1800 words (18 minutes reading and/or 20 minutes listening) by Colin Weatherby

I recently found out about Notebooklm and asked it to analyse the entire Local Government Utopia website and answer a set of questions about challenges, solutions and future directions for councils.

The question and answer is below. First, a bit about Notebooklm.

Notebooklm

Notebooklm is a new AI product that takes a specific source or sources nominated by you and provides a summary, or answers to questions you ask about the source or sources that you have uploaded. I loaded the URL for localgovernmentutopia.com but could have loaded pdfs or other types of sources (or combinations of sources). You can load up to 50 different sources with a maximum of 500,000 words.

The person who told me about it had uploaded a manual for their camera as a source and then asked how to change the camera battery. Instead of leafing through a massive pdf manual online, Notebooklm explained how to change the battery with a link directly to the relevant section in the manual!

It also produces podcasts, primarily to help listeners understand complicated topics by hearing a discussion between two people about the source or sources. I was interested in this feature, so I had a go!

Podcast

I asked Notebooklm to make a podcast addressing this question using the Local Government Utopia website as a source:

“What does Local Government Utopia say about what a local government putting the wellbeing of its constituents first looks like; what issues are important and currently not acknowledged in local government; what are current research or policy gaps in local government; any thoughts around recent Commonwealth or Victorian parliamentary inquiries into local government; and finally, what thoughts are there on where public policy might be able to make a meaningful contribution.“

Here is the podcast.

As you will hear, the podcasts are hosted by a man and woman, both with American accents (this can’t be changed) in a very conversational style. The discussion is generated by Notebooklm and is engaging and covers the major issues addressed in the answer to the question below.

I suggest that you try it for yourself. It is free and simple to use. Like all AI products, be mindful of privacy and aware that the information from your sources goes into the public domain.

Here is my question and the answer.

Question

What does Local Government Utopia say about what a local government putting the wellbeing of its constituents first looks like; what issues are important and currently not acknowledged in local government; what are current research or policy gaps in local government; any thoughts around recent Commonwealth or Victorian parliamentary inquiries into local government; and finally, what thoughts are there on where public policy might be able to make a meaningful contribution.

Answer

Based on the information in the sources, a local government that prioritizes the wellbeing of its constituents would, in my understanding:

Focus relentlessly on improving the quality and value of its services from the perspective of the community…. This means understanding what matters to each citizen, what problems they need solved, and how they want those solutions delivered. Henry Neave’s quote, “Customers must get what they want, when they want it, and how they want it,” encapsulates this approach.

Actively work to reduce expenditure by improving service quality, leading to less rework, fewer errors and delays, and better use of resources …. This aligns with Deming’s chain reaction, adapted for public services. A key aspect of this is reducing rework by preventing “failure demand,” which is demand caused by a failure to do something right for the customer the first time …. Addressing failure demand can free up significant resources (potentially 30-80% of productive capacity) to be directed towards activities that truly create value ….

Strive for effectiveness (doing the right things) before efficiency (doing things right) . This involves understanding community needs and ensuring the council is providing services within its remit, possibly by supporting “lesser associations” and encouraging community self-help . Examples like the shift in cricket wicket preparation in post 280 – Reframing the challenge to councils illustrate how demand can be managed through community partnerships ….

Build trust with the community by demonstrating value for money …. When residents feel they are getting good value and costs are managed, they are more likely to support the council, potentially even supporting higher rate caps in the future …. This trust can also lead to increased community participation in maintaining the local environment and helping neighbors, further reducing costs.

Shift focus from simply reacting to problems to proactively designing out problems and improving community wellbeing …. This is likened to the hierarchy of controls in occupational health and safety, where elimination of the hazard is preferred over reactive controls.

Important issues that are currently not acknowledged, according to the website, include:

The extent to which cost-cutting measures are implemented without a proper understanding of their impact on the community and its wellbeing. Often, cuts are applied arbitrarily across budgets, leaving it to junior officers to figure out how to deliver services with less funding, which is described as an “uncontrolled change process” and a significant organizational risk.

The tendency for service improvement in local government to be driven by leader opinions and preferences rather than “cold hard facts from proper measurement of performance”. This leads to the adoption of management fads that are not sustained, with each new leader bringing in their own method without necessarily optimizing what was already in place.

The lack of a serious and cohesive response from councils to the challenges posed by rate caps. Many seem to be waiting for someone else to provide a solution instead of fundamentally rethinking their operations.

The failure to adequately differentiate between “value demand” (demand for necessary services) and “failure demand” (unnecessary demand created by errors or poor initial service delivery) when addressing increasing service needs. Misunderstanding the type of demand leads to ineffective resource allocation.

The potential for excessive risk aversion to stifle community volunteering and engagement, which can be counterproductive to community wellbeing and service delivery….

Regarding current research or policy gaps in local government, the sources suggest:

A lack of effective performance measurement in service delivery due to the intangible nature of service outputs, and conflicts between elected and appointed managers, making it difficult to measure and evaluate the benefits of improvement efforts.

A need for research into sustainable and effective methods for organizational improvement in the public service context, adapting proven approaches like Deming’s chain reaction …. The fact that councils continually adopt new, often unsustainable, methods suggests a gap in understanding what truly works and how to measure its effectiveness.

A need for policy frameworks that encourage and support the reduction of failure demand within council services, recognizing its significant impact on resource utilization.

A gap in understanding how to effectively balance mandated services with community expectations and desires in a resource-constrained environment like a rate-capped system….

More research into how to foster genuine community engagement and self-sufficiency in service delivery, as exemplified by the Wigan’s Deal 2030 initiative, while ensuring the reliability and capacity of community partners ….

The sources do not contain specific thoughts around recent Commonwealth or Victorian parliamentary inquiries into local government. However, the frequent mention of rate caps in NSW and Victoria … suggests that the financial sustainability and operational challenges arising from these policies are significant issues that might be subjects of parliamentary interest. Professor Joseph Drew’s analysis of local government expenditure in NSW in post 267 – Professor Joseph Drew – Analysis of Financial Results and the reasons for rate increases further underscore these financial pressures….

Regarding where public policy might be able to make a meaningful contribution, the sources imply several areas:

Developing policy frameworks that incentivize and support councils in adopting customer-centric approaches to service delivery, focusing on understanding and meeting community needs effectively ….

Promoting and facilitating the adoption of methodologies like the Vanguard Method and Deming’s principles in local government to drive quality improvement and reduce failure demand…. This could involve providing training, resources, and guidance to councils.

Investing in research and the development of effective performance measurement frameworks for public services that can capture the value and impact of service improvements.

Re-evaluating the impact of rate caps on the financial sustainability and service delivery capacity of local governments, considering the perspectives of both councils and the community …. Policies might need to consider mechanisms for adjusting rate caps based on demonstrated community trust and value provision….

Developing policies that encourage and support community engagement and volunteering in a way that is safe and effective, avoiding excessive red tape that hinders participation ….

Providing clearer guidance on the roles and responsibilities of local government in relation to other levels of government and community organizations, particularly in terms of service delivery and supporting “lesser associations”.

Facilitating dialogue and collaboration between state governments and local councils to develop shared understandings of the challenges and to co-create solutions that address the needs of communities.