Building strong networks with key stakeholders

Our content colleagues in other government departments felt that GDS didn't consult enough with them. This meant they found out about developments too late to influence them.

 

We needed to find a better way to engage with the wider content community.

 

What I did

I decided to renew 2 key networks that had been paused:

• One network was for heads of content (the people who are in charge of entire content teams in government departments).

• The other network was for managing editors (people who are permissioned to publish on GOV.UK and oversee the work of other publishers in their departments)

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To ensure that these meetings would be good use of time for busy people, I:

• surveyed potential members, recruited volunteer facilitators and set up a schedule of online meetings, which I chaired.

• developed agendas that directly referenced our survey findings - our survey respondees said that they wanted to learn from other people doing what they do, and share their experiences. So I organised targeted meetings and invited the members to give presentations on their successes - and failures

• ensured that each meeting had speakers and opportunities to get to know each other

• kept the meetings short and ran to schedule

 

The results

• GDS was able to use these networks to contact key staff across the government to consult on changes and improvements to GOV.UK.

• We received good feedback from our attendees.