What could you bring to GovCamp Scotland?

20 Aug

It’s fantastic to see GovCamp Scotland back in Edinburgh for its second year since returning last June.

We need more places where people working in and around public services can get together, share what they're learning, talk about the things that are going well, and the things that aren’t, and generally compare notes with people who understand the strange world of trying to make public services work for everyone.

There are loads of people doing interesting and important work across government, charities and community organisations in Scotland. But everyone is busy, and it can be surprisingly easy to spend your time talking to the same people, in the same meetings, about the same things. It's a chance to step outside your usual orbit, connect with people you might not normally cross paths with, and see what new constellations emerge when different perspectives come together.

That's precisely why GovCamp’s unconference format is so refreshing and effective: the people in the room are the ones defining the priorities and shaping the direction of travel. You might arrive thinking you’re here to talk about one particular problem and end up discovering that there are people in completely different parts of the public sector grappling with something remarkably similar.

Which brings me to the question. I think sometimes people wonder when they’re thinking about attending an event like this…”What could I bring to GovCamp?”

First things first…you don't have to work in digital

There's sometimes a perception that GovCamp is mainly for people who work in digital, technology or transformation. And yes, there will be people there who do those things but you absolutely don't need “digital” in your job title to belong at GovCamp.

If you work in government and spend your days trying to deliver services with limited resources, you have something incredibly useful to bring. If you work for a charity or third-sector community organisation, you see first-hand how people experience the services and systems we're trying to improve. That's a vital and invaluable insight.

If you're in policy, commissioning, communications, research, service delivery, community engagement, or one of the many other jobs that make public services happen, you'll have experiences that other people can and will learn from.

Ultimately, you don't need to turn up with a groundbreaking idea…

You don't need a presentation, or to be a subject matter expert. You don't even need to have particularly organised thoughts about whatever it is you've been thinking about!

Instead, you might have a specific problem you're trying to solve, a question you keep coming back to, or something you've tried that worked brilliantly (or even a service or product that absolutely did not work brilliantly).

Or perhaps just a quiet suspicion that other people must be dealing with the same thing across other services and organisations.

The conversations and connections are the point

A lot of the challenges people are dealing with aren't unique to any one organisation.

Considerations include tight budgets, changing technology, accessibility and inclusion, increasing expectations, and trying to make services easier for different users or customers. We are all trying to do more with less and it is easy to forget that everyone is quietly losing ‘the will’ when hearing the dreaded AI buzzword…

No one organisation or team has all the answers to those problems or pain points, but there’s something really useful (and cathartic) about bringing together people into the same room who see those challenges from different angles and perspectives.

Maybe someone from another council has already tried the thing you're considering, or maybe someone working in the third sector has spotted something about a service that isn't obvious from inside the organisation delivering it. Perhaps you've learned something the hard way that could save someone else six months of their life. Or maybe you just need to talk something through and commiserate with people who get it.

You can come along and listen, join a conversation. Put something forward yourself. Talk to someone you've never met before. Disagree with someone politely. Change your mind. Have a good chat over a cup of tea.

And there’s zero expectation that people arrive with all the answers.

So, if you work in government, the third sector, local authority or anywhere else that's trying to make public services better, we’d love to have you in the room.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it:

Bring your questions, bring your experiences, and help us explore new frontiers in public services.

May the conversations be with you!