Mission 1
A collaborative city

We will ensure that all city stakeholders are involved in our smart city journey – this includes our citizens, businesses, universities, third sector, health partners, emergency services, entrepreneurs, start-ups and public bodies.  In order for Cardiff to evolve into a smart city it needs to maximise the use of clever ideas and look for innovative new ways to solve problems and develop services.  By working together we can develop better living, working and playing spaces that meet the needs of everyone in the Capital.

The city has some of the best universities in the UK and has become a hub for innovators, with entrepreneurial start-ups ‘springing up’ all over the city.  Our Health Boards, public sector partners, third sector and businesses are working on and completing an array of different projects.  However, in some cases a key ingredient is missing – the ‘joining up’ of all these different activities and projects so that people can share knowledge, collaborate and help to solve some of the challenges that the city faces. We need to provide a mechanism where people have the opportunity to share ideas, expertise and knowledge so that everyone has an awareness of the good work being undertaken across the city.

We have an exciting opportunity to create a more ‘joined up’ approach.  We will engage with the city and improve collaboration so that we can work together to make Cardiff a smarter city.  We will use a range of different digital and non-digital engagement tools so that everyone has an opportunity to participate.  We will look to accelerate our smart city aspirations by leveraging the skills and expertise in the city.

Actions:

• Host events to promote the ‘Smart Cardiff Roadmap’ and obtain feedback and views.
• Set up website functionality which allows innovators to submit ‘smart’ ideas to improve the city.
• Host and participate in workshops, hackathons, question and answer sessions and focus groups to identify and solve smart city challenges.
• Engage with the city using online platforms and social media to share best practice, to innovate and facilitate networking.
• Investigate funding mechanisms to support smart innovation in the area.

Council employees need to be empowered and given the opportunity to contribute their ideas in to the smart city space.  Various departments within the council will be involved in implementing ‘smart approaches’ so we need to ensure that employee engagement is a priority.  Involving employees will help us quickly and effectively transform the city.

We will ask our employees to step outside of their existing delivery processes, and look for new ways to improve the city.  We want them to explore and identify new opportunities that will make a difference.  Sometimes, it’s the little things that make a difference such as ‘process redesign’ which can create efficiencies and bring real value to our citizens.

We will involve employees in decision making so they are involved in everything that we do.  In order to drive the city forward we must show employees that we respect their expertise and listen to their views.  We will look to support ‘smart’ ideas and action feedback with the intention to continually improve and transform the city.  Our smart city approach will be embedded into our workplace culture to ensure that we are constantly innovating and maximising outcomes.

Actions:

• Internally promote our Smart city aspirations so that employees understand why we want to become a smart city.
• Create innovation groups to find areas where smarter approaches can dramatically improve outcomes in the city.
• Encourage, support and bring about cross-departmental collaboration to ensure projects are delivered smoothly.
• Obtain feedback and views from employees and use this to shape the future of Cardiff.
• Ensure employees have the necessary support to deliver smart city initiatives.

Employee Charter

– A Cardiff standard

Cardiff is committed to getting the best from its staff and as a result it has created an ‘Employee Charter’ which is a statement of what the council will do for its employees and what it can expect in return.

The charter defines a ‘Cardiff Standard’ which details clear values and priorities that everyone who works in the organisation will need to know and aspire to.  It will play a key role in helping to embed the Council’s new values of being Open, Fair and Together.

We aim to tackle digital exclusion by ensuring everyone has the capability to access online services and has a ‘voice’ in shaping services for the future.

We will design services which meet the needs of our users without them having to understand the intricacies of council processes and remove barriers which prevent people from accessing online services.

We have a rapidly growing digital tech sector in Cardiff and we need to ensure that this momentum continues.  To support this growth we need to ensure that pupils and students are provided with the ‘right’ digital skills to prepare them for the work place of the future.  We need to showcase the opportunities that are presently available and give them sight of emerging opportunities that will arise from the progression of technology (such as artificial intelligence and nanoscience).

To ensure we are prepared for the rapid growth in the digital tech sector we will work with our schools, colleges, universities, public bodies and businesses to ensure that current and future needs are met whilst ensuring nobody is left behind.

Actions

• Ensure that when we are designing digital services we remove barriers that prevent people from accessing services.
• Work with our Cardiff Commitment Team, schools, universities and the private sector to ensure that pupils are getting the opportunity to explore their own potential through technology.
• Investigate how smart city initiatives can be used as a cross-curricular topic of study in Wales’ new school curriculum.
• Collaborate with our public bodies and private sector partners to showcase digital technology in the area.
• Provide support to local community groups who are working to improve digital inclusion in the area.

Cardiff Commitment

– Bringing the public and private sector together to connect young people

Cardiff Council has established Cardiff Commitment which brings the public and private sectors together to work in partnership connecting young people to the vast range of opportunities available in the world of work.

Cardiff Commitments role is varied and its work includes bringing employers to schools to do industry talks, work skills training, promoting apprenticeships in the area, as well as offering mentoring and support.  The initiative has been hugely successful with over 170 employers pledging support with new employers be added on a daily basis.

The main goal of Cardiff Commitment is to ensure that all young people in the city eventually secure a job that enables them to reach their full potential whilst contributing to the economic growth of the city.

If you are an employer who is interested in pledging support then visit the Cardiff Commitment website.

Strategic partnerships are important to us as they allow us to share expertise and get access to a broader range of resources and expertise.  It is important to us that we choose partners who share our values and commitment to make Cardiff a better place to live, work and visit.

Cardiff will look to forge strong smart city partnerships to accelerate its smart city aspirations and achieve its common goal of improving the city.   We already have a number of successful partnerships set up such as the Cardiff Partnership and Cardiff Public Services board.

Our universities and businesses have a vital role to play in making Cardiff a Smart city.  They are often using and researching cutting edge technology which could help address the challenges that the city faces.  Technology is progressing rapidly and it is difficult for local authorities to keep up with this rate of change.  It is important that we set up partnerships with our universities and businesses so that we can work together to evaluate new digital technologies and determine if they can ‘add value’ to our smart city aspirations.

We will set up cluster partnerships where expertise and experience from across the city can get together to tackle specific smart city projects.  Working in partnership will create evident and tangible benefits for the city.

Actions: 

• Set up common working arrangements to encourage successful strategic partnerships.
• Set up partnership clusters which will be committed to tackling specific smart city challenges.
• Set up common collaborative platforms which allow organisations to share information easily.
• Investigate external funding opportunities with our partners to bring improvements to the city and the wider region.

Cardiff capital region city deal (CCRCD)

– improving economic outcomes

The Cardiff Capital Region City Deal (CCRCD) partnership brought together the 10 South East Wales local authorities, the UK and Welsh Government to work together to improve economic outcomes for the South East Wales region.

The City Deal is building on the region’s sectoral strengths, its current skills base and three successful universities, creating a regional way of working which has never been seen before in South East Wales, developing a region where people want to live and work.

This is an enormous undertaking, which has involved all authorities working closely with stakeholders to ensure that the aims and the objectives of the City Deal are met.