Conference Co-Chair: Dan Jellinek, Founder, Headstar

Dan Jellinek is Managing Director and co-founder of Headstar (www.headstar.com), a publishing, research and events company focusing on technology, government and social issues. Dan is a journalist and publisher with more than 15 years' experience in technology and government. In his early career he wrote for The Guardian and BBC Online.

He is Chair of the Sussex Community Internet Project (www.scip.org.uk), a non-profit body helping community groups use IT; and is on the international board of E-Democracy.Org, a charity which aims to improve participation in democracy through the use of information networks. In 2004 Dan was voted among the top 10 individuals and organisations in the world having the greatest impact on the way the Internet is changing politics, at the Fifth World Forum on e-Democracy in Paris.

Conference Co-Chair: Martin Greenwood, Director, Socitm Insight Programme

Martin manages the Socitm Insight programme run by Socitm. Socitm Insight is a subscription service to which around 530 local authorities and other public sector organisations now subscribe. It identifies and promotes good ICT management practice through producing a series of comprehensive and detailed guides on all the major ICT themes (eg service transformation, information management, strategic technology trends and ICT performance), linked to the critical issues of the day (eg development of self-service).

Before helping Socitm set up this service in 1992, Martin's early career involved periods in two local authorities plus one spell in the private sector, before taking on a number of ICT management positions at Warwickshire County Council.

SOCITM

Founded in 1986, Socitm is the professional for ICT strategists and managers within local authorities and other public services. It provides a widely respected forum for the promotion, use and development of ICT best practice. Through the provision of consultancy, reports, benchmarking services, events and training it is playing a leading role in the transformation of local public services facilitated by ICT. It has now up to 2000 members and continues to grow.

One example of its role is the Socitm Insight research programme. Socitm Insight is a subscription service to which over 530 local authorities and other public and private sector organisations now belong. It identifies and encourages good ICT management practice.

Socitm Insight has produced a series of comprehensive and detailed guides on all the major ICT themes linked to the critical issues of the day, which provide valuable advice and support for ICT practitioners. For example, it publishes each year its Better connected report into the state of websites in the local public sector.

Opening plenary: Keynote: Citizens taking charge

Jos Creese, Socitm President, Head of IT, Hampshire CC and member of the Local Public Data Panel

Socitm's President and Member of the national Local Public Data Panel will explore the government's approach towards open data, and how policy is developing. He will focus on progress towards opening up local government data; and where it fits into the national programme of opening up public data.

Opening plenary: Keynote: Citizens taking charge

Jos Creese, Socitm President, Head of IT, Hampshire CC and member of the Local Public Data Panel

Jos Creese is the Head of IT for Hampshire County Council. In addition to running the IT group of technology and business professionals, Jos supports a variety of business change programmes enabled by IT for the County Council. The Council also provides IT services to several hundred other public sector organisations and demands for shared services are growing.

Jos has over 20 years of IT management experience, and has worked for central government, district and unitary councils. He is currently President of Socitm , Chair of the Local Public Service CIO Council and a member of the Government CIO Council.

A regular speaker at conferences, Jos is an advocate for the need for changing approaches to IT leadership to reflect the changing role of IT demanded by private and public sectors alike.

Plenary Panel: Social networking - what's the point?

- Jane Postlethwaite, Social Media Officer, Brighton & Hove City Council
- Dr James Munro, Director of Informatics and Research, Patient Opinion
- Nick Booth, MD, Podnosh and Co-Founder, Helpmeinvestigate.com

Jos has over 20 years of IT management experience, and has worked for central government, district and unitary councils. He is currently President of Socitm , Chair of the Local Public Service CIO Council and a member of the Government CIO Council.

Social networking has taken off exponentially in business and in people's everyday lives. But where does it - and should it - fit into the official work of public sector bodies such as councils and NHS bodies? We hear from three experts on the trends to watch and understand; how public bodies are using social networks right now to communicate with their citizens and service users and take the temperature of public opinion; and where it all might be heading.

Jane Postlethwaite, Social Media Officer, Brighton & Hove City Council

The position of Social Media Officer is the first of its kind for Brighton & Hove City Council and the role began in November 2009. The role involves maintaining the council's social media sites such as Flickr, Youtube, Twitter and Facebook. It also involves training within the council and working within individual departments to see how social media sites could work successfully for them. Through using social media the council aims to have an online voice to contribute and monitor online discussion which can count towards benefiting the city's residents.

In the last 8 months my role of Social Media Officer was shortlisted for the Next generation award at the Reputation Awards 2010 in Leeds.

I have been using social media since 2005 to promote myself and my work in the form of blogs, photography and video.

Dr James Munro, Director of Informatics and Research, Patient Opinion

Dr James Munro is director of research at Patient Opinion, a Sheffield-based social enterprise using the web to enable people to feed back about - and perhaps even change - their local health services anywhere in the UK.

He was lured away from 13 years of health services research at Sheffield University by the bright lights of Web 2.0, and the emerging possibilities for new forms of engagement by citizens in their public services - especially the NHS, which we all want to be as good as it could be.

Nick Booth, MD, Podnosh and Co-Founder, Helpmeinvestigate.com

Nick Booth is the managing director of Podnosh Ltd, a social media business which he started in 2005. Podnosh concentrates on using the web to change the way the public and the public sector talk to each other.

Much of the work is in neighbourhoods, but he also works at a strategic level with public and third sector organisations. Podnosh also works to encourage practical application of open data. He is the originator of the Social Media Surgeries - which connect digitally savvy citizens to community activists and local charities, helping them campaign, collaborate, tell their stories and hold power to account.

Nick is also one of the three co-founders of Help Me Investigate, a website which allows citizens to ask civic questions and collaborate with each other to find the answers.

Before founding Podnosh, Nick was the last Director of Birmingham City Pride and before that a journalist with the BBC.

He is a member of the National Council for Voluntary Organisation's ICT Foresight team, sits on the NCVO advisory council, a Birmingham Common Purpose 'graduate', trustee of the Birmingham Conservation Trust and a governor at Ninestiles school. Nick guest lectures at the Birmingham University Institute of Local Government and Birmingham City University's Online

Workshop A: Web Review Live!
Chair: John Fox, Better Connected Reviewer

This workshop will be an interactive demonstration and discussion of how a review is undertaken for Socitm's annual 'Better connected' snapshot survey of the quality of all UK council websites. Using a set of questions devised to test a part of a selected local authority website, the session aims to illustrate how BC reviewers conduct their review. Website assessments are never an exact science, but by the end of this session you'll hopefully better comprehend how we can make them as robust and fair as possible.

John Fox, Better Connected Reviewer

John Fox has been a member of the Better Connected project team for six years. He has an extensive background in public and private sector website management including Halifax plc, Hampshire County Council, Salford City Council, the Dorset For You Partnership and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar.

Workshop B: Adding NHS health information to council websites
Chair: David McConnell, NHS Choices
Speaker: Dane Wright, IT Strategy & Service Development Manager, London Borough of Brent

Research has found that a surprisingly high number of council website users are actually seeking health and health service information, but how to satisfy that demand?

The health service's own official NHS Choices patient information website can help, offering a wide range of health content free to its council partners. NHS Choices content can give users of your website access to more than 80,000 pages of clear, practical health information and advice, together with a directory of local health services. Come along to this workshop and find out more about the many councils that are already making use of these services.

Dane Wright, IT Strategy & Service Development Manager, London Borough of Brent

Dane Wright has spent most of his career in Information Technology in both private and public sectors.

He has been involved primarily in systems development and information management.

He is responsible for Brent Council's corporate IT strategy and standards, use of web technology and e-Government.

He has been closely involved with development of the Council's Intranet and Internet sites including the e-Government Register of product usage across all UK local authorities.

His work currently includes the development of Brent's IT and Information Strategies, liaison with partner organisations and promoting the innovative use of IT solutions throughout the organisation.

He has recently been involved with development of the tMaps online mapping solution for Brent Council and the West London Alliance group of London boroughs.

Workshop C: Council Websites - The Road to 4 Star Status
Piero Tintori, CEO and founder, TERMINALFOUR & Vicky Lamburn, Web Developer, Worthing Borough Council

The presentation focuses on the journey of a council website - Worthing Borough Council - from a very basic statically managed website to a '4 Star' and SOCITM BC'10 Top 20 rated website.* It'll focus on the realities of building a dynamic, personalised and interactive council website in the face of limited budgets and even more limited resources. A practical how-to guide of the steps involved in developing the website, including the implementation of TERMINALFOUR's Web Content Management (WCM), that'll outline key principles, problems and future considerations for the website.

*SOCITM: Society of Information Technology Management promotes the effective and efficient use of information technology in local Government and the public sector.

Discussion group: Research-led web design at Southwark Council
Chair: Christina Fowler, Jadu

Christina Fowler will lead a discussion on a web design process that is focused on user testing and research, using Southwark Council as a case study. This outlines the importance of wireframing and iterations to Southwark's redesign project and how the design process was improved by listening to users and interpreting what they said, resulting in a site that is more user friendly, that reassures and empowers users. Also with guest chair, Alice Ainsworth of Southwark Council.

Discussion group: Directgov syndication: tales from the local user
Chair: Alasdair Mangham, Head of Information Systems and Development, London Borough of Camden

Directgov has launched its pilot content syndication platform offering local authorities content from the Directgov website. Find out how one local authority has been piloting and testing syndicated Directgov content and discuss how syndicated content could benefit local authorities.

Alasdair Mangham, Head of Information Systems and Development, London Borough of Camden

Alasdair Mangham has worked for London Borough of Camden ICT since October 2000 and is currently Head of Information Systems and Development. He is responsible for the development of E-channels within the London Borough of Camden and a service orientated architecture to underpin the Council's transformation programme.

In addition to leading projects funded by the UK government he has also worked on a number of EU funded projects both in a project management capacity and as an expert. Alasdair took over the role of Senior Responsible Officer when Camden passed ownership of the Local Directgov project in April of 2009.

Discussion group: Best practice in website usability
Chair: Trenton Moss, Managing Director, Webcredible

The fourth annual Local Council Websites' usability report from Webcredible - hot off the press in July - evaluates the top 20 Socitm council websites against 20 best practice usability guidelines Based on our collective experience of usability testing conducted on council websites, we devised 20 essential guidelines that all local councils should adhere to, evaluating each site against these guidelines. Come along and find out who did well, and why, in a session designed to help you understand how to improve your site's usability quickly and effectively.

Discussion group: Can Social Media really help you build a bigger audience and increase reach?
Chair: Jon Hale, Account Director, Government Solutions, GovDelivery

The explosion in popularity of social media means "just" having a website isn't enough anymore. Local Authorities are now expected to connect with their audiences across multiple digital channels. Many have learned that having a presence on Social Media doesn't automatically guarantee an audience. Come and learn how GovDelivery is helping clients to engage with their communities and grow significant audiences for all their digital channels.

Discussion group: Perfect health websites - practical approaches to social marketing
Chair: Giles Thurston, Chief Technical Officer Sitekit Health

Sitekit will be discussing practical ways health care clients have been using social marketing to reach and engage audiences.

Discussion group: Could a 'Social Media' community deliver services to citizens?
Speakers: Ben Morgan, Auros and Neal Perry, EPiServer

• Leverage the power of personalisation
• Provide citizens with the tools to manage their own services
• Allow citizens to be informed and have their say
• Create dynamic and personalized web experiences, creating engaged citizens
• Build strong relationships through online communities
• Optimise search engine results to improve digital visibility

The drive to provide services online to citizens has gathered momentum, but how easy it is to achieve? Is the level of investment worth it? Under what circumstances is it appropriate and what do you need to know before starting to engage citizens in this way? We'll investigate these subjects and arm you with all you need to know to provide your audiences with individualised experiences and the ability to manage their own services.

Discussion group: Web platforms and content management systems: opportunities to exploit developments from the media sector?
Stephen Cave, Director, Abacus e-Media

In addition to working with the public sector, Abacus e-Media is the market leading provider of content management systems to UK business to business publishing companies. These include United Business Media, EMAP, Macmillan and Thomson Reuters. A core theme - particularly at the moment - amongst media owners is how the platform can provide maximum flexibility to allow them to make speedy changes to their websites without incurring development costs. This round table discussion will look at how the public sector can capitalise on and exploit the flexibilities demanded by the media sector, what benefits could be achieved and how these changes can be realised at minimum cost.

Discussion Group: Effective e-Service delivery to your constituents - sweating your e services to maximise operational and area cost savings
Mike Wolfe, former Executive Mayor of Stoke on Trent
Hosted by Sitecore

e-service delivery isn't the panacea to all ills, in a time where Council budgets are being squeezed and targets increased this forum will discuss how to maximise efficiency by using social and geo content to reduce case load and costs. CAA RIP - But what's next? - Meet your obligations by providing real time feedback and opportunities to change, multichannel digital communications driving service standards.

• Writing business case linked to cost saving and objective outputs
• Planning change in these difficult times
• Working with the executive to provide realistic outcomes
• Using digital services as a filter removing extraneous case load from services delivery by means of geo-located personalisation and social networking services.
• Listening to the chatter and preparing for major incidents, brand issues or readiness for events

Discussion group: Putting the Community into the Council
Finlay Carmichael, Managing Director, Activedition

This Activedition lead discussion will explore how local government can fully develop and enrich their websites with content volunteered from the community. In so doing we will explore the opportunities that Web 2.0 content management systems offer and how best in class social media and advanced email marketing solutions, turn information based websites into forward thinking, collaborative, information resources.

Discussion group: Designing usable online forms
Chair: Caroline Jarrett, Founder, Effortmark

Much of the published design advice that we see online focuses on rather trivial forms such as log in, registration, or e-commerce checkout. How much of that really applies to complex forms such as a job application or housing benefit claim?

Come to this discussion group to share tips, experiences, and ideas.

The session will be lead by Caroline Jarrett of Effortmark Ltd, author of "Forms that work: Designing web forms for usability", recommended by Steve Krug, author of usability best-seller "Don't make me think".

Caroline Jarrett, Founder, Effortmark

Caroline Jarrett is a user experience and usability consultant who specialises in making forms easier to fill in.She enjoys working on any type of form or questionnaire and says ÒGovernment forms are my favouritesÓ How often do you hear that?

Her current practice is about one-third forms design, on paper and on the web, and about two-thirds helping clients with content-rich web sites. This may include improving the information architecture, using search logs to examine patterns of usage, teaching editing skills, actually doing the editing of key pages, and user research about how users explore and use large web sites.

Caroline Jarrett is co-author (with Gerry Gaffney) of ÒForms that work: Designing web forms for usabilityÓ. "If your web site includes forms, you need this book. It's that simpleÓ.

Ginny Redish She is also co-author of "User Interface Design and Evaluation" (Morgan Kaufmann, 2005). Caroline holds an MA and MBA, and is a Chartered Engineer.

http://www.formsthatwork.com

Better connected for business: Implementation of the EU Services Directive in the UK in 2010
Chair: Craig Belsham, Head of PSC Delivery, Department for Business, Innovation & Skills
Speaker: Martin Greenwood, Director, Socitm Insight Programme

The new legal requirement to provide businesses with online access to information should reduce the red tape involved when dealing with government for new and existing businesses, whether based in the UK or across the rest of the European Union (EU). This is an excellent opportunity for all competent authorities to review the way in which they deal online with the business sector at a time of severe financial restraint. Those who are positive about engaging online with local businesses and with new businesses thinking of coming to their area will surely stand to benefit from greater economic regeneration than those who stand by the wayside through ignorance, or even worse, incompetence.

How then have local authorities and other competent authorities risen to the challenge of the EU Services Directive?

Discussion group: Approaches to web search
Chair: Ted Carroll, Above The Fold

Search is a prominent feature of all council websites, and is one of the capabilities that is assessed by the Socitm Insight Programme. Search can be a heavily used feature - The National Audit Office report 'Government on the Internet: progress in delivering information and services online' identified that more than 65% of users to Directgov used the search facility.

This session will cover some of the following questions:

• How much is search used on council websites?
• How successful is search at delivering the best content to users?
• What techniques have been employed to improve the quality of search results and the user experience?
• How can search help to reduce costs?

Ted Carroll is a search specialist who has helped organisations, in both the public and private sectors, to exploit search.

Discussion group: Solving pdf accessibility
Chair: Ted Page, PWS

The 'Solving pdf accessibility' discussion group is aimed at content authors and editors but will also appeal to managers and others responsible for accessibility compliance. It will also provide useful guidance to those responsible for procuring annual reports/glossy brochures etc from external designers/typesetters as well as to those needing to produce quick, easy, cheap and accessible forms.

This session will include discussion of many simple techniques that delegates will be able to put to use straight away as well as relating those techniques to compliance with WCAG 2.0.

Ted Page is a director of PWS web editorial services. He is a former BBC web producer and member of the Corporation's web accessibility working group. He now regularly trains BBC departments, public sector bodies, graphic design companies/typesetters, charities and others in accessible PDF production techniques.

Ted Page, PWS

Ted Page is a director of PWS web editorial services. He is a former BBC web producer and member of the Corporation's web accessibility working group. He now regularly trains BBC departments, public sector bodies, graphic design companies/typesetters, charities and others in accessible PDF production techniques.

Discussion group: Using customer feedback to support a shift towards online services
- Vicky Sargent, Marketing consultant, Socitm
- Luke Tagg, Web Manager, NHS North West

Data from the Socitm website takeup service tells us that the web is by far the biggest customer channel, and yet in many public sector bodies it continues to be sidelined or overlooked when it comes to developing and managing the customer strategy. What other explanation could there be for the £0 web budgets still being reported to us by council web managers? This discussion will centre around the role of the web in customer service delivery, and how web customer monitoring and feedback can be used to develop and improve the management of customer enquiries in local government and the NHS.

Vicky Sargent, Marketing consultant, Socitm

Vicky Sargent is a director of communications consultancy boilerhouse.co.uk and the marketing consultant to Socitm, in which capacity she has been much involved in production of the Better connected report, the Website takeup service and the new Customer Access Improvement Service. She is also author of Socitm's 2007 report Better marketed: achieving success with take up of online services, which presented case studies of well used online services delivered by councils and asked why more councils weren't being more successful online. At Boilerhouse she has led or contributed to web development projects for NHS Pensions, NHS Race for Health, Cisco's www.theconnectedrepublic.org, World Monuments Fund Britain and Ruskin College.

Luke Tagg, Web Manager, NHS North West

I have worked in the public sector managing websites for over 5 years and in February 2010 I took up the role of Web Manager for the NHS North West Strategic Health Authority based in Manchester. In addition to managing our own websites, I also encourage opportunities to share good practice across the NHS North West so that there is a common approach to web service deliver. There is great potential to encourage NHS service users to channel shift so that an organisation's website becomes central to how information is delivered to them and offers greater interaction opportunities. I'm looking forward to discussing more on the day.

Workshop D: "Mobilising" your council website
Speaker: David Mann, Innovate Team, Directgov

Soon, more people will access the web from a mobile than from a PC and as the mobile web grows, user expectations become more sophisticated. Mobile does not mean miniature. This workshop will explain how to improve and optimise your site for the mobile internet.

Workshop E: Open Data - what's the point?
Chair: Keiron Mumby, Account Manager, Jadu
Speakers: Sally Kerr, Web Manager from Edinburgh City Council
Stuart Harrison, Web Manager, Lichfield District Council

Open Data is strongly represented by Central Government, with the new Public Sector Transparency Board advocating transparency for local government spending, contracts and tenders - but Open Data means much more to a wide range of sectors - sharing and creating data as well as offering transparency.

This workshop will discuss a variety of projects and ideas - crowdsourcing data, sharing data and open knowledge - and explore their viability for the future of the web.

Sally Kerr, Web Manager from Edinburgh City Council

Over 10 years experience of web management for the Council (and 15 managing electronic information), currently corporate responsibility for the management and development of the Council's Internet and Intranet sites, and strategical web management and development for Council web estate. Implemented Council working with Web 2.0 platforms, building a community of staff providing expert advice.

Currently working on delivery of our new cms (Jadu), with Corporate websites, micro-sites and associated developments. Already implemented new Web Governance structure and plan, approach to content and navigation for publishing, and delivering transformational change for the Council to improve use of web for online service delivery.

Workshop F: How significant a role does digital communication play in reducing avoidable contact?
Chair: Dave Worsell, Director, Government Solutions, GovDelivery

We all know that digital communication has a part to play in reducing avoidable contact, but, just how important is it and how much money can you really save? Come and find out how a rapidly growing number of local authorities are successfully using the most effective digital communications channels to reach their communities and deliver genuine costs savings.

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Discussion group: Open data: what it means for your council
Chair: Alasdair Mangham, Head of Information Systems and Development, London Borough of Camden

From September of this year, all local authorities are expected to publish all expenditure over £500 on their website. Find out what this means for your council and the issues one council overcame to make data available and accessible online.

Discussion group: Perfect health websites - using digital technology to address strategic objectives
Chair: Daniel Moulin, Marketing Director, Sitekit

Sitekit will be discussing how healthcare organisations can harness the web as a cost effective solution to address strategic challenges and reduce costs.

Discussion group: Social media monitoring: what are people saying about your services?
Stuart Castle, Partner Development Manager, Alterian
Tim Chalklen, Managing Director, Unified Solutions
Peter Jones, Managing Director, J2 Interactive

The days when public sector organisations delivered services and served up information about them to the public with no accountability are long gone. The next ten years will see significant budget reductions whilst striving to maintain efficient levels of citizen engagement. Through this workshop, we aim to uncover how social media monitoring can provide the tools and the strategies for listening to your "customers" and local business owners, acting on their conversations and engaging with them fully, changing the relationship and the traditional channels you use to communicate.

Discussion group: What is the best way to deliver true customer Self-service through council websites?
Chair: Robert Hinde, Customer First Manager, Corby Borough Council
Hosted by Firmstep

Having just launched their cloud-based customer self-service site, Corby Borough Council will discuss the best way to incorporate a self-service front-end with the right back-office customer service management tools to deliver an integrated customer experience and reduce their overheads.

Discussion group: The perfect A-Z index
Chair: Aideen Flynn, Better Connected Reviewer

What can an A to Z of services do for your site? Is it poorly used or is it central to how people navigate your site? Do you use it for managing information? Do your customer services staff use it to direct people to top online tasks? Does it link into key tasks and transactions? How can AZ"s be more usable?

Join this discussion to share tips and good practice that will improve your website"s AZ.

Aideen Flynn, Better Connected Reviewer

I've been a member of the Socitm Better Connected team for 6 years and have worked in various web related roles at 3 London local authorities (web strategy, web writing, comms etc). Before that I worked for a NHS GP practice in north London, managing IT and investigating how we could make the most of the newly evolving internet.

I'm really interested in applying task management strategies to websites and spend a lot of my free time looking at government and health websites - sad but true! I also co-moderate the Web Improvement and Usage Community forum with Socitm colleagues Helen Williams and Vicky Sargent at www.communities.idea.gov.uk/c/1212756/home.do

Discussion group: Writing for the web - setting priorities
Chair: Malcolm Davison, Writingfortheweb.co.uk

Public sector cost cutting is resulting in a greater expectation that websites must be more effective, so they will take the pressure off front line staff. Assuming you have a well structured website, writing good, clear, relevant content now has to be the number one priority. Does your organisation need to rethink the style and language that it uses to motivate, inform and respond to its audiences?

Malcolm - who has trained staff from over 30 councils and health sector bodies - will be giving some examples of leading websites that have been turned around. He will be wanting to hear from others attending so that we can all share some practical tips.

The session will close with some useful ideas and guidelines that you can apply to your own website.

Malcolm Davison, Writingfortheweb.co.uk

Malcolm Davison is the managing director of training company 'Writing for the web' and European director of 'IndustryMailout' which provides email distribution services. At this event he is promoting, in association with Headstar, a cost effective web writing elearning course that's being adopted by public authorities. Malcolm is also running a 'writing for the web' workshop at the event.

Over the last 11 years Malcolm has run web writing courses for 34 local councils, of these, 31 have gone on to earn a Plain English Campaign Crystal Mark. The company has over 500 clients many are public authorities, some of which are NHS related. In these times of Government cutbacks, he believes that better web communication can lead to greater efficiencies by cutting enquiries to frontline staff.

Discussion Group: Redesigning your website: if I were you I wouldn't be starting from here
Martha Moroney, Head of Knowledge Management, Hertfordshire County Council
Hosted by Sitecore

• Can we afford to do this now?
• DIY or get someone in?
• User centred design is all very well, but which users to centre on?
• Do you need different content for different platforms?
• Does opening up data conflict with simplifying the user experience?
• Form v function?
• Do you get social?

Martha Moroney, Head of Knowledge Management, Hertfordshire County Council

Martha has over twenty years experience in local government, during which time she has overseen the design and redesign of the Hertfordshire's internet site three times, together with similar developments on the intranet site. She designed and delivered the information system which served the launch of the council's customer service centre and has worked with partner organisations on information sharing and web based projects. Martha has implemented a digital television service for Hertfordshire.

Nationally, Martha has worked on the Home and Community Franchise Board for Directgov and on the Steering Group for Local Directgov. She has also served on the Project Board for Free School Meals, part of the national programme for educational services, Connect Digitally.

Discussion group: Perfect helth websites - case study (Acute care trust)
Chair: Valerie Cooper, Web manager, Luton and Dunstable Hospital Foundation Trust

In this session we look at the role of an Acute Trust Website for a Foundation Trust Hospital. We will consider identifying our audience(s), how we want to engage with them, what depth and width of information to provide and how to encourage engagement with the viewer.

Areas for consideration are: - information that we must make available (FOI, Policies etc), information that we want to make available, attractive ways of presenting information and of encouraging the reader to stay on the site. Making the visitor feel engaged and comfortable is essential and this can be achieved by ensuring the site is easy to navigate and keeping the site fresh, interesting and relevant.

As a Foundation Trust hospital, we also have Governors and a membership with which we need to engage on an ongoing basis. Recruitment and retention of members is important, but ongoing engagement via events and an on-line forum and this session will look at potential ways to achieve this.

Valerie Cooper, Web manager, Luton and Dunstable Hospital Foundation Trust

I have worked in the field of marketing and sales support communication for over 35 years in the private sector. Over the past 15 years a key focus has been to move communications on-line wherever possible and relevant.

In 2008 I joined the NHS with Luton & Dunstable Hospital NHSFT as the Web Manager, where I look after the Public site and Intranet, but also the Trust"s section on the main NHS Choices website.

Discussion group: Driving down total cost of ownership: the regional partnership approach
Speakers: Peter Barton, Head of Web & Information Governance, Lincolnshire County Council & Stephen Cave, Director, Abacus e-Media

Lincolnshire County Council is working with Abacus e-Media on an innovative project which will make the functionality of the Council"s main website available to its partners - at greatly reduced cost. The Council"s partners will be able to benefit from powerful, flexible web sites which would normally be completely out of the reach of these smaller organisations. This round table discussion, led by Peter Barton who is the driving force behind the project, will look at the issues involved, the hurdles to be overcome and the benefits which can be realised by all parties. Abacus e-Media will discuss the architecture of the solution which is not only capable of driving multiple sites - as required by Lincolnshire - but which can also deliver individually-branded sites for its partners.

Closing Plenary: The future of public sector websites
Dr Habin Lee, Senior Lecturer, Brunel Business School, Brunel University
Hugh Flouch, Founder, Networked Neighbourhoods
third panellist tbc

In our closing session, we look at the key trends to watch in the next few years: how are public sector web services going to develop, and what are the rising technologies and ways of managing sites which all web teams should be aware of now? Our expert speakers will cover issues such as mobile web services, and community web information, offering tips and hints on how to stay on top of the curve.

Hugh Flouch, Founder, Networked Neighbourhoods

Hugh is the founder of Networked Neighbourhoods, an organisation using technology-based approaches to work with communities and organisations to strengthen neighbourhoods and create opportunities for the more efficient delivery of public services. Within the scope of this project he established the double-award winning Harringay Online, one of the UK's most successful citizen-led online neighbourhood networks.

From November 2009, Hugh has been leading a research programme for London Councils to understand the true impacts of citizen-led local websites and their implications for local authorities. In June 2010, work started on a project with the DCLG & the London Borough of Haringey using social media to support older people in their neighbourhoods.

Previously Hugh built up 20 years' experience of consulting to organisations around leadership, selection, communication and organisational culture. Working both in the UK and internationally, Hugh's clients included a wide range of organisations in both public and private sectors. Between 1995 & 2006, Hugh was Managing Director of the UK operations for two global consulting firms.