David Wilcox April 2018

Networked City is a loose framework within which people, projects and organisations can learn how to use mapping, network building, data and technology for community and social benefit.

Over the past year we set up the Connecting Londoners group to explore how these approaches can contribute to the development of new civic infrastructure for London, at a time when funding cuts are reducing traditional support systems. Details of that exploration below.

• Latest update April 2018

Main content on this site - summarised below - covers:

• The Networked City exploration, begun in January 2017, into how network thinking and digital technology can help reframe London's civil society and support social action.
• Briefing material on The Way Ahead - the initiative from London Funders and partners that prompted the exploration.
• The Connecting Londoners group formed to develop practical ideas and projects for mapping local assets, building networks and developing networked communications
• Our Way Ahead, a network of London networks and community groups, formed to press for a more bottom-up approach to complement the official Way Ahead plans.
• Proposals for the Hub for London, a new charitable company that is the main outcome from The Way Ahead.
• Development of the Greater London Authority civil society strategy.
• Proposals for a Community of Practice for change agents with skills in network mapping and building, digital technology and self-organising, to work with those already engaged in the field.

The Networked City exploration was started by David Wilcox and Drew Mackie on behalf of the London Voluntary Service Council (LVSC), and is now being led by Matt Scott with David and Drew and a group formed following a launch event on January 10 2017.

• Background paper for our launch event, including a summary of The Way Ahead initiative, models for cooperation and collaboration in the networked age, the development process for our exploration.
• Blog post on the launch.

The Way Ahead initiative, led by London Funders, LVSC and Greater London Volunteering, produced a report in April 2016 on how to reframe support for London civil society. This report proposed:

a vision and system that puts London’s communities at the heart of the way we all work. From co-producing an understanding of need and how to tackle it with our communities, through to better sharing of intelligence and data, and making sure that civil society’s voice is heard in decision-making at a strategic level, there are recommendations for us all.

The TWA initiative then set up working groups, and held a conference to develop ideas in more detail. However, they faced criticism about lack of communication and little community involvement, and community groups and networks unhappy with TWA formed Our Way Ahead to press for changes.

The main recommendation in The Way Ahead report was for a London resource hub, and in November 2017 the City Bridge Trust announced first year funding of £350,000.

• Reference to the main The Way Ahead documents here
• Conference on #TheWayAhead will reveal funders' ideas for supporting London civil society
• Working groups publish reports on TheWayAhead for London’s Civil Society
• Here's hoping TheWayAhead plans for a London resource hub become more networky

David Wilcox has been a member of TWA Task and Finish groups on Data Sharing, Triage and Connect, and Co-production - for which he wrote a report. He was a member of the Hub advisory group until February 2018.

Connecting Londoners was formed from people in the Networked City exploration who wanted to put into practice ideas about mapping assets and networks, building networks and developing networked communications. We took the name from a report by consultant Steve Wyler, commissioned by LVSC, that made proposals for the Hub recommended in The Way Ahead report. We created a blog, and collaborated with Our Way Ahead on events.

• Connecting Londoners organisation needed for civil society and action for social good
• Further blog posts
• More about Connecting Londoners

Our Way Ahead was formed by London networks and community groups as a response to The Way Ahead reports and development. The statement of purpose says:

Decisions have been taken in the name of communities without their involvement, poverty pervades ever deeper, inequality is rising, and lives have been lost as services fail those most vulnerable. Our vision is to ensure that grassroots communities have a meaningfully powerful agency in the response to issues that affect their lives. It is those at the level of grassroots communities, the direct burden takers, who are best placed to lead the push for change, and the OWA Planning Group seek to work in solidarity with them through the facilitation of critical dialogue and storytelling, mapping of community activity and the support of collaboration on campaigns among groups within like communities of interest.

Adding:

We want to build accessible digital community platforms, research and map grassroots community activity, to facilitate collaboration, strengthen local platforms and spaces for action and build the voice of those at the grassroots level.

Our Way Ahead and Connecting Londoners have run a series of events together, and Christine Goodall of the Human Rights and Equalities network represents OWA on the Hub for London advisory group.

• Voices from the Tower may change tone of TheWayAhead for civil society, as well as much else
• How TheWayAhead for @LondonFunders is becoming OurWayAhead for Londoners
• Joining up the dots to show #OurWayAhead
• More blog posts about OWA events

• Index of Hub for London content here

The main proposal in The Way Ahead report was for a new resource hub.

A London Hub, working with specialist support, should develop standardized resources where possible, which can be customized and delivered locally. The London Hub could be made up of a network of organisations or be a formally constituted body.

LVSC commissioned a report on the Hub from Steve Wyler, and an advisory group was established in November 2017 to develop details. Steve Wyler's report said:

The Hub “should act as a convenor and enabler, rather than direct deliverer, in effect delivering change through networks and platforms, rather than through traditional organisational and membership delivery methods".

In November 2017 the City Bridge Trust announced first year funding of £350,000 for the Hub, which will be run by Greater London Volunteering. LVSC has now closed - so the Hub will be the only major pan-London organisation. LVSC previous represented some 120,000 groups and organisations.

Connecting Londoners and Our Way Ahead have made the case to the Hub advisory group for extending the work of the Hub - with associated projects - to include development of local and pan-London networks. We based proposals for extending the Hub on Steve Wyler's report, and other working group reports, as well as our own work. In November 2017 we ran a “Hub game” simulation event at London Metropolitan University to play through the recommendations in the Wyler report. Following the event we proposed a Community of Practice to support extending the Hub.

• Extracts from Steve Wyler report
• First year funding announced for the Hub
• Report of the Hub game November 2017.
• Extending the Hub for London - pdf download
• Proposals for a Community of Practice - pdf download

The GLA is developing its own civil society strategy. OWA and Connecting Londoners have reported on developments and contributed to events.

• City Hall is commissioning work to develop a London civil society strategy for TheWayAhead. Spread the word.
• Explaining to London's Deputy Mayor @rydermc how mapping can help connect Londoners and #reclaimourspaces
• Event with Deputy Mayor @rydermc and #reclaimourspaces opens door to co-designing community engagement … but with whom?
• City Hall hailed as potential champion for London grassroots action during consultation on #GLAcivilsocietystrategy. Now - how?

Proposals developed with Connecting Londoners and Our Way Ahead, and presented to the advisory group for the Hub for London

• Summary of all proposals October 2017-2018
• Proposals to the advisory group February 2018

• Matt Scott ourwayahead@gmail.com @ourwayahead
• David Wilcox david@socialreporter.com @davidwilcox
• Drew Mackie drew@drewmackie.co.uk @admaque