Has the C100 changed the Met?
Well, YES! ... and NO
Every idea had to pass the following tests...
The Gut Test. Does it feel like the right thing to do?
The Fact Test. Does the benefit outweigh the cost?
The Reality Test. Does it actually happen in reality, in the way we wanted it to?
As of mid-2014
32 ideas passed the gut test.
Of those 32, 19 went on to pass the fact test, 3 failed it, 10 were still pending.
Of those 19 that passed, 6 have been implemented and the other 13 are being implemented.
So what has the C100 achieved?
Rumour Mill, Bonfire of the SOPS (lead to Policy Pages), and PoliceNow are a few of the things that happened as a result of C100 events and ideas, and had genuine impact.
A lot of learning about how you change the met as a frontline officer, what works, and what doesn’t. (Including running the UK’s 1st policing hackathon, kicking off University Ambassadors, and step-changing the ambition of the Met tech programme.
A lot of inspiration, connection and hope between the 500+ C100ers.
What have we learned?
We reckon there are probably 3 ways to change the Met, bottom-up:
Infiltration. Take an attachment with one of the teams trying to deliver the change (Met Change, Total Tech) and bring your own brand of enthusiasm and reality checking to a project.
Critical Friend. Join (or create) a ‘focus group’ etc. Find the subject matter experts, and offer to be a frontline supporter / challenger / champion for the issues they are grappling with.
Guerilla Tactics. Grow the idea and the business case yourself, pitch it Dragon’s Den style, and then work your socks off to make it happen. Don’t give up!