.

What to know about brownfield smart building design

Brownfield projects are much more common than greenfield projects. In a brownfield project, distinct personnel and technology silos with established historical records already exist. There are also dynamic relationships and interplay to consider when it comes to working with existing contracts with vendors, responsibilities, liabilities and capabilities. In addition to managing the traditional cost, resource and time constraints that come along with any project, brownfield smart building projects must also work around existing restrictions and limitations. This may include legacy platforms and systems, facility layouts that can’t be changed and fully occupied buildings that can’t be vacated in order for work to take place. All these situations create additional complexities that are significantly different from those found in greenfield projects. From an ICT perspective, legacy systems in brownfield projects must often be integrated with new systems, technology and network architectures. Using healthcare as an example once again, a brownfield smart building project always needs to take into account the maturity of existing technology. Nurse call systems, for example, may be in place for 25 or 30 years, which means that the systems currently in place may not be built for Ethernet or IP. This can make integration difficult.

It’s also important for the project team to understand the expected lifespan of the technology already in place. Are there end-of-life concerns?

Some systems, like nurse call systems, can’t simply be taken offline or removed

and swapped for something new. They must remain operational until a new system or new infrastructure is installed, tested and verified—including integration with other smart building systems. Existing cabling often poses challenges during brownfield smart building projects as well, with a menagerie of cables and connectors that have been deployed over the years. In the end, these differences need to be able to work together. When working in an existing environment, visions of new technology and capabilities must be tempered with reality. What’s possible and what isn’t based on the facility and existing infrastructure? What works for one existing building may not work for another. Buildings are designed to last decades or longer, so creativity is often necessary to turn a 60-year-old building into a facility that can efficiently and economically use technology. Based on these factors - existing systems and infrastructure - a brownfield smart building project could vary from a simple bootstrap upgrade to a major forklift upgrade that requires significant changes to existing IT infrastructure.

Start your next smart building project

Greenfield and brownfield smart buildings are both crucial to creating a safe, sustainable and efficient future. But they also need to be approached differently. Belden’s team of experts understands the intricacies of smart building design - and the cabling infrastructure required to support greenfield and brownfield smart buildings to meet your goals. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

Belden.com

Smart buildings are on the up, here is everything you need to know

Embracing agile digital transformation in the public sector

Public sector organisations are starting to recognise the importance of Agile when implementing digital transformation projects to drive forward the sector’s digital capabilities. Although Agile can be seen as the most effective route for delivery, it’s best practice to think about all project implementation tools when considering a digital transformation project

per cent, so it makes sense that public sector organisations are keen to adopt it. However, it’s more important that it’s done right.

Jon Grainger, CIO, interviews David Laycock, delivery manager, to discuss the successes of Agile within the public sector; how it is coming up-to-speed, and the key things to consider when implementing digital transformation strategies. Here is a taster and takeaways from the interview:

What is Agile?

Agile will vary between projects, but ultimately, it embraces the fact that we can’t know everything upfront and that plans are designed to evolve.

“Agile is a mindset,” comments David. “It’s about being pragmatic. It’s about being kind of nimble but with a structure.”

Agile strategies work in cycles. Organisations develop a plan for a particular cycle, completing all the short-term tasks, before coming together in a review to discuss what went right, what went wrong and what the next steps should be.

Experience problems vs method problems

Agile can help teams to manage timescales and understand the necessary next steps to drive digital transformation projects forward. However, it’s important that organisations aren’t using Agile to substitute for a complete lack of experience.

“It doesn’t matter what method you go through, if you’ve never done something before and nobody in the team has ever encountered it, you’ve no point of reference,” explains Jon.”It’s not really a method problem, it’s an experience problem.”

Is Agile a ‘silver bullet’?

By no means is Agile a solution to any and every project. It’s not about retrofitting your digital transformation project to Agile methodology; it’s about evaluating your needs and picking the right strategy.

“Just because we work in an Agile space, doesn’t mean to say you have to adopt an Agile approach for something and make it fit,” continues David.

Organisations that use Agile in the right way can end up delivering services up to 50 per cent faster, and improving satisfaction by up to 25

Simply put, Agile isn’t a ‘one-sizefits-all’ solution. It’s often best suited to projects that are complex and have urgent and novel elements, which is why it tends to suit the public sector.

IT is one of the most popular areas for Agile techniques, as it often solves problems that haven’t been encountered before. However, linear or waterfall project delivery also have their place.

Psychological safety

In Agile, where mistakes and ‘failures’ are common and analysed, it’s important all employees are protected psychologically within the culture of the organisation.

Psychological safety means all members of a team feel safe enough to ask questions, admit mistakes and challenge the status quo. That’s why culture and mindset is so important for Agile projects to succeed. In Agile projects, it’s about learning quickly, rather than failing fast.

“Psychological safety, that’s a core fundamental in smaller teams. Being able to feel safe gives that little bit more flexibility to be able to get on with things,” adds David.

“Ultimately, the objective is to get the feedback and go: ‘okay, we made a mistake, we’ve learnt and move on’” states Jon.

A ‘no blame’ culture is a key part of this, which is why implementing the right people to perform digital transformation is so important, especially if these are temporary, external parties rather than permanent members of your team.

Public sector culture: learning and curiosity

Over the last ten years, there’s been a significant change in how the public sector works.

Ten years ago, there was a lot of scepticism when it came to Agile, as some organisations didn’t see it as a legitimate strategy. However, today it’s adopted a lot more, especially when it comes to digital transformation.

“Remember Agile is a mindset. It’s about being pragmatic.’ Says David. “If you want to use government and the public sector as a model, I would say start small. It’s about understanding what you are trying to achieve, learn things and fail fast.”

Watch the full interview between Jon Grainger and David Laycock here L

For more information on enabling agile digital transformation in your organisation, visit Certes IT Agility Ability or call us below. FURTHER

www.certes.co.uk 01675 468 968

Digitalising local government

As the representative body for 350 councils in England and Wales, the Local Government Association provides improvement support to members through its sector support offer, which helps councils improve local services, share best practice, and drive forward innovation across the sector.

One of the central parts of our improvement offer is our work around digital transformation. While councils like much of society, have embraced technology and digitalised how we live and work, this is a rapidly evolving landscape and we are very much at the beginning of this journey. We saw this during the pandemic, when councils like many organisations, switched to hybrid and remote working overnight. Whether it is as a service provider, a public sector service coordinator, a leader of place, or as a multimillion-pound organisation, emerging technologies will continue to change both the way councils work, and what is expected of them.

The Government has an ambition to make the UK a science and technology superpower, and to prioritise economic growth. As 99.9 per cent of private sector companies in the UK are SMEs, these ambitions begin locally. As leaders of place and with local government annual spend totalling over £70 billion, digitalised councils are best placed to unlock and lead digitally driven economic growth in their local economies through prioritising innovation, investment, and digital skills development for local businesses. In their leadership role, councils also ensure that digitally driven economic growth is as inclusive as possible, and all have access to the opportunities that digitalisation offers.

The data councils hold also plays a key role in designing, delivering and transforming public services to improve outcomes and drive efficiencies. Opening up and sharing data can drive innovation in local digital economies provided it is done so in an ethical and responsible way that protects residents’ rights.

So what is digitalisation? Let’s be clear straightaway that local government digitalisation is not just about IT. Rather, it is the means by which councils adapt to the change that technology brings. It is an enabler for the modernisation of the public sector, and it is the means by which we better serve our residents and local communities. But while technology has opened many doors and improved how we live and work, there are challenges ahead.

and as local government’s use of technology increases, so will the tensions between devolved independence and centralised assurance, resilience and efficiency, confidentiality and insight, and transparency and complexity. If we are to meet these challenges and seize these opportunities, we must take the lessons we learnt from responding to the pandemic and build upon them.

During the pandemic, local government adapted, reacted, and accelerated the digital delivery of services to meet the needs of the communities it serves. As a result, we witnessed a generational shift in how councils operate.

muchcouncilsWhilelike of society, have technologyembraced and digitalised how we live and work, this is a rapidlylandscapeevolving

The public sector digital landscape is only going to get more complicated, and local government will be at the front and centre of this. Set within this context, we all know that a lack of money and legacy IT are serious problems, but they are not the only ones. Few of our senior leaders are digital natives, and even fewer fully understand the security or ethical considerations that accompany new technology.

Managing technology-based risks and opportunities is going to get harder,

Councils increased the coproduction of online services with residents and built simple-to-use services that work for the people who needed them most.

Local government is now working hard to embed these changes and improvements, and the LGA is working to support them as they do so. Through digitalised public services, procurement of products and partnerships with the tech sector, councils are key contributors to the government’s ambition of £41.5 billion growth (GVA) in the tech sector by 2025.

To better enable this support, we recognised a need to create a shared understanding of what the aims of local government digital transformation are. So last year, at a SOCITM event at Windsor Castle, the LGA proposed an understanding E

Cllr Neil Prior, deputy chair of the Local Government Association’s Improvement and Innovation Board discusses digitalisation and embracing technology

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of local government digitalisation based around strategic goals. Then, with SOCITM, SOLACE, and experts throughout the sector we refined them into a framework of 12 shared strategic outcomes.

These shared outcomes will help us create a common language that enables strategic planning and becomes an enabler for the simple identification and sharing of best practice. This in turn will support the design and delivery of modern public services, and enable councils to operate effectively as digital organisations, and champion the digital needs of their communities. But whilst a common language, shared goals and an agreed framework is a good start, if we really want councils to collaborate and learn from one another, the LGA must use its unique position to enable that learning.

How will we provide this support?

Building on the 12 outcomes outlined above, the LGA will create a Digitalisation Almanac which will educate, signpost and provide insight into each outcome, giving councils the tools and guidance to pursue digital transformation.

Our bi-monthly stakeholder groups will allow hundreds of officers to collaborate on issues related to digital technologies, ranging

from digital inclusion and transformation to technical cyber advice. And we will develop our Leadership Essentials training for councillors and provide them with knowledge of what digital transformation means from a leadership perspective. With officer capability critical to how we approach digitalisation, we are also working to understand the recruitment and retention needs of councils in digital services. The aim is to create a framework that outlines the qualifications, skills, capabilities, and behaviours required for digital, data, and cyber roles. This framework will allow councils to recruit employees with the appropriate skills while also providing guidance on training to enable the upskilling of existing staff. We have also adapted our peer challenges with Cyber 360 programmes to help councils improve their cyber security culture by providing a safe environment for

constructive challenge and improving the understanding of what a good approach to cyber security looks like. We have worked with five councils so far, with up to another 20 planned for this financial year. And in the medium term, our hope is that 360s will grow to become a stalwart offer for councils as they look to build their digital capability through sector-led support. I’m really excited about the future of digital transformation in local government. While there are challenges ahead, there are also great opportunities for us to work together, and collaborate across the sector, working with local partners to deliver the best possible local services for residents whilst driving inclusive economic growth, with digitalisation at its heart. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

https://www.local.gov.uk/

The aim is to create a framework that outlines the qualifications, skills, capabilities, and behaviours required for digital, data, and cyber roles

PEOPLE MAKE PLACES

Places that Work

The digital skills gap: the importance of public and private sector collaboration

Martin McFadyen, head of public sector at Virgin Media O2 Business discusses the digital skills gap and how the Connect More Programme is helping people gain the digital skills they need

Digital skills are no longer optional. From applying for jobs and making GP appointments, to finding the best online deals and enabling smarter working, digital skills are an essential part of everyday life. And their impact on the economy must not be overlooked. Research from Virgin Media O2 and economic modelling from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) has found that the digital skills gap is costing UK workers £5.69 billion, with the cost to the UK economy rising to £12.8 billion. This is having a major impact on people’s lives and work. According to the Poverty Alliance, 82 per cent of jobs currently require digital skills. Yet, 5.4 million Brits are unable to carry out simple digital tasks – such as using a computer to write a letter or sending an email – despite wanting to.

With the cost-of-living crisis impacting both people and businesses alike, this simply won’t do. We discovered that 40 per cent of people pay higher prices for bills as they can’t shop around online, while 1 in 3 say their lack of digital skills has held back their earning potential.

And this has a knock-on effect on organisations

too, with a lack of digital skills amongst the workforce impacting day-to-day operations.

In fact, in our Tech and the Battle for Talent report, 36 per cent of UK

digital skills. Local authorities have the inroads at community level – and are best positioned to access the people who need help the most. Yet, with costs rising, E

Written by Martyn McFadyen, Head of public sector, Virgin Media 02 Business

Technology

tofindingWithoutsolutions the digital skills gap, organisations in all sectors miss out on talent

 many find themselves putting digital skills initiatives on the backburner. Private organisations, on the other hand, have the resources and access to technology and connectivity to help to support with delivery.

I firmly believe that understanding the power of collaboration with the public sector is critical to tackling the UK’s digital skills crisis.

Introducing the Connect More Programme

People want to upskill. Our study shows that while 56 per cent of respondents have a desire to learn new digital skills, 13 per cent

Virgin Media O2 Business is committed to tackling the gap at its root. It’s why we’ve developed a brand-new approach: one that leverages our heritage in the digital skills space with the strong

across the UK to help deliver the Connect More Programme nationwide.

The pilot saw volunteers identify the best areas in the local community to engage with, such as the Wythenshawe Community Housing Group. And the results speak for themselves. Here is what Patricia Handley, Wythenshawe resident and pilot session participant, had to say: “I don’t feel like I’m in a foreign country anymore. I’ve now been on this app and that app, and I never knew what people were talking about. But now I do. I know people out there who are out of touch with computers and frightened to sit in front of them. I don’t think anybody should sit down and say, ‘I don’t need to know anything else’. I don’t think you’re ever too old to learn. Some days, we don’t talk to one another as much because we’re so busy on the computer. But on other days, it’s a real community. We get together and talk, laugh, joke. It is brilliant.”

LFFN and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority

The key component which underlies all of our work to tackle the digital divide has been our valuable collaboration with public sector partners.

The Connect More Programme started in collaboration with the GMCA. And it follows long-standing work with this local authority to enact change in Greater Manchester and the surrounding area.

In 2020, Virgin Media Business and the GMCA set out to deliver the UK’s largest Local Full Fibre Networks Programme (LFFN), a government-backed scheme which was designed to give businesses

communities greater connectivity.

and

Our study shows that while 56 per cent of respondents have a desire to learn new digital skills, 13 per cent simply don’t know where to start

Since then, the LFFN Programme has connected more than 1,600 public sites, including 150 children’s centres, 97 school sites and 70 libraries. And, through driving local employment, has also helped generate £19.7 million worth of economic benefits for the local community. Moreover, through its social value work – digital skills training, consultancy in schools, and providing digital tech bundles and kits – the LFFN Programme was able to provide people of all ages with the resources and confidence to carry out basic digital tasks, by allowing them the space to ask questions, learn and grow their skillset.

The GMCA had the vision: a commitment to making Greater Manchester 100 per cent digitally enabled by breaking down the barriers of digital exclusion. But it was the collaboration between the local authority, schools, health centres, and private sector organisations like Virgin Media O2 Business, which helped us all to move this vision closer to reality.

Prioritising public sector partnerships

Modern life demands digital skills. But their all-encompassing nature means that those who are impacted the most by the cost of living or lack of resources, tend to struggle the most digitally.

We truly believe in the power of digital skills to level up the UK. But a team effort between the public and private sectors is integral to making this happen. The success of the LFFN Programme would not have been possible without the collaborative efforts of the GMCA and Virgin Media O2 Business.

And now, we have taken those learnings to create the Connect More Programme, calling on our public sector customers across the UK to help connect us – and vital digital skills training – to those most in need.

Tackling the digital skills gap is about more than just providing technology. It is the combination of resources – access to tech, connectivity, digital skills knowledge, teaching programmes and volunteers, as well as public sector organisations such as schools, libraries, and housing associations – which truly allows public and private sector partnerships, rooted in digital transformation, to thrive. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

https://www.virginmediao2business.co.uk/connect-more/

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

4C Strategies – Independent ICT Consultants

4C Strategies is an independent ICT consultancy specialising in technology and infrastructure projects.

that those who are impacted the most by the cost of living or lack of resources, tend to struggle the most digitally

The company covers all aspects of technology and infrastructure in the enterprise environment, with consultants showing demonstrable experience in helping clients to procure new technologies to meet their business requirements, providing endto-end support on ICT projects by delivering a portfolio of consultancy services to meet client requirements, from audit and strategy through to procurement, implementation and resourcing.

4C Strategies has been assisting organisations in the healthcare industry for over 20 years. Expertise covers

all aspects of IT technology and infrastructure, including: digital strategy, IT and technology strategy, data centres, servers and storage, data security, desktop telephony, MS Teams and wide area networks (WAN). Westminster County Council and the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea said: “4C gained a solid understanding of our requirements and brought an unsurpassed level of market and technical knowledge. They worked as a genuine member of our team.”

Contact one of 4C Strategies’ qualified healthcare technology consultants today.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Tel: 01858 438938 nhs@4c.co.uk www.4c.co.uk

Modern life demands digital skills. But their all-encompassing nature means

Helping the Government to achieve Gigabit Britain

Aberdeenshire | Perth and Kinross | Oxfordshire

We are proud to be working with a number of Local Authorities on their digital transformation programmes.

In Aberdeenshire we have connected 190 sites including schools, hospitals and several towns using a 275km network.

In Perth and Kinross we connected 3 Council data centres and 31 public buildings spanning 19.5km.

In Oxfordshire we are building a broadband infrastructure to connect 184 sites including a range of public sector sites.

Find out how we can better connect your business. neosnetworks.com 0345 070 1997

Supporting digital transformation

Could you tell us a bit about your company and what you do?

I’m Joanne Green and I head up the public sector and transport teams at Neos Networks. Neos Networks is a leading provider of connectivity infrastructure, and we operate one of the largest fibre networks in the UK for our business customers. We work with organisations across the public sector supporting their digital transformation programmes and gigabit connectivity plans.

If a local authority is planning to improve connectivity and digital infrastructure, where is the best place to start?

The first step is to identify the key outcomes that any authority wants to achieve. This is critical in defining the tangible benefits which can be achieved by improving their digital infrastructure. Once this is understood, we can then put in place a solution, enabling optimum connectivity to the locations needed and ultimately delivering against the authority’s objectives. Our insight from the marketplace as well as from a number of our existing customers is that a key outcome is often improving connectivity to rural areas, with the objective of providing communities with better access to local services. We provide the digital infrastructure to enable gigabit connectivity to locations such as community centres and libraries. Enabling this connectivity has provided opportunities to use these places as hubs for multiple services, for example a drop in pharmacy, a temporary vaccination centre or a local shared workspace delivering benefit to the local community.

What are the benefits of improved connectivity and digital infrastructure to local businesses?

Higher speed and greater bandwidth to businesses mean they can provide faster access to a wider range of services online, enabling them to expand at pace. Local businesses focus on connecting with their communities and making accessibility easier for their customer

base. This helps to increase business & talent retention in the region whilst improving access to their products and services. Enhancements to connectivity allow businesses to integrate more effectively with other local services and organisations too, helping to enable the circular economy in the area. This creates new routes to market, broadening their reach to new customers both within and outside their area.

Improved connectivity can help further smart city ambitions, how can smart cities benefit local residents? Smart city technology is already having a major impact across communities. The point of being a ‘smart place’ is ultimately about making people’s lives easier and simpler. Using a common-sense approach to enable solutions which are simple and reliable enough to change peoples’ behaviour, the goal is to continue to make life easier for those who live and work in our communities.

There are already many examples of the kinds of smart solutions which are helping citizens every day, like shops with no tills or staff, where shoppers simply select the items they want and leave (enabled by facial recognition and device detection); security gates which recognise employees via AI cameras and open automatically without a swipe card being scanned; cars which unlock as they’re approached; and smart energy solutions which turn off appliances to save power (and money)a major benefit during the current energy crisis.

Some cities have also developed apps that produce heat maps of social isolation hotspots by collating reported signs of potential loneliness, such as piles of rubbish or post. This is another great example of smart cities and places using technology intelligently to look out for their residents.

There are many other projects either implemented or in development around traffic control, air-quality monitoring to enable improvements to transport systems, sensors to advise drivers of parking spaces and available charging points for electric

vehicles, and smart traffic lights that favour sustainable modes of transport.

How can Neos Networks help local government advance smart city plans?

We have already worked with several authorities to enable them to reduce costs to serve their communities as well as giving them better visibility and understanding of the requirements of citizens and businesses in their areas.

The integration of smart technologies across a whole town or city requires a combination of large numbers of sensors, vast amounts of data and Internet of Things-enabled devices. These in turn need dependable, high-capacity, future-proof networks. We can deliver their core connectivity infrastructure in an agile way. We work as a single partner, drawing together services from other providers where necessary, taking the pain away for the authority.

We work with local and regional stakeholder organisations to lay fibre to support their current and future growth. We’re getting the fibre infrastructure in place so that they can develop their areas for the future and expedite their plans. We enable them to take into account the needs of their connected community properly, using smart technologies to better serve their people and the businesses that serve them.

Browse our interactive network map to see if we’re well connected in your city, or get in touch with us below to find out how we can improve your connectivity. L

Neos

Joanne Green, Sales Director,

Protecting investment in legacy IT systems while moving to the cloud for a sustainable future

Organisations across all sectors have difficulty keeping ageing core systems running while simultaneously moving them to the cloud. The overarching challenge is developing a robust approach and then delivering the business case within budget

Post-COVID, public sector organisations face real and evolving challenges. They must provide continuity of essential services while facing pressure to cut costs and stay within tight budgets. The cloud offers opportunities to switch capital costs to operational costs, and potentially then reduce those operational costs.

The challenge is the price of transformation. It is essential to establish the “AS IS” state, define the “TO BE” state, plan and cost the journey while managing the risks and changes which will occur, then deliver the transformation against the underlying business case.

There are key challenges. Systems based on long standing technology (considered legacy) depend on skills of IT professionals who are leaving the workforce, often unexpectedly. Determining the “AS IS” state is expensive, if that knowledge has been lost. The siren call of new technologies is all too often taken up by the enthusiastic but not always experienced, who are not chartered engineers and cannot see the dangers.

Keeping the lights on The complexity of “AS IS” architecture is significant. If a system is fully maintained then there is a period where it can continue without material effort. But during that time, expertise is lost and experts, even if they remain, become out of practice. However, unnecessary expenditure should be avoided. Treat the transformation as a combined project to maintain the “AS IS”, implement the “TO BE” and design the migration or integration path. Such a combined project can progressively transfer functional components until the project is complete.

In a transformation project, a broad range of skills is required: knowledge of

the “AS IS” system, understanding of the proposed “TO BE” system, and above all an excellent project office and design authority which can maintain the integrity of the plan, quality and technical standards. That means bringing together people who understand the existing systems and technology, the target technology and how to manage digital transformation. The incumbent team knows the systems, people can be trained in the target technology, particularly if the teams are seeded with experienced cloud technologists but managing transformation generally needs external third-party expertise.

projects helping our customers in all of the stages of transition mentioned above. Finding people who appreciate the issues and opportunities and can talk the language of legacy, cloud and end users addresses a major area of risk for any transition project. We have successfully followed the strategies discussed to deliver projects and to rescue projects where we were not initially involved.

Management skills

Transitioning

to the cloudthe reality of experience

The government’s cloud-first strategy means public sector organisations should carefully evaluate potential cloud solutions. Many bespoke systems of the 90s implemented standard functionality which has already been replaced by enterprise systems such as SAP, ORACLE Financials, Salesforce, Xero, and Atlassian. Much of the business software used today already runs in the cloud.

If an organisation has specialist bespoke applications developed inhouse over many years, the first question has to be whether there is an existing cloud solution that will support the current solution’s business processes and is a simple migration path available?

At Diegesis, our skills encompass many legacy technologies such as Actian-X (Ingres), Informix, IBM technology including MQ Series and Integration Broker. We deliver cloud-based solutions running on AWS exploiting a wide range of Open Source and COTS technology. This has led us to being engaged on a range of migration and integration

Projects live or die on the success of the technical and delivery managers and above all on the ability of the project sponsor to guide the programme around shared goals. Transformation means change over time, so planning, budgeting, project management, people and above all risk management, contingency and mitigation are as important as ever. In a multistakeholder environment, the need to have clear yet flexible contracts appropriate to the project and to manage suppliers to a common outcome becomes critical.

In conclusion

Transitioning to the cloud while maintaining a service to customers is not easy. Those who have not undertaken such projects before should consider bringing in management and technical skills to manage the requirement for change.

At Diegesis, we’ve run numerous transformation projects and have the rich experience needed to help implement appropriate strategies to deliver success. L

Diegesis has 30 years’ experience supporting, developing and optimising data management applications across government entities including The Home Office, Ministry of Defence and Office of National Statistics (ONS) so we understand the strategies for success.

FURTHER INFORMATION

020 8286 7587 info@diegesis.co.uk diegesis.co.uk

The blockchain revolution in government

It is hard to overstate the impact that blockchain will have on government in the next 20 years. Having confidence and shared visibility in a common state of information (data and the record of transactions that interact with that data) is fundamental to many, if not most, government functions. Governments are adopting blockchain because of its many attributes including the ability to secure data and make it extremely resilient, reduce accountability and audit costs, automate labour intensive processes, reduce the potential for corruption, and improve the public’s trust in government institutions.

We already see examples of governments employing blockchain in a great variety of situations. The United States uses blockchain to manage interdepartmental resource transfers and mitigate audit expenses. It also uses it to manage Department of Defense supply chain issues. Georgia uses blockchain to instill public and business confidence in land registries. China plans to use blockchain to streamline the judicial process by digitizing the notary requirements and automating document flow. The UK is using blockchain

for some welfare payments. Denmark is using it to improve the efficiency of foreign aid programs. The United Nations uses blockchain to improve the management of food vouchers in refugee camps in Bangladesh and Jordan. Beyond operational efficiency processes, there are a few key areas where blockchain has the potential to be significantly impactful. They include healthcare, digital identity, finance, and trade.

Healthcare

Incomplete healthcare records result in improper diagnosis and medical errors which in turn leads to poor coordination of patient care. A blockchain-based electronic healthcare record system can both improve patient outcomes and reduce errorinduced and redundant testing costs. Such a system can situationally expose the right information to the right people for the right reasons while preserving

patient privacy and even give patients sovereignty over their health records.

Digital identity

A digital identity is a core building block of not only healthcare, but of countless other systems. Being able to establish your identity efficiently and confidently, reduces interaction friction with many government-related processes ranging from voting in an election, to airport security and customs, to the collection of social benefits. Furthermore, as government ID is the gold standard for countless businessto-consumer interactions, a digital identity can have a significant multiplier effect in the economy. For example, South Korea believes its digital identity efforts will be responsible for a 3 per cent growth in GDP.

Finance

There are many blockchain operation use cases in government finance. Procurement onboarding should be substantially streamlined as should the supplier payments processes. Regulatory oversight and auditing will also change substantially because of blockchain. There are also opportunities in international finance such as enabling real-time payment settlement between central banks.

Another potentially important use case in finance is wallet-based central bank digital currencies (CBDC). CBDCs in various forms are being piloted all over the world. They offer many advantages over traditional services including reducing friction and the ability to tweak the economy with greater precision.

After all, blockchain-E

Douglas Heintzman, chief catalyst at the Blockchain Research Institute looks at how blockchain can be used in government

We already see examples of employinggovernmentsblockchain in a great variety of situations

About the author

Douglas Heintzman is the chief catalyst at the Blockchain Research Institute (BRI).

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based CBDCs can be programmable. This suggests many opportunities as well as many questions. How specifically will programmability impact the execution of macro and micro economic policy? Will the new system be more inclusive allowing larger portions of the population to be able to effectively engage in the banking and financial system? Will a circulating currency that is central bank liability be a stabilizing force in the economy or increase the risk of contagion spread. Will the world’s reserve currency system be impacted to any significant extent? The answer to these questions will, to some extent, be tied to a CBDC’s underlying architecture which will in many cases likely be based on blockchain, especially if policy makers want it to interact with other types of crypto currency.

Trade

From a governmental perspective, the application of blockchain to trade primarily centres around regulatory compliance and duties collection. However, the government is only a participant in a large supply chain ecosystem. Blockchain brings transparency and visibility to supply chain. It allows for multi-party contracting, real-time tracking and tracing, and the incorporation of externalities such as carbon content into pricing and decision making. It allows for the virtualization of supply chains through digital twining. This suggests some interesting possibilities when it comes to regulation, as the objective and effect of regulations and duties could be applied virtually, reducing friction in the real world. This possibility is very compelling considering the complexity in regulating trade with the European Union. Because blockchain’s differentiating strength is in coordinating activities between multiple parties, the key challenge in creating value in the trade domain, like most other domains, is accelerating adoption. There are three pieces to the adoption challenge. The first is incentives and stakeholder alignment. The value proposition needs to be clear and compelling. The second is interoperability. This second era of the digital age will be a work in progress and take a long time. New blockchain based systems will have to interact with many legacy systems and leverage a lot of the progress that was made over the last decade around APIs and standards adoption. The third is composability. Anyone who has played with Lego understands the power of composability. The ability to compose Lego blocks into any number of configurations and add to, and iterate, and decompose, and

reconstitute, is very powerful. Blockchain based systems are highly composable. This composability leads to high rates of innovation and creativity and enables the effective targeting of small economic niches. Governments should start to rethink how they interact with supply chains and how they structure their systems so that others can compose with them efficiently. They should recognize that if government services are designed to be composable, innovators will find many ways of combining and enhancing those services and in doing so making them more relevant and more valuable to more people in more situations.

Finally, Blockchain impacts issues of interest to governments beyond the delivery of government services. Blockchain can bring collective confidence in the veracity of information. It can give confidence in the identity of an author of opinion and their reputation and credentials. It can help determine if content has been altered or manipulated.

Blockchain will also cause a restructuring of the business landscape as smaller economic actors will be able to compose their systems and combine their resources to deliver more innovative composite products and services to the market. We are already seeing governments playing a role in supporting economic activity around Web3 and blockchain.

France is implementing tax reform to incentivize blockchain and Web3 investments.

Japan has established a dedicated Web3 policy office under their Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry. China’s blockchainbased Service Network (BSN) is publicly funded digital infrastructure at scale designed to accelerate blockchain innovation in the enterprise.

The Web3 and blockchain era has enormous potential. As with any new foundational technology there will be false starts and frustrations. There will also be spectacular successes and innovations that had never occurred to us. This era has

The BRI is an independent, global think-tank dedicated to inspiring and preparing private and public-sector leaders to drive blockchain transformation. It is headquartered in Toronto, Canada and has regional offices in South Korea, the Middle East, South Africa, Brazil, and Europe. For more information you can visit blockchainresearchinstitute.org

the potential to include a greater portion of the population and create significant broadly based value. It has the potential to solve difficult problems, improve our ability to deal with existential threats, and to forge a new social contract. It will require strong visionary political and bureaucratic leadership to catalyze this opportunity. This will be one of the great challenges for government over the next decade. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

blockchainresearchinstitute.org

Because blockchain’s differentiating strength is in coordinating activities between multiple parties, the key challenge in creating value in the trade domain, like most other domains, is accelerating adoption

Multi-fuel military helmet light with variable colour LEDs, beacon & stalk

Earlier this year, Streamlight ® Inc., a leading provider of high-performance lighting devices, introduced the Sidewinder Stalk™ as the newest member of their Sidewinder® Series, which offers the most versatile military lights in the world. This hands-free lighting tool is a multi-function military helmet light system featuring multiple colour LEDs, an Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) beacon, a strobe mode, and a flexible stalk for aiming light where it is needed.

The light operates from multiple power sources and features a variable colour LED housed in a head that is mounted to the light’s bendable stalk. The white LED offers 76 lumens of bright light on high and up to 95 hours of run time on low mode when using a CR123A battery; with an AA lithium or AA alkaline battery, the light delivers 57 lumens for 66+ hours on low. In addition to bright white light, tactical users can select from red, blue, or green LEDs in three output modes for low light applications such as map reading and cockpit navigation, or use the light’s

IR illuminator with Night Vision devices. An integrated IR IFF beacon permits operators to covertly signal positioning and movements on the ground.

The Sidewinder Stalk is equipped with a spring steel clip which can be attached to MOLLE vests or helmet mounts. The light is also available in two additional models; the ARC Rail™ model, which features a clip and mounting plate to fit military helmets with the ARC Rail™ mounting system, and the E-mount model, which fits on the brims of PASGT, ACH and ECH style helmets. This light will also fit existing Sidewinder Compact® II mounts.

The newest Sidewinder features a push-button switch for on/off and intensity control, starting at the lowest output and progressing to the brightest

output in three discrete steps. It uses a rotating selector knob to select output modes, preventing accidental mode changes. The IFF strobe is activated by a three-position ambidextrous switch, and the light also features a Safety Lockout Mode. The light has a long-lasting polycarbonate lens with a scratchresistant coating, and the high-impact, super tough nylon case offers exceptional durability and weather resistance. With O-ring and gasket-sealed openings, the light has an IP67-rated design and is dust-tight and waterproof to 1 metre for 30 minutes. It meets MIL-STD-810H, Method 512.6 Immersion guidelines.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Streamlight.com Facebook - StreamlightUK; Twitter - StreamlightUK Instagram - Streamlight_europe LinkedIn - Streamlight-inc YouTube - StreamlightTV

OGEL IT is an SME based in Stevenage with a wide customer base spanning both private and public sectors across the UK. The company provides flexible, secure, and cost-effective IT services that are simple to manage and maintain. They work in partnership with their customers to understand business requirements, then designs and delivers solutions that are right for them.

OGEL IT is committed to providing an excellent service, and empowering its team to achieve its high standards is key. They have a highly capable and driven team that get to know and value every customer, working in partnership to ensure

their business is getting the most out of their IT service. The end-user experience is always a primary focus in everything OGEL IT does, and the company regularly seeks feedback to drive continuous improvement. They always ensure the service provided is one it can be proud of by doing what’s best for its customers. The company does not believe in just keeping the lights on, or taking the easy route; it provides a service that it can truly stand behind.. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

Tel: 01438 300335 info@ogelit.com www.ogelit.com

We

Keeping in touch Your support makes a life-changing difference to people in crisis. We write to our supporters to update you about the work of the British Red Cross, and how you can help and donate in other ways. You can change the way we contact you at any time by visiting redcross.org.uk/keepingintouch or calling Freephone 0800 2800 491.

Privacy statement The British Red Cross is committed to privacy and will use personal data for the purpose it was collected or other legitimate purposes we tell you about: for example, to provide goods, services or information you have requested or to administer donations or services we provide. We may also analyse data we collect to better understand the people who support us or those who use or deliver our services. Sometimes this means us combining that data with information from reliable public sources. Our research allows us to tailor communications and services in a more focused and cost-effective way, as well as better meeting your needs and the needs of others like you. However, we will never do this in a way that intrudes on personal privacy and will not use your data for a purpose that conflicts with previously expressed privacy preferences. For full details about how we use personal data, our legal basis for doing so and your privacy rights, please see our privacy notice online at redcross.org.uk/privacy.

The DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal will support people in areas currently affected and those potentially affected in the future by the crisis. In the unlikely event that we raise more money than can be reasonably and efficiently spent, any surplus funds will be used to help us prepare for and respond to other humanitarian disasters anywhere in the world. For more information visit https://donate. redcross.org.uk/appeal/disaster-fund

*Texts cost £10 +1 standard message (we receive 100%). For full T&Cs visit redcross.org.uk/mobile, must be 16+.

The British Red Cross Society, incorporated by Royal Charter 1908, is a charity registered in England and Wales (220949), Scotland (SC037738), Isle of Man (0752) and Jersey (430).

Photo

© Michael Kappeler/dpa

TO

VISIT ISUZU.CO.UK

All fuel consumption and emission values are based on the new WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure) test cycle which uses real-world driving data. Official fuel economy for the standard Isuzu D-Max range in MPG (l/100km): Low 25.1–27.6 (10.2–11.2). Mid 31.4–36.4 (7.8–9.0). High 36.0–39.4 (7.2–7.8). Extra-High 29.0–30.8 (9.2–9.7). Combined 30.7–33.6 (8.4–9.2). CO2 emissions 220–241 g/km. Visit isuzu.co.uk for full details.