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Money is getting tighter for fripperies like communications: local government spending in this area is under attack. Some national politicians have called for local government newsletters to stop entirely. "Despite the popularity of social networking sites and the preference for word-of-mouth communications, council publications such as newspapers and magazines and local media are still very much favoured." The recent Audit Commission report on the cost of council publications and a review of the LGA Council Reputation Campaign lament the lack of sophistication with which councils communicate with citizens. It is true that just throwing money at communications doesn't work: some councils put out five or six times more issues of a magazine than others, to no obvious effect. But overall, those that invest more do tend to have higher satisfaction scores, and the public who feel better informed are more satisfied. Both Labour and the Conservatives talk of making yet more information available online. David Cameron's ‘Information Revolution', revolving around mapping out far more performance data and spending online, will face major challenges. First, while there is some interest in performance information, citizens are most interested in information on services they use, specific to their neighbourhood and which reflect their priorities. Secondly, the public still rely on getting their information about the council from traditional media and information sources. Despite the popularity of social networking sites and the preference for word-of-mouth communications, council publications such as newspapers and magazines and local media are still very much favoured. Only 13% of working class pensioners are online - It will take a generation to scrap print all together. Finally all parties still talk ‘empowerment' – David Cameron recently used a huge slide for a speech headed ‘Power to People'. But our research suggests we need to be realistic about the likely impact of information to empower citizens beyond the small minority of people who are already well informed and engaged in civic life. A cultural shift in the relationship between service users and public services is required. Don't expect dramatic changes in awareness and attitudes in the next five years. Ben Page is chief executive of Ipsos MORI

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WHITEHALL

Soap Box

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