Social Media in the Public Sector

Wednesday 29th February 2012, Guoman Charing Cross Hotel - London, 09:15 - 15:45

Social Media in the Public Sector: Opportunities and Threats

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Overview

Social media has revolutionised the way in which people communicate and share information – at local, national and international levels. Social media used well can help organisations to better understand, respond to and attract the attention of specific audiences. However, the benefits of social media run deeper than merely improving communications and understanding your customers and clients, it is a route to deeper intelligence.

Furthermore, with the public sector under pressure to make savings, whilst maintaining vital frontline services, social media presents opportunities to generate significant efficiency and productivity gains. Social media is widely regarded as the future for communication. The government, for instance, is committed to designing and delivering all information and transactional services digitally by default. The Open Public Service White Paper, published July 2011, outlined how government engagement and communication with the public will increasingly be digital by default, utilising the power of digital communication and social media to help drive the virtuous circle of digital take-up.

However, despite the benefits social media may bring there is also the fear that social media can be exploited and misused in the workplace. For example, whilst social media helped with the riot clear up and in catching perpetrators, it also was the main tool for coordinating much of the rioting and looting. Social media sites can be widely used to instigate bullying, online abuse and exposure to inappropriate content. A national survey revealed that 72 separate actions were carried out by 16 NHS trusts against staff that inappropriately used social media between 2008-09 and October 2011. This shows that there is still a huge amount to be done to combat serious risks and stay ahead of constant and evolving threats.

Agenda

Delegates at this timely forum will have the opportunity to hear from leading communication officials on how to successfully integrate social media into your strategy, as well as learn how to engage and communicate effectively with your target audience. Delegates will also gain a better understanding of how to harness the potential opportunities and effectively manage the risks with the integration of social media.

09:15	Registration and Coffee
10:00	Chair’s Welcome Address Dave Harte, Senior Lecturer in Media and Communications, Birmingham City University (CONFIRMED)
10:05	Morning Keynote: Utilising the Power of Social Media To Engage and Deliver Services That Meet the Needs of Citizens The role of social media in the shift towards online services Digital by default: utilising the power of digital communications and social media to help drive the virtuous circus of digital take-up Simplification and strengthening of digital government The future outlook of digital public service delivery Paul Melhuish, Digital News Editor, Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (CONFIRMED)
10:25	Using Social Media to Engage With Citizens, Innovate Services and Make Savings The first council to appoint a social media officer – what have been the benefits to date? Making efficiency savings by freeing up traditional communication channels The use of social media in the refuse and recycling department as an example of success in delivering first-rate front-line services whilst making savings at the same time Improving local services through use of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr Working across council departments to make social media an integral part of their strategy Monitoring and responding effectively to community dialogue across social media services Using social media to provide information, but also using the information gathered from social networking sites to inform and shape future strategy Jane Postlethwaite, Social Media Officer, Brighton and Hove City Council (CONFIRMED)
10:45	Case Study: Case Study: Having Social Media Conversations – Improving Information and Communications in Healthcare Conversations online, how do they differ from real life? Engagement online is a sliding scale Patients helping the NHS via social media Formal and informal NHS staff online conversations Engagement online: How to start them How to sustain them How to get the best from them Alex Talbott, Communications Officer, NHS London (CONFIRMED)
11:05	Questions and Answers Session
11:25	Coffee and Networking
11:45	Using Social Media As a Distribution and Engagement Tool Connecting the old with the new: getting the support of your staff and senior leaders in the first instance – getting rid of the fear of social media Developing a social media strategy to engage with your target audience in a networked world Driving more people online Responding to the challenges of social media Best practice The future mechanics of engagement David Thorp, Director of Research and Professional Development, The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CONFIRMED)
12:05	Evaluating the Impact of Your Social Media Strategy Is it possible to accurately gauge the success of social media activity, and how this can be done? Gathering data on public perceptions and feedback Putting in place a clear objective and outcome when evaluating the impact on your brand Determining social media ROI How can you assess how much time to invest on a social media campaign/strategy? Managing and monitoring the impact across social media sites Tara Beard-Knowland, Director, Ipsos MORI (CONFIRMED)
12:25	Questions and Answers Session
12:45	Lunch and Networking
13:45	Preventing the Misuse of Social Media: The Role of Social Media in the Riots Measures in place to prevent the misuse of social media Twitter used to showcase 24hrs worth of 999 calls Over 260,000 views on the forces Flickr stream Use of social media in times of crisis: successes and lessons learned Using social media to gather intelligence and identify offenders Best practice Amanda Coleman, Head of Corporate Communications, Greater Manchester Police (CONFIRMED)
14:05	Managing Social Media Risks: Protecting Your Organisations Reputation and Message Online Integrating social media into your strategy and communications effectively Using new media tools to manage reputation Establishing protocols for social media use Monitoring sites to respond to emerging risks and opportunities Measuring and evaluating the success of social media methods – can you guarantee a return on investment? Effectively responding to negative comments on social networking sites Overcoming the challenges of engaging with users Examples of best practices David Holdstock, Head of Corporate Communications, London Borough of Hillingdon & Chairman, LGcommunications (CONFIRMED)
14:25	Questions and Answers Session
14:45	Coffee and Networking
15:05	Organisational Culture and Management Styles that Foster Effective use of Social Media The need for a paradigm and mindset shift Developing organisational culture for fostering effective use of social media Removing obstacles for more effective use of social media in the public sector What could the public sector organisations learn from the leading edge businesses? Professor Vlatka Hlupic, Professor of Business and Management, Westminster Business School (CONFIRMED)
15:25	Questions and Answers Session & Closing Discussion
15:35	Chair's Summary
15:45	Close

*programme subject to change without notice

Audience

Delegates will include directors of corporate communications, marketing and communications directors, heads of online publishing, heads of digital technology, heads of digital, community engagement managers and will be drawn from central government, local authorities, health sector, criminal justice, academia, community and voluntary groups and the private sector.

Social Media in the Public Sector

Wednesday 29th February 2012, Guoman Charing Cross Hotel - London, 09:15 - 15:45

Social Media in the Public Sector: Opportunities and Threats

Book Now!