This year, we joined IT and Business Leaders from Local Government organisations at the annual Socitm President's Conference in Birmingham. 

Running over two days, the Conference brought together Local Government and technology organisations to share innovative ideas, challenges and future trends.

Author: Lauren Sheppard, Events Manager - CAE

Joining me for the two day event, was our Head of Distributed Government South, Adam Gray and Account Director Chris Greenwood. We were thrilled to be able to share key insights, trends and technologies with Local Government leaders and really get to understand what challenges they are currently facing, and how technology can enable growth for our local communities , despite budget restraints.

"What an exceptional Socitm President's Conference! Positive vibes, energy and conversation across a two-day diverse programme which reflected the excellence being achieved across the public sector, the desire to want to share and collaborate and do so much more to deliver impactful local public services.” 

Nadira Hussain , CEO, Socitm

People Make Places was this year's theme, and it was truly reflected and embodied throughout the event, emphasising how pivotal people within the public sector are in shaping our communities.

On the first night, we had the pleasure of hosting the President's Dinner. During the evening we met some great people and heard first-hand, the challenges and trends within Local Government. Technology can enable amazing outcomes to these organisations, and through adopting the right technology with the right partner, technology gives time and money back, enabling them to focus on delivering business priorities. 

Key takeaways

• Psychologically Safe Environment: Ian Thomas CBE, shared the importance of creating a psychologically safe environment. Rather than blaming individuals for mistakes, we should focus on learning from them., focusing on how this mindset encourages growth and innovation.
• Data-Driven Decision-Making: Throughout the day, multiple speakers discussed the importance of data. Converging data sources and online safety are critical, ensuring it remains a top priority for organisations.
• Artificial Intelligence: AI was an expected hot topic and it really felt to be welcomed with optimism and an opportunity to reduce pressures through automation. AI was seen as an opportunity to give employees time back to refocus on the less repetitive and mundane tasks. With that in mind, embracing change was also touched upon and how it can enhance communities.
• Challenges and Uncertainties: A golden thread throughout was the funding uncertainties, political shifts, and rising demand for services. To support the shifts that will inevitably occur, data-driven decisions and cultural change were deemed essential.
• Cybersecurity in the Public Sector: The ever presence cybersecurity risks and threats posed to the sector cannot be overlooked and continued to be key theme throughout the event. 
  
  

"It was insightful to hear the great stories of how technology has been utilised across local government bodies. Our own capability with CAE Labs in particular WiserWatts, and Network Intelligence has made great inroads to reducing costs and carbon footprint for organisations.

Through the utliisation of NI, Public Sector bodies have an immediate understanding on what they are running on their network and how they can streamline and optimise organisational performance."

Adam Gray, Head of Distributed Government - South, CAE

To learn more about how we can enable your organisation to delivery better outcomes, contact us today.