This online conference will focus on better understanding the needs and aspirations of the people who live and work in localities, the challenges in harnessing the power of citizen data and the tools that can help you do so to improve the quality of services in local areas.
Useful info about the conference and how it works.
Welcome from the Conference chair
I'm very pleased to welcome you to this conference on customer insight. We're looking forward to what we hope will be a lively and rewarding event, and above all, one which will help you improve your knowledge, understanding and networks in your area - whatever angle that is.
Our speakers (and our panellists) reflect some of the many different starting points for developing customer insight - not least the need for a common language and understanding. The drivers for increasing local understanding are many. More responsive services must be grounded in a sound understanding of local communities. At the same time, more immediate pressures are rising up the agenda: Comprehensive Area Assessment and the central role which evidence plays in that; Government requirements to conduct a Place Survey.
Our opening speakers, Mary Teltow, an independent consultant and Marko Stojovic from the Audit Commission pick up those stories. And Jayne Pascoe will reflect on challenges for our partners in the police. Acknowledging the importance of external drivers, we're also keen to engage you in debate about practice that is led by local authorities and your partners. Getting to the reality of how you use the knowledge you have of your area, Paul Merret of the West Midlands LGA and RIEP, together with Jo Stewart of Walsall MDC, will share findings and challenges from a research project on gathering and using insight across a group of West Midlands authorities, together with a case study from Walsall. And we've invited Helen Begley to tell us how the Cabinet Office view customers and our understanding of them next week.
We'll be facilitating the event with an eye to the summary report we intend to produce to follow - so your participation will support colleagues more widely in local government! And a query - is this what you were expecting? What are your tricky challenges right now and could you get help by sharing them? Do participate - it's a new way of working and we hope you enjoy it.
Julia Bennett
Conference Chair
