History & Vision
History
In 2005, a group of 6 UK local authorities met to discuss collaborative working and the possibilities of working together on innovative initiatives across a number of common business areas. They were London Borough of Newham, London Borough of Bromley, Isle of Man, Wakefield Metropolitan District Council, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and Kent County Council; all of whom have Microsoft products and services at the centre of their ICT Strategies.
It quickly emerged from discussions that a more formal arrangement was required for any collaborative authority work to be effective; consequently the Microsoft Shared Learning Group (SLG) was created.
The SLG was formed in response to members’ demand to work more closely with Microsoft and other like minded councils, to maximise the value of investment in Microsoft technologies, learn and collaborate more effectively on key business issues and support the joint development of technology solutions to deliver transformational government.
Today the group is now 10 strong and has been joined by London Borough of Lewisham, Hampshire County Council, Sunderland City Council, Leeds City Council and the City of London.
Vision
The Shared Learning Group (SLG) consists of a group of UK local authorities working in collaboration with Microsoft’s Public Sector Division to share best practice and knowledge where all participants of the group receive the benefits of the collective experience within the group. They jointly deliver business driven innovative solutions with ICT as the key enabler, to improve council services and consequently the experience of the citizen. The SLG consists of 3 London Boroughs, 3 City Councils, 2 County Councils and 2 Metropolitan Councils as well as an independent state government.
The group is driven by the Councils’ strategic priorities and is co-ordinated through the use of workstreams, whose longevity is determined by the nature of the project and needs of the group. Each workstream is outcome focussed with objectives and benefits being identified at an early stage and monitored through to completion.
SLG members learn from each other and by doing so get instant access to best practice, expertise and a knowledge pool. Working together they get their voice heard with Microsoft and other key vendors which in turn enables Microsoft to understand what UK local and regional government needs. The members benefit from maximising their investment with Microsoft technologies by being part of this group. In addition, it is the ethos of the group to share knowledge and solutions with the wider public sector community.