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Testimonials

We have built up a great relationship with Socitm over almost 20 years and have been more than satisfied with the benchmarking service.

We find that benchmarking data is there to support us in our efforts to improve our service delivery. We have found that you shouldn’t be too hung-up on your results versus other organisations. What you need to focus on is identifying the gaps in your performance, then use that to focus internally on improving in those areas.

John McVey, Argyll & Bute Council

I had a great experience attending the conference. The speakers were insightful and forward-thinking, particularly around AI, accessibility, and the evolving workforce. It was also a valuable opportunity to network with professionals from across the sector and share perspectives on how we can better engage and support the future workforce. Overall, the conference highlighted both the challenges and exciting opportunities ahead for local government.

Elizabeth Arnott, IT Senior Officer, Kirklees Council

I really enjoyed the two cyber security presentations from the Top Talent teams last week - as you know this is a subject I'm passionate about - both teams covered all the bases, and delivered their content in an interesting and engaging way. I hope all the presenters are pleased with how they dealt with the challenge of presenting at the President's Conference.

Sarah Davis-Solan, Senior Information Architect, Enterprise Architecture | ICT | Wiltshire Council

Thank you for the time and effort spent over the 4 days. You were a brilliant host and the learning was invaluable. The speed of the course, the content, the way you delivered it, I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects and have recommended it to my colleagues.

Michael Leathart, Senior ICT Analyst, Newcastle City Council

We consistently use the Socitm digital trends collection to shape and enhance our strategies and business cases. They play a pivotal role in our discussions with senior leaders regarding local plans in relation to ICT and digital and the developments for our place. The insights provided by these trends are invaluable, offering strong reference points to ensure we adopt best practices and critically assess our approaches

Helen Gelder, Head of ICT and Digital, North East Lincolnshire Council

"I’ve been appointed co-chair of the Microsoft Local Government Collaboration Group for Digital Accessibility, alongside Jodi Ezekie (Digital Accessibility Lead at Kent County Council). I’m really excited about this… it’s a great opportunity for me and for Kirklees Council. My appointment has come about as a direct result of being a Socitm alumnus. I chose to be mentored, and Jodi became my mentor. 18 months on and we’re much more aligned as accessibility partners, with Jodi putting me forward for the role. So, a big thank you to Socitm…"

Graeme Murrell, IT Principal Officer, Digital Services, Kirklees Council

“The Socitm AI policy served as a crucial starting point for us. Without it, we would have been starting from scratch. We adapted and aligned it with our existing governance processes and policies... It not only helped us build a robust framework but also enabled us to tailor it to our specific needs. This understanding was crucial in advancing our AI initiatives.”

Kevin Woodcock, ICT Strategic Solutions and Systems Manager, East Riding Council

"Socitm does a great job acting as the glue bringing together public sector colleagues who are often all facing the same challenges and opportunities in terms of innovation, transformation and modernisation. Socitm membership, especially their local and national events offer a safe place for colleagues to have open and helpful discussions and providing networking opportunities and forums to do this - to encourage cross-service support and also to introduce suppliers who have a proven track record in the market."

Carol Williams, Director of transformation and digital - Walsall Council

"As a researcher in digital trends and technology deployment across the public sector, I know how hard it is to find practical and targeted material that really resonates with the sector. Socitm is unique in providing such insight and analysis, valuable to suppliers, advisers and public sector leaders alike. Written for, and by practitioners, it is real, deep and independent thought leadership."

Jos Creese, FBCS, FSTIM, Independent Digital Advisor - CREESE CONSULTING LIMITED (CCL)

"Denbighshire County Council have undertaken the Socitm benchmarking exercise for a number of years. It has been invaluable to us as we are able to analyse our annual results and compare them year on year. This allows us to look for trends enabling us to see what we are doing well and to investigate any areas which may need addressing."

Denbighshire County Council

"Canon UK has had a very successful 15 year, strategic relationship with Socitm as a partner. This partnership is a key enabler in supporting our business objectives of winning new business within the public sector and developing strong relationships with digital leaders and decision makers for IT services.”

David Crichton, Sector Director - Canon UK

Socitm works hard to make it a supported experience. We had regular online meetings to ask questions about how to interpret the guidance on establishing the right data and trying to make sure we were being consistent.

The value we got from [Benchmarking] was derived from us taking not only the benchmarking service but also the customer survey service in parallel. Bringing those two datasets together gave us the strategic insight that operational services were good but the support for transformation was less good. We would not have got that from just doing benchmarking on its own.

James Ailward, Dorset Council

I really enjoyed the Presidents Conference. The speakers were excellent and the overall event was very well organised. The opportunity to network with both councils and third sector partners was particularly valuable. I came away feeling genuinely enthused and energised, with a clear drive to push forward with the use of AI across my organisation.

Rhys Roberts, Strategic Programme Manager, Walsall Council

Socitm are great to work with - their people are knowledgeable, dedicated and passionate. They connect GCA with our local government colleagues, provide us with opportunities to work collaboratively with the sector and help us to deliver on our mission of providing "Value for the Nation".

Eddie Gibson, National Strategic Account Manager, Crown Commercial Service

I am mostly thankful to you and Socitm for introducing me into the world of cyber security. Prior to me attending Top Talent last year, I did not know much about cyber security until the day of the course. However, the few days before we did our presentation on cyber security, as I was going over our slides and all we have learnt on the course, everything seems to have clicked and I was able to deliver my presentation better than I thought.

When I got back to the office, I shared what we did with my Head of Service and he was amazed that we were able to cover so much in such a short time, and as I have now taken interest in cyber security, I have now been asked to work and assist on CAF submission (Cyber Assessment Framework) for the council.

Monica Simire, Applications Support Lead, Brent Council

"...Socitm’s Top Talent really shaped the way I think about leadership. While other courses, like my MBA in Digital, were valuable, Top Talent gave me something different. It connected me with peers in my sector who were dealing with the same challenges, and that was unique…..The learning style was refreshing and collaborative, rather than the usual corporate style; I really valued that. The relationships I built during the course have lasted – I’m still in touch with colleagues and we continue to share experiences and ideas."

Ben Marston, Director of ICT and Digital Innovation, Sheffield City Council

"Thank you so much for sending [Public Sector Digital Trends 2025] through, this is a really timely publication. It speaks very much to our data-driven/AI-enabled pillar supporting our missions for Progress with Unity... As we embark on our own journey through the Cyber Assessment Framework we recognise the growing importance of cyber threats and cyber resilience as a key risk area...these are really exciting times and the 10 questions posed in the report... help to focus minds and energy."

Alison McKenzie-Folan OBE, Chief Executive, Wigan Council

“The only public sector partnership I will maintain through thick or thin. They continue to open doors otherwise closed to our Microsoft experts.”

Michael Lonnon, Industry Marketing Lead - HSO

"Membership's been hugely valuable for us – providing essential sector insights, direct connections with private sector partners to help identify and assess solutions, an effective national and international network of colleagues and thought leaders to help discuss, share and evaluate issues and opportunities, and help shape policy. It's also got a much respected L&D programme to support teams and individuals grow. I'm particularly encouraged by the approach to coaching and mentoring, which supports our staff to develop to ‘be the best they can’, and help to become the leaders for tomorrow. All in all, an unrivalled package of services and products that represents fantastic value for money."

Kevin Taylor, Senior IT Manager, Suffolk County Council

"Benchmarking helps us to understand where others are better, and therefore have successful ways of addressing the challenges we have.  We can then look to standardize and share with them."

Anonymous benchmarking service user

"Just a very brief note to say how much our team are enjoying working with you, and to thank you all for your sterling efforts in producing and distributing a fabulous joint communique. We rarely have the opportunity to work with such a professional cadre of people such as the like of you; it has been both refreshing and inspiring for us to experience. We are very grateful for your efforts to date."

Dan Turner, Deep Secure

I think it is important to have independent reviews of your IT services so that you can assess the environment and service provision, see if there are any areas where you are not performing well and could improve and find where you need to focus your attention. We have had many years with challenging financial positions, meaning our senior managers want to know we are running cost-effective services. This kind of benchmarking assessment really helps put into context what you are doing, how much you are spending and what the impact is in terms of service delivery and performance.

The fact that it is independent means your senior managers can be sure that they are getting the facts and repeating the assessments over periods of time means that when you put in improvement plans you can see what the trends are.

Sandra Taylor, Worcestershire County Council

The Empowering Woman cohort were incredibly impressive at the conference last week.

Their presentations, on two different areas of digital inclusion, were just incredibly good. Both are emotive subjects, and ones which resonate with me - the presenters held the room's attention and left me thinking about what change I can make. It will be great to see the outcome when their ideas developed into deliverables.

I was able to congratulate both teams at the conference, but wanted to pass my feedback on to you.

Sarah Davis-Solan, Senior Information Architect, Enterprise Architecture | ICT | Wiltshire Council

Working with Socitm on the independent evaluation of MHCLG’s Local Digital Programme was a brilliant experience. Socitm bring deep networks in the local government sector, and a nuanced, on-the-ground understanding of how technology is changing local councils. This was invaluable as we sought to understand the impact of central government funding on local government technology development.

Socitm supported us to design and roll out the largest ever survey of local council digital maturity, and provided expert input throughout the evaluation.

Socitm’s programme of events and roundtable sessions also provided useful opportunities to articulate and test key conclusions from the research, which we used at multiple milestones throughout the project.

Johnny Hugill, Co-Managing Director, PUBLIC

I recently had the pleasure of attending the Midlands Socitm meeting in person this November, and I was immediately struck by the energy in the room. It was packed with representatives from local authorities and other public sector organisations, all eager to engage. The presentations were insightful, featuring updates from central government departments on key initiatives and plans, alongside discussions on cross-cutting data management projects - a topic that resonates deeply with so many of us.

We also received updates on Socitm’s ongoing workstreams, such as leadership development and initiatives to empower women in the sector. The day flew by in what felt like the blink of an eye! I’m thrilled that we’ve renewed our commitment to the network and can’t wait to contribute - not only within the region but also on a national scale.

Eman Al-Hillawi, CEO, Entec Si

"I thought [How to Be an Effective Coach] was very good and really made me think about my style of work and my desire to fix everything! I've incorporated many of the techniques into my one-to-ones with my direct reports to facilitate their learning and development, and received good feedback on the approach to date. Due to the nature of our work there are still instances where we have to leap in and just get stuff done, so its all about balance really."

Helen Spreadbury, Senior Manager ICT and Digital at Sefton Council

"We’re looking to use the Socitm [generative AI usage] policy which is absolutely perfect for a starting policy. Why reinvent the wheel?”

Tracy Ledwidge, ICT Operational Delivery Manager, Coventry City Council

"Partnering with Socitm has been invaluable for Centerprise International. Through their extensive network, we’ve been able to connect with key local public service professionals, gaining insights and forming meaningful relationships."

"Socitm’s events and meetings provide the perfect platform to engage with forward-thinking leaders dedicated to modernising public services. This partnership has allowed us to collaborate directly with those on the front lines of public service transformation, driving real change and innovation."

Mike Thomas, Marketing Director - Centerprise International Ltd

"Socitm has changed my life! It really has, for me and the people around me. Through the Top Talent course I realised I was listening to my own self-doubts and self-learnt untruths. Now I am doing things I would never have dreamed of a few years ago."

Kurt Frary, CTO, Norfolk County Council

"We use benchmarking to provide an evidence based approach to justify service improvement and value.  It helps us to defend against budget cuts and support business cases"

Anonymous benchmarking service user

"The support Microsoft receives from the team at the head office is really fantastic.

Not only are they incredibly proactive when responding to enquiries, but they also work really hard to ensure we are getting the most out of our investment in a partnership."

Faith la Grange - Microsoft