Civic Tech Surgeries
As part of the TICTeC Labs programme, mySociety will host six Civic Tech Surgeries, to diagnose, dissect and address Civic Tech dilemmas — and unlock impact. These will be the precursor to subsequent TICTeC Actions Labs, where community members will get together to commission a paid piece of work to tackle common challenges raised at Surgeries.
#1. Public-private collaborations: how can civic tech work effectively with public and private institutions?
28 October 2021, 14.00 – 16.00 GMT+1
During this Surgery, we heard about the challenges of working on private-public civic tech projects from practitioners from across the world, as well as their solutions and ideas to tackle these.
The Surgery also featured reflections from civic tech researchers, to give perspectives on any existing evidence or research ideas on the topic that might be beneficial, that can then be elaborated on in subsequent TICTeC Action Labs.
#2. Ensuring civic tech is accessible: how can we lead and popularise best practice?
3 February 2022, 14.00 – 16.00 GMT
During this Surgery, we heard about the challenges of ensuring civic tech tools are accessible and inclusive from practitioners from across the world, as well as their solutions and ideas to tackle these.
These insights were then be used by the subsequent TICTeC Action Lab, whic worked together to commission work to help tackle common challenges.
#3. Accessing quality information for civic tech success: how can we overcome barriers to accessing good data and documentation?
24 March 2022, 14.00 – 16.00 GMT
During this Surgery, we heard about the challenges of accessing quality data and information for civic tech projects from practitioners from across the world, as well as their solutions and ideas to tackle these.
These insights were then be used by the subsequent TICTeC Action Lab on the topic, which worked together to commission work to help tackle common challenges.
#4. Storytelling and reach: how can we amplify our successes beyond the civic tech community to evidence our impact through mainstream channels?
12 May 2022, 14.00 – 16.00 GMT+1
During this Surgery, we discussed the challenges of amplifying civic tech projects and their successes through mainstream channels with practitioners from across the world, as well as their solutions and ideas to tackle these.
These insights were then used by the subsequent TICTeC Action Lab on the topic, which worked together to commission work to help tackle common challenges.
#5. Learning from climate action – how can civic tech drive impactful societal change?
14 July 2022, 14.00 – 16.00 GMT+1
Through the lens of climate action, we discussed the opportunities and challenges in using civic tech to encourage people to change and coordinate their behaviour in ways that can cause significant changes in society.
These insights were then used by the subsequent TICTeC Action Lab on the topic, which worked together to commission work to help tackle common challenges.
#6. Civic tech in hostile environments – how can we thrive in challenging contexts?
17 October 2022, 14.00 – 16.00 GMT+1
Globally, the civic tech community faces challenges from working in hostile environments, from facing everyday government resistance to operating in conflict and post-conflict societies. In this surgery, we discussed some of the common challenges and how we can support each other in solving them.
These insights were then used by the subsequent TICTeC Action Lab on the topic, which worked together to commission work to help tackle common challenges.