Coordination, Leadership and Execution

A central strategy and vision is paramount to encourage and facilitate the deployment of telecoms networks to help boost economic growth, digital inclusion and deliver a range of societal benefits including the more effective provision of local public services. It can be used by senior officials and politicians to empower teams, secure buy-in from public and private stakeholders, and keep projects on track. This could be part of a wider digital strategy, such as that created by Sunderland, Perth & Kinross and Glasgow, or a local industry strategy or standalone document, such as that created by Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, and Essex & Hertfordshire Digital Innovation Zone.

The government’s Digital Infrastructure Portal outlines potential components of a digital infrastructure strategy and the objectives of Sunderland's Smart City Vision workshop can be a useful starting point for others.

A political lead, executive sponsor (CEO or Deputy CEO of a Council), and a senior level Digital Lead, who is specifically tasked and empowered to deliver the digital agenda, is key and can actively drive the initiative forward, supporting and empowering teams, maintaining momentum and helping overcome obstacles. This might mean recruiting profiles or establishing teams unlike those currently within the council structure.  Sunderland has consciously hired a senior digital team and their digital lead job description can provide a useful template for other local authorities. 

Essex & Herts Digital Innovation Zone identifies senior elected members and officers that “get digital” as one of their critical success factors, enabling leadership to operate as effective problem solvers. The Scottish Futures Trust also recognises political and senior executive understanding and commitment as vital, but critically, that this needs to flow to the operational levels.

In Glasgow this has meant developing a dedicated Telecoms unit, that works with the industry in a way not previously done to facilitate telecoms and digital infrastructure work in the city. While in London the GLA has funded the appointment of officers in the sub-regions to support the digital connectivity programme. WM5G also advocates having dedicated staff who are tasked to deliver digital connectivity within their day job, to create the capacity and expertise required.

These may open up new opportunities for securing inward investment in places which individually may not be attractive investment locations for industry. The Tay Cities digital partnership, comprising Angus, Dundee, Fife and Perth & Kinross, has used Dundee for a 5G trial and testbed for use cases that they hope to subsequently roll out across the region.

This has given the individual councils the confidence to think about projects and use cases, they may not have otherwise considered. While the Essex & Herts Digital Innovation Zone (DIZ) was created out of a recognition that in places like theirs (not single cities or large towns and logically span numerous organisational boundaries), individual local authorities may struggle to secure inward investment.

The DIZ includes Broxbourne Borough Council, East Herts District Council, Epping Forest District Council, Harlow Council, and Uttlesford District Council as well as social care, local acute care and strategic health providers. Each organisation is represented on a central Board with educational establishments, charities and private sector partners. They have collectively created a local digital strategy and combined assets suitable for digital infrastructure, enabling the development and application of a genuinely place-based approach to digital delivery. 

In Oxfordshire, a county that spans both urban and rural areas and two tiers of Local Authorities, a joint plan was developed, underpinned by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This details how relevant stakeholders across the County will collaborate, how a Digital Infrastructure Strategy and Delivery plan will be developed and approved, and has been the foundation for the current Digital Infrastructure Partnership, providing the leadership and governance platform to deliver.

The Connecting Cambridgeshire Partnership is overseen by a cross authority programme board and has also reportedly made governance and delivery of various digital connectivity programmes far easier. Such models, which have also been adopted by the West London Alliance, Essex & Herts District Innovation Zone, Tay Cities Partnerships and WM5G, could easily be replicated by other areas with multiple administrative structures in play.  

While in Scotland, the Infralink programme provides a facilitation vehicle where public bodies, mobile network operators and communities can come together to establish a national approach to addressing connectivity.

Governance that spans all partners is critical for successful coordination, especially over large-scale deployments and should continue beyond go-live to ensure value is fully realised. With clear vision established from the top and supported by a political lead, a dedicated digital or digital infrastructure board can help to overcome challenges and ensure visions are realised. 

The terms of reference for the Glasgow Digital Board can provide a useful starting point for other local authorities or LEPs. A successful model is a dedicated board to set strategy and direction, supported by a leadership team focused on delivering outcomes.

Teams and directorates may need to be amended and adapted to break down silos; many local authorities we spoke with recognised the need for cross-departmental working to fully realise a digital strategy. The Scottish Futures Trust is working actively with local authorities across Scotland to create policy to bring planning, asset management, economic development and digital strategies - and the teams that deliver them - together to develop sustainable solutions.

In Dorset, they have also identified that having comms teams involved from the start can have a notable impact.  Significantly, engaging other departments not only eases deployment, but also ensures clear outcomes are embedded into projects from the start.  Such an approach has been adopted in Liverpool, where their 5G Create project was led from within Adult Social Services, and Milton Keynes where their 5G project was led from within Transport.  Such unconventional models bring lived experience and real knowledge of the issues and problems that connectivity can help solve. 

The appointment of Digital Evangelists within local authorities, LEPs and Growth Hubs can help to increase digital knowledge, overcome barriers and facilitate effective engagement with mobile network operators. Oxfordshire and Sunderland have successfully made use of Digital Evangelists who have tended to be from the broader community, such as the Head teacher of a primary school or a prominent local industry body (for instance in Sunderland, this has been the CEO of the North East Automotive Alliance).

Government supports this approach, suggesting digital infrastructure coordinators can also play an important “account manager” role working with internal stakeholders and industry. The Digital Infrastructure Portal outlines the potential roles and responsibilities each of these positions can hold.

BSI has published PAS 180 - covering smart city terminology - and 1811:2014 - a smart city framework designed to act as a guide for establishing strategies for smart cities and communities. It covers numerous elements, including a good practice framework for city leaders to develop, agree and deliver smart city strategies that can help transform their city’s ability to meet its future challenges and deliver its future aspirations.

The PAS was developed with inputs from a number of organisations including Royal Borough of Greenwich, Leeds City Council, Birmingham City Council and Peterborough City Council.  Additionally, PAS 182 / ISO/IEC 30182, PAS 183 and PAS 185 cover smart city data concept models, a guide to establishing a framework around sharing data, and a specification for establishing and implementing a security-minded approach respectively.

As part of the Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Accelerator programme two PAS' for smart lamp posts were developed by BSI:

- PAS 190 provides a design specification to help local authorities understand what smart lighting columns are needed to support their long-term community plan;

- PAS 191 supports decision making on whether existing lighting columns are suitable to be connected, and / or potentially upgraded with modifications, to accommodate advanced technologies.

Local Authorities need to understand the detail of the Electronic Telecommunications code and its applicability to their assets and any premises. The Digital Connectivity Portal, produced by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology provides an overview of the current legislative and regulatory environment around the deployment of digital infrastructure, including the Electronics Communications Code. 

WM5G also works collaboratively with local authorities and mobile network operators to facilitate new Code agreements and resolve issues.  They utilise a common framework and approach to reach a standardised Code agreement based on the template pioneered by the Greater London Authority. Through this work, installation of 5G sites is accelerated by at least six months.

Local planning authorities play an important role in working with mobile network operators and supporting the deployment of digital infrastructure. The Digital Connectivity Portal provides guidance on how planning teams can facilitate early engagement and pre-application consultations, as well as coordinate with highways departments.

In Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority more than 50 percent of the planning applications were failing to be approved, and Estates teams were wary about working with commercial operators. Recognising the need for greater collaboration, the Connecting Cambridgeshire Partnership is hoping to recruit a Telecoms Planning Specialist.

West Midlands 5G has actively defined working practices and facilitated more meaningful communication between MNOs and planning departments, including in Worcestershire, resulting in speedier roll-outs. Similar programmes have also been run in Belfast and the Tay Cities. Approaches such as pre-consultation activities can help transform misunderstanding and conflict into collaboration and resolution. Glasgow City Council has also been extremely proactive in this area; extensive planning advice and guidance ensures they present themselves as open and accommodating to those looking to invest in the city.

When buying or operating connected places technologies, you need to adhere to certain principles. Data security and privacy is a key concern of many citizens, so being able to clearly articulate your processes and procedures can help reassure your community and overcome concerns. The Secure Connected Places guidance collection brings together key government guidance on the security of connected places. It can help guide security decisions and processes on the design, implementation and management of your connected place.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has also developed a set of principles for local and national authorities to help ensure the security of a connected place and its underlying infrastructure, so that it is both more resilient to a cyber attack and easier to manage. The Connected Places Catapult is working with the government to build on this guidance and this podcast is a valuable listen. More broadly the NCSC’ guide for the public sector may also prove a valuable resource.

Consider how you can build skills capacity and capability in your local workforce to ensure the benefits of advanced connectivity can be fully realised. 

A number of government initiatives and programmes can help, from the National Skills Fund (which helps adults train and gain the skills they need to improve their job prospects and support the economy) to Local Digital Skills Partnerships (designed to improve digital capability across the whole skills spectrum from basic digital literacy to advanced skills required for specialist roles).

The West England Combined Authority promotes and works with these initiatives in their work with Further Education colleges, while the West London Alliance makes a clear link between connectivity, education and employment opportunities.