mySociety news

April 2020

Events

How we ran TICTeC as a virtual event

You know what? We'd all have loved to have been in Reykjavik, mixing with old friends and new from the civic tech community.

But it wasn't to be. And instead, we put all our efforts into making an online version of our annual conference that would enable the same presentations and conversations to take place across an international group of delegates.

It worked! And, in case you're thinking of doing something similar in your organisation, we've written down everything we learned. We hope it's helpful.

Transparency

Costs of research journals to Higher Education Institutes

If you believe that research should be open to everyone, you might be shocked to learn just how much our HEIs spend on journals each year.

In our latest case study, WhatDoTheyKnow user Stuart Lawson tells us how Freedom of Information was useful in calculating the final sum being spent across the nation's colleges and universities. Read more here.

Climate

Help us locate Climate Action plans

Here's the perfect quarantine activity.

Councils up and down the country have declared a climate action plan — but there's previously been no single data source collecting them all together.

We want to change that, and it'll be easier if everyone pitches in. You can help with just a quick Google.

Democracy

Bon voyage Mzalendo

This year, we said farewell to Mzalendo in Kenya. Since 2012, we'd been helping them run a parliamentary monitoring site for the country, but we're glad to say that now, that help is no longer required.

Read all about our goodbye here.

What we're reading

A wonderful reaction from our friends at the Indigo Trust, helping organisations respond to the Coronavirus.
And if you can develop tech to help people who are self-isolating, there's funding available.
Taiwan has already seen the benefit of their civic tech community's spring into action. The spread of COVID-19 there is a tenth of the rate in Singapore (requires registration, but worth it).
TICTeC keynote Hollie Russon Gilman asks what will become of civic life during the pandemic?
Matthew Cain on what those designing government digital services must not give up in a time of crisis.
And finally — something you may not have considered while prepping your big online Zoom call.

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