Using GIS to improve local authority efficiency and performance
In a previous blog, Tracy Lister, Walsall Council’s Strategic Geospatial Development and Support Manager, looked at how the Council’s commitments to standard addressing and a single data source underpin its ability to build better services and save money.
In this client story, we look at a few of the ways that Walsall has used GIS to improve efficiency and performance, one of the commitments made in its current Council Plan.
This customer story also demonstrates how GIS supports the Council’s commitments to ‘Develop a healthier, cleaner and safer borough’ and ‘Enable residents, communities and businesses to fulfil their potential and thrive’.
First, let’s take a quick look at Walsall’s
open source Geospatial Toolkit
Our modular end-to-end GIS, iShare in the Cloud (iSiC), underpins Walsall’s location intelligence.
For internal use:
iShare GIS
This secure, browser-based Intranet GIS enables council officers to access information, even when working from home.
Links to back office systems simplify live data sharing to irregular and occasional GIS users.
For community use:
iShare Maps
This public-facing mapping portal anticipates and answers users’ most common queries through maps and accompanying information.
Walsall’s iShare Maps portal has thousands of visitors each year. It’s considered a ‘one-stop shop’ for GIS data.
For data storage:
a Spatial Data Warehouse
Walsall’s SDW makes it easier for administrators to store, maintain, manage and secure data. For example, it enables Walsall’s GIS Team to avoid spending several days each year translating data.
Data can be stored once and used repeatedly.
For up-to-date base mapping: Astun Data Services (ADS)
Pre-styled mapping data from ADS ensures that Walsall’s maps are accurate and consistently styled.
ADS now uses OS APIs to update background maps more quickly. OS data is supplied to Walsall under the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement (PSGA).
For fault reporting:
Logger
Logger is a map-based reporting tool that makes it easier for Walsall’s residents to report issues accurately.
It’s a recent add-on to iSiC for Walsall. Logger has also been embedded into the Council’s CRM to enable fault reporting by website visitors.
For simple web maps:
Spotlight
Spotlight is another recent add-on to iSiC.
This simple but effective web map generator helps novice map makers create single-topic maps. This frees up the GIS Team to work on more complex projects.
Walsall plans to transfer over 40 existing web maps to Spotlight after its migration to iSiC V6.
Award-winning GIS
Walsall’s use of GIS helped win three major awards in 2024:
Benefits of sharing location-based information
using open source tools
Tracy explains why GIS is a worthy investment for forward-thinking local authorities.
TRACY’S VIEW
Helping internal users deliver a high-quality service
Everything happens somewhere. GIS enables our colleagues to know exactly what is happening where (or what’s not happening that should be). Armed with this information, they can make effective decisions which improve our residents’ lives. Here are some examples of how our colleagues use GIS:
INSTANT KNOWLEDGE
Our intranet GIS enables our colleagues to self-serve critical location-based information. For example, geocoding helps education specialists easily evaluate how many school places are available within x miles of a postcode.
BRINGING DATA TO LIFE
Our SDW ensures each department’s data is no longer siloed. Internal users can more easily find and integrate new data sources from other teams.
Combining different data sets gives our colleagues fresh insights into what’s happening in Walsall.
PLANNING IMPROVEMENTS
Replacing static PDF maps with dynamic interactive maps has enabled planning officers to access key information before making decisions.
Examples include site allocation, ownership and underground assets.
PAINFREE CONSULTATIONS
GIS makes it easy to send letters to residents.
Our colleagues simply draw a boundary and select addresses in iShare GIS. A custom query enables them to export these addresses and produce a mail merge.
Colleague testimonials
The back office heroes in the GIS team are appreciated by their colleagues. Here’s what some have to say:
“I can’t believe how much time I’m saving using our GIS and integrating it into our business processes. It’s fundamentally changed the way we work and saved so much time.”
“The flexibility to tailor spatial queries means that only residents that fall within the specified boundary are consulted.
This results in less wastage on consultation processes including postage costs.”
“I did my own address list this morning from GIS and it’s everything I could want.
It’s utterly brilliant to have this tech available to us.”
Saving money with GIS
Enabling web visitors to self-serve information reduces the number of call centre enquiries and saves money.
TRACY’S VIEW
Benefits for the public
Our residents benefitted from GIS’s capabilities, even before it became part of our Customer Experience Strategy. Here are some examples:
SAVING MONEY
Our public map portal, iShare Maps, provides information relevant to a user’s location.
It’s easy for residents to check which bin to put out, locate a pharmacy or find out info about their MP.
HELPING SAFEGUARD THE VULNERABLE
We have been able to send out targeted mailers to caregivers for Free School Meal children offering free food recipe boxes and holiday activities.
SIGNPOSTING PEOPLE TO SUPPORT
It’s important to us that children have safe, healthy activities to do in the holidays.
A map portal enables residents to find and book appropriate holiday activities.
PROVIDING GUIDANCE IN A CRISIS
Maps shared during lockdown helped vulnerable residents find support services.
We also published green space data to help residents maintain fitness levels.
Want to take your GIS to the next level? Walsall did!
In 2024, Walsall began a new cross-functional project to make GIS a core part of its
Customer Experience Strategy.
More testimonials
Here are some excerpts from Walsall’s award nominations:
“The team helps make change easier for colleagues. For example, they ensured that the mapping and addressing components in our customer-facing platform were reusable so it’s easier to introduce additional self-serve processes for residents.”
“By demonstrating the benefits and useability of spatial data, the team is slowly but surely improving our citizen-facing services and our internal processes along with championing the value of spatial data locally and nationally.”