The London Office of Technology and Innovation (LOTI) has won a positive evaluation on its performance in helping councils develop new digital and data solutions since it was set up in 2019.
The Greater London Authority (GLA) has published a detailed review, carried out by its City Intelligence team, saying the team has improved digital collaboration across the capital, been valued by its member boroughs and has provided value for money.
LOTI operates as a membership organisation for London boroughs, with 27 now taking part, and receives further financial support from the GLA, London Councils – all totalling just over £1 million per year – and external funding having totalled £3 million by July 2023. It currently employs eight staff, running a series of projects to help councils develop new digital and data solutions.
The evaluation document says members provided overwhelmingly positive feedback, saying they feel supported by LOTI staff, that it helps them get things done and enables cross-borough work that would not be possible. There has been room for improvement in some areas, such as alignment around goals and overcoming silo working, but generally there has been an improvement in digital collaboration across London.
Members also said they valued being part of a supportive community, despite limitations on the time they can give and a feeling that LOTI could do more to communicate its value.
Time and money savings
On value for money, the report says that, while it is hard to quantify precisely how much, it is evident that LOTI helps boroughs save time and money. It cites examples of savings of at least £300,000 in recruitment support, and potential savings of £1.4 million from data sharing agreements.
It also points to likely savings against the costs of cyber attacks through the Attack Surface Mapping pilot, and the prevention of people becoming homeless or children taken into care through the project to prevent vulnerable residents from crisis.
It adds that a more comprehensive social cost-benefit analysis would likely show social and economic benefits to London far higher than the financial savings to boroughs.
Writing in an accompanying blogpost, London’s chief digital officer Theo Blackwell said: “The study shows how local government can innovate successfully together if it departs from traditional ways of doing things.
“We hope our findings will be useful not just for the local government community, but also to those examining the often vexed question of central-local government innovation models.”
The evaluation involved a survey of digital and data professionals among LOTI member boroughs, semi-structured interviews with digital leaders, desk research and detailed assessments of the value for money of seven activities.
