Uncover how to get the most of membership in 2025. Join the next Members' Connection Hour on Thursday 31 October.

Newsletter: Microsoft’s Change Agent training is back and this time it’s modular

Get everything you can from your membership

Your events, training and resources

Did you know? Part 1
Did you know that the first Change Agent of 2024 starts on Thursday 22 February?
Change Agent Reflector is a modular version of the week-long programme. You can now complete it over 6 weeks. It is 1 day a week, but it won’t always be a day-long session. Most of them are mornings-only.
Scroll down for all of the dates, times and topics.

Did you know? Part 2
Did you know that this year’s Digital Trends report has already been published?!
It’s not just for January, it’s relevant in February (and March and the rest of the year). ICYMI There’s plenty to find when you start browsing the report.
President Mark Lumley wrote in the LGC about it: Councils must avoid digital quick fixes

I hope you can have a great weekend.

Best wishes,

Alex.

P.S.
Did you know? Part 3
Did you know my 2 tips on which to build the best and most of membership?!

  1. Create your user account on socitm.net
  2. Add hello@socitm.gv-c.com to your Outlook safe senders list.

Your Resource Hub

Just published: 2024’s Public Sector Digital and Technology Trends

The challenge for public service organisations in 2024 is managing growing demands and leading the momentum of digital opportunities – culture, technologies and data – ensuring no one and no place gets left behind. Get the super-top level overview first from the infographic and summary.

You might have missed…

AI: what senior leaders in local government should know
Read a summary of the key themes discussed in a roundtable held in November; from awareness of AI within leaders, the ethics of AI, the biases and the unconscious bias, through to the data breaches that AI might cause.

Website accessibility

Log in to check your Silktide Score. If you’re competitive, see where you’re council ranks in the monthly Index. It’s not all about being #1.

You will need a user account on socitm.net to access member-only resources. Let us know if need any support.

Change Agent Reflector

1 day a week for 6 weeks

A slower paced version of the intensive 5-day Change Agent programme. The aims remain the same. It is designed to help you get the most from your technology.

Fit this modular version of the programme into your calendar for 6 weeks.

  1. Thursday 22 February 09:00 to 16:30: Skills to change
  2. Thursday 29 February 09:00 to 13:00: Productivity and communication
  3. Thursday 7 March 09:00 to 13:00: Employee experience, tasks and accessibility
  4. Thursday 14 March 09:00 to 13:00: Apps and automation
  5. Thursday 21 March 09:00 to 13:00: Tech to transform
  6. Thursday 28 March 09:00 to 16:30: Time to change

Change Agent programmes are free and run in collaboration with Microsoft. Your colleagues across local public services (members of Socitm or not) are welcome and encouraged to take part. Got a question about it? Let us know.

Reimagining communities and places

09.30 to 16.30 on Wednesday 28 February in Sheffield

A journey through data, technologies and service design

Our first in-person, member-only conference day of 2024 is dedicated to working with and for our communities. It’s taking place on Wednesday 28 February in Sheffield city centre (about a 6-minute walk from the railway station).

Socitm CEO Nadira Hussain has invited 5 representatives from the Challenge London Poverty Prevention programme to join us. Through their ingenuity, training and own experience their start-ups are offering targeted support (including legal support and debt management) to local communities, organisations and individuals.

National conference days are member-only events.

Training

February’s virtual and in-person programmes

  • Thursday 22 February: Change Agent Reflector [6 weekly modules] | Teams | 0 points
  • Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 February: Top Talent | London | 4 points | CPD-certified
    Accelerate your career by harnessing and honing your leadership skills.

March’s in-person leadership programmes

  • Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 March: Place-Based Leadership | London | 4 points
  • Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 March: Empowering Women | Yorkshire | 3 points | CPD-certified
    Use this opportunity to reflect – and then challenge yourself with real and focused personal growth. It will encourage you to face the things that hold you back.

Training places are included in your organisational membership – subject to availability and membership level. If you have any questions or would like further information, please email the training team.

Events

Member-only meetings

Meet people for catching-up, problem sharing (and solving) and great networking.

Free webinars (from Socitm and our partners)

Missed a webinar? Past recordings are available to watch in the resource hub.

Webinars are open to anyone in the public sector, membership is not necessary, so please do share them with your network.

Come and say hello

  • Wednesday 28 February: HETT North 2024 (Manchester)
    Join Institute Director Sam Smith for a fireside chat with Mark Nicholas from NHS England: what does the future of digital look like in social care?
  • Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 May: DigiGov Expo (London)
    Join Nadira Hussain, Mark Lumley and Sam Smith on day 1

Presidents’ Conference

Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 June in Birmingham

We left Brighton last year reinvigorated. What will you get from Birmingham this year? Reinvigoration in 2024 is still required. Over one and a half days (and one evening) of the serious and celebratory you will be supported and inspired by your Socitm local government colleagues.

Thank you for reading (or scrolling) this far! Just one more thing…

Like Liz+Mollie? You might like their Life Skills: Emotions at Work series on Headspace