Coventry launches 'Jam' online dialogue

Chief executive Martin Reeves said that the exercise, named CovJam and carried out with the support IBM, is the first of its type for a city. "It's been used in the White House and by big corporations, but not in a city with its partners as we are doing," he said. It was launched on the morning of 29 June 2010 with plans to run it for three days, with facilitators available from 8.00am to 8.00pm, although it will remain open between sessions for comments from the public. Speaking to GC News in the early afternoon of the first day, Reeves said that about 800 people were logged in and that about four times that number had registered to take part. "We are using technology and online consultation to do two main things: get an idea about how we develop the city in the future and how we work together; and how stakeholders can get on and do it. It's about how we can collaborate," he said. The council is making use of consultation hosting service, on a protected platform behind a firewall, run by IBM from Washington. It is providing a team of more than 20 facilitators from a range of public sector bodies to respond to ideas and comments raised by members of the public. The facilitators are taking part at staggered times, but Reeves said they will be able to cover the points made by the public. "It's not just about the numbers taking part but about the quality of the input," he said. "This is a choice example of how quite an advanced technology and the stakeholders with us can enable a city like Coventry to do something like this at a low cost, and do it at a time when everyone's face is on negative stuff like cost reduction," he said. "This is an innovative solution to how we can get through this together." Efforts have been made to discourage anyone in the commercial sector from using the exercise as a sales pitch. Its rules tell people not to contribute any confidential information or ideas or to discuss any pricing, contract terms or outputs. IBM is also providing a data mining service to produce an early report on the jam's proceedings. Patrick Smith, a client executive from its local government operation, said this enables it to link up the contributions on various subjects and provide an analysis of the discussions. It uses the Cobra system to recognise key phrases and enables the analysts to drill down into the full comments. They can then compile an analysis of the responses. Smith said this can be done at the end of every day of the exercise, although the team will go right through the dialogue to produce a more detailed report, which is expected within a few weeks. Reeves said it will be published, with nothing attributed to individuals.