the local GDS debate
i made these notes at the start of april with the intention of making a proper post but now I guess the intention has evaporated? so here they are
gotta think about
how does it solve the problem...
what is the actual problem... ??
there are many different opinions on the "should we have a local GDS?" question, and a lot of ideas about what it needs to achieve or solve. without agreeing on that we can't get much further
an org or group that gives digital people info is nice but they dont make the decisions
senior mgmt works on what rewarded and recognised
how do we (tech ppl) make the change
imagine all the meetings it would take to agree this stuff (standards)
never mind the suppliers
what are we trying to solve? senior level will want to see £ savings or increased efficiency? need to think about their metrics
STOP TALKING ABOUT THE PRODUCT, GET TO THE MARKETING / SALES
why do the digital people get so wound up about this and not the service doing people? or the residents? do they see it differently or is it not important to them?
hypothesis
the non tech people face the same problems we all talk about but they experience it from a different POV and our language and ideas are often based on where we stand pointing at the problem we see and know.
this thought also comes up here, around the bit that says INFLUENCE
also
- people are social, complicated, group animals. they value their local, particular things. they are important.
- not everyone wants to outsource and combine and standardise. some people enjoy designing and crafting experiences and seeing them come to life. for me that's always been the great thing about working in local govt as I've managed to work for councils in areas I lived in - seeing your work around you. yea it might not be super efficient but it's still important and valuable