ADD376 Smart London Community Engagement

1.1 The most challenging gap in the delivery of the Smart London Plan is citizen engagement in terms of:

• Identifying those challenges for which Londoners would like to see solutions.
• Involving citizens in the on-going design and application of these solutions.

1.2 A Smart London engagement strategy has been produced in collaboration with the GLA’s consultation team, which outlines:

• Identifying those challenges for which Londoners would like to see solutions.

• Engaging with a wide spectrum of stakeholders, including the business, investor, policy and civic community.

• Engaging Londoners in developing ‘smart solutions’ through the delivery of a co-design programme.

1.3 In order to enable opportunities for co-design, we will commission an expert provider. As part of the methodology, the delivery partner will:

1. Deliver a programme which enables citizens to be involved in the development and application of smart solutions.

2. Identify a diverse citizen testing group for the developers to access.

3. Identify and support developers with ‘smart prototypes’ to engage with a citizen testing group.

4. Offer ‘lessons learnt’ for the wider review of Talk London.

Objective

2.1 To enable citizens to contribute to the design and application of ‘smart solutions’ in order to better meet the needs of Londoners.

Outputs

1. A co-design programme which engages London citizens and entrepreneurs on the testing of ‘smart solutions’.

2. A Smart London engagement programme which utilises GLA’s current resources such as ‘Talk London’.

3. A way of capturing key ‘lessons learnt’, either by delivering a findings report or a feedback event.

3.1 In order to ensure that the conclusions that are drawn by the provider are representative of all of London, including identified groups such as women, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, we will seek to ensure representation within both the engagement process and at the co-design event.

3.2 The GLA will work with the selected provider to ensure that efforts are made to secure representation from these identified groups by, for example, working with interest groups representing women or BAME in tech, to make sure they are invited an a way appropriate to them, and ensure as much representation as possible.

Links to Mayoral Strategies

• The Mayor’s Smart London Plan
Within the Smart London plan the Mayor committed to ‘Ask Londoners, businesses and other stakeholders what ‘Smart London’ should look like and deliver, and mobilise them to be a part of the solution’. Undertaking this project will enable us to move towards meeting this ambition, and help to develop policy going forward that reflects the findings.

Impact Assessments and Consultations
No impact assessment or consultation is required for the project.

5.1 Approval is requested for expenditure of up to £35k on the production and launch of a Smart London Citizen Co-design programme. The expenditure will be funded from the SMART London programme budget which totals £150k for 2015/16.

5.2 Any changes to this proposal, including budgetary implications and carry forwards will be subject to further approval via the decision making process. All appropriate budget adjustments will be made.