The South London Partnership has made an arrangement with the University of Essex for research and evaluation of the use of internet of things (IoT) technology within its InnOvaTe programme.
They are planning a review of a range of ongoing sensor trials, taking in functions including fly tipping prevention, flood monitoring and the safeguarding of vulnerable residents living in supported housing.
A team of academic researchers led by Professor Gina Yannitell Reinhardt from the Department of Government at the University of Essex has been commissioned to provide formative evaluation services for the InnOvaTe Programme.
It will assess the behavioural aspects of the technology to determine its effectiveness in helping to tackle issues that affect residents and businesses in the South London boroughs.
David Grasty, corporate head of digital strategy at Sutton and Kingston Councils, said: “We are constantly looking at ways to improve the quality and effectiveness of the services we provide, so this is a fantastic opportunity to have an impartial expert assess the work we are doing with the InnOvaTe Programme and to give feedback on how things are going and how things could be changed for future trials.”
Reinhardt said: “Our researchers will work with the programme managers, service leads and champions, and IoT sensor providers in order to review the data that is being collected, analyse how it is being interpreted, and determine the extent to which it is being used to provide an evidence base for service improvements and new initiatives.”
The InnOvaTe Project is led by Sutton Council and also involves Kingston upon Thames, Merton and Richmond upon Thames.
This initiative is funded by the Strategic Investment Pot (SIP) as part of the London Councils Business Rates Retention scheme.
