1. Reputation, Cuts and Leadership Paul Comer Programme Director for Local Government Communications LGA Group

2. Why we started and what’s happened Why it matters even more now Some things to think about next Reputation

3. About each council –Satisfaction Gap –Trust –Media Weakest Link- Christmas lights Get the basics right AND tell people about it Just being good is not good enough Why we started

4. Defending –media weakest link- Christmas lights –individual crisis- service failures –sector crisis- Iceland Promoting –most efficient part of the public sector –best because we’re closest Councils’ reputation nationally

5. When it comes to rooting out waste and cutting costs, or improving services through innovative new policies, councils are showing us that it can be done. George Osborne, Sept 2009 Great result…

6. Satisfaction Gap- still there Trust- still low Media Weakest Link- Christmas lights are still getting cancelled new reputation campaign right focus But 5 years later…

7. Why it matters even more now Different environment –Apportioning pain not dividing spoils Different scale –Massive change- 40% not just salami slicing but stopping or transforming –All in it together Will affect all public services, not just parts of it

8. Call Centre Pest Control Magazine Planning Elsie’s door Council Tax Waste Collection Building Control My council’s reputation with me

9. Which do you consider fall inside your communications remit? Every reputation is individual and multi- faceted Only one experience away from a bad reputation Your Council’s reputation with people

10. What’s next- Leadership Locally –Leading or following –Vision and story Nationally –Skills –The offer and the longer term 1. Savings and quick cuts 2. Local control for sustainable savings 3. Councils taking responsibility for themselves

11. What’s next- Brand Locally –Think place not institution –Approach cuts like crisis comms Nationally –Local freedoms give the best solutions

12. What’s next- Communications Locally –Conversations not communications –Stories not sets of facts –No surprises Nationally –National media and national public affairs office –National campaigns

13. Paul Comer Programme Director for Local Government Communications LGA Group