At home with UK GovCamp 2021
Like many other conferences and un-conferences GovCamp went virtual were as traditionally it is a physical all-day Saturday meet up. Sometimes, I think conferences that have always been at a physical venue now because of the pandemic go virtual but do so almost apologising. Sentiment can range from ‘don’t worry, once this pandemic is over the conference will be back to normal’ or ‘it’s not ideal but we’ll try make the conference every bit as good as the physical one.’ GovCamp went virtual out of necessity but my feeling is that they went into it with great optimism, with the attitude that a virtual conference adds to GovCamp not subtracting. I understand the sentiment were some people feel ‘I really want to meet people’ because part of the experience of a physical GovCamp is that way you go up to people, say hello then get inspiration and ideas. One artefact you do not get from a virtual conference are the photos that capture those moments Then there is Pub Camp, on the day of the conference you get presentation but at night, over drinks you get well another view, more honest.
The virtual conference allowed for more people, more sessions, and more days. I only attended on Saturday, but I was able to spend the entire day at the virtual conference which felt good rather than squeezing a session between work tasks. The tech behind this virtual conference was a patchwork with Slack used as the place delegates chat in between sessions. Google Meet for the sessions themselves and Zoom for those set piece opening and closing spectaculars with lots of attendees joining the call. There was also Corridor Camp a virtual area of tables you could sit down at with your camera and mic switched on to allow you to chat to another camper. I was intrigued but never managed to get a table with someone on it to talk too. Nice idea though. The graphics for Corridor Camp remined me of the video game Skool Daze.
In advance of GovCamp I did not put myself forward to run a session. However, on the day some session spaces needed filling, so I jumped in. My session was titled ‘What is your minimum viable work from home technology kit.’ This was my way of trying to find out what kit people were using to get ideas for tech stuff I could buy. One such tech item was a Light Ring to improve the light for video calls and if I am correct it is on a stand so you can mount your mobile phone inside the light ring and stand in front of it talking on a video call. During my session everyone of course was fully engaged even when they were simultaneously cooking up a meal. My default posture for video calls is sat down in front of a laptop but looking at others like Eska who wandered around as if a drone camera was following him (it was not, I checked).
Sessions I went included one asking if interviews were broken and if they were what are the alternatives. My key takeaway from that session is that while it would be good to simplify and strip away the layers of standing in the way of you and getting your ideal candidate into the role is that some of the processes are there for a reason? Strip back to much and you risk going back to the not what you know but who you know. The result can be a less diverse workplace. Though when you strip it right back you want someone who can do the job. If you get the wrong person for the role just think of the stress that puts on the person filling it.
Looking at sessions I missed they were really varied ranging from ‘Resisting fascism: Are you a check or balance?’ to “Intranets everywhere — what worked well and what hasn’t?” The early days of GovCamp were very tech focused, social networks were regularly discussed and GovCamp was a forum for developments around GDS. It will be interesting to see how GovCamp evolves in future, will it have a more explicit tech focus? Will it focus on social, political and identity issues? or will by the next GovCamp in 2022 have a focus on Green Tech issues? The wonderful thing about GovCamp it is an un-conference so all those attending can shape the agenda by pitching sessions they want. Personally, I would be a bit uncomfortable as a Civil Servant overly contributing to sessions that leaned into politics. Wherever GovCamp is heading in the years to come my instinct is that the virtual element is here to stay, and the challenge will be to get those on the ground at GovCamp and virtual campers working together to make things better.
