A presentation from the London LocalGovCamp on 4 March 2010, pitching a programme of work called Naked Council, where local services are redesigned from a blank sheet of paper without preconceptions.

1. The Democratic Society
The Naked Council

2. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Local government is facing big problems
The post-war welfare state
provided a level of security
and prosperity that was
revolutionary for its time ...
... but it has not been able
to solve problems of deeply
rooted poverty, or act in a
co-ordinated way where
people are multiply deprived.
http://www.demsoc.org

3. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Politicians get that centralism hasn’t worked
Did you just hear a bedpan in Tredegar ?
http://www.demsoc.org

4. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY So localism is today’s big issue
Liverpool Town Hall: John Smith; Whitehall from Horseguards: Wikimedia Commons http://www.demsoc.org

5. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY The Conservatives say they are localists ...
• Local decision-making should be
less constrained by central
government, and also more
accountable to local people.
• [Councils] should work in
partnership with local people,
local business and local voluntary
organisations. They will have the
powers necessary to develop
these partnerships.
• We will encourage democratic
innovations in local government.
Control Shift green paper cover: UK Conservative Party http://www.demsoc.org

6. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY ... but oppose “postcode lotteries”
Source: postcodelottery.co.uk (yes, really) http://www.demsoc.org

7. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY But what is localism for ?
Place shaping ?
?
ra cy
m oc
ca l de
e r lo
o ng
Str
Economic growth ?
More responsive services ?
http://www.demsoc.org

8. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY And what is properly local anyway ?
D R A W Y O U R L I N E S H E R E
http://www.demsoc.org

9. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY What if we started with a blank sheet of paper ?
Local Government Act 1972.pdf
Service Model
Organisation Chart.pdf
Communications Strategy.pdf
http://www.demsoc.org

10. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Proposal : Naked Council
A participative ...
... six-month
programme ...
... to think creatively
about local services ...
http://www.demsoc.org

11. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Proposal : Naked Council
... imagining a place that
has no existing structures
or other baggage ...
... and creating modern
services for the people
who live there.
http://www.demsoc.org

12. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY How it might work
• All-participant events at the start and end of the
programme
• Work streams based around outcomes, designing
creative solutions to people’s needs with no
preconceptions
• Work streams use online tools rather than physical
meetings to widen participation and keep costs low
• All work streams brought together in final event
http://www.demsoc.org

13. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Possible work streams
• School-age child
• Citizen
• Entrepreneur
• Person with learning disabilities
• Old person with limiting illness
• Householder
http://www.demsoc.org

14. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY Staying in touch
• If you want to keep in touch:
• Fill in the form at nakedcouncil.co.uk
• Email team@nakedcouncil.co.uk
• And we’ll add you to the mailing list
http://www.demsoc.org

15. THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY
Presentation by Anthony Zacharzewski
for the Democratic Society, March 2010
with thanks to Dave Briggs, Dominic Campbell and Anna Turley
ajz10@demsoc.org | @anthonyzach
http://www.demsoc.org