Plug-in power

Can registered social landlords meet the challenge of using technology to empower their tenants, and not just as a means of providing information?

Technology can give better access to information, improve services and create opportunities to develop services.

It can also create the potential for RSLs to reinvigorate relationships with their tenants and the communities they support. But are RSLs willing to meet the challenges that these opportunities provide?

Whereas many tenants do have ready access to the internet, many do not use their landlord's website and significant numbers of people still do not have the access required.

Two issues need to be addressed: attracting those who already have access to the internet and increasing access for those who do not. The investment needed to address both of these issues is significant.

Many housing association websites are unexciting and are limited in their usefulness. Whereas functionality is improving on some, many remain basic.

Housing associations need to look at their websites from the tenant's perspective. What really adds value for a tenant? Does the website provide that value? Is the tenant only interested in housing issues or do they want to be able to find out about, and interact with, organisations associated with the real-life issues with which they deal?

Providing increased access is more problematic. Income can be generated from sponsorship, by linking to private-sector sites such as commercial directories and e-commerce sites, and by cutting costs through working in partnership to aggregate the purchasing power of several RSLs.

Generating money from the private sector will depend on a landlord's ability to provide a community of users with buying power. The private sector will only invest where it believes such an investment will give access to a significant potential market. This means RSLs will need to develop their community of users.

The best way to do this is through a partnership: why have 200 websites when a fraction of that number can be organised to protect corporate identity while still providing access to value-adding services and information at a significantly reduced cost?

Why limit the community of users – and in doing so, the RSL's attractiveness to the private sector – to a few thousand people, when by acting together a community of tens of thousands could be reached?

A partnership approach can improve tenant access to both housing and non-housing information and services. It also reduces costs, removes duplication and provides more opportunities to add value for tenants. As such, it is an effective way of developing the community of users required.

The increased community of users can then generate the investment needed from the private-sector to fund internet access for disadvantaged groups.

Increasing internet access, however, is only part of the challenge. The real challenge is to empower tenants and generate the commitment and inclination to play a full role in the decision-making process of the RSL. This requires a commitment to radical changes at board, managerial and operational levels – a commitment that is best understood in the context of the hierarchy of RSL achievement.

The hierarchy starts with information provision, moving on to interaction and transaction to participation. However, many RSLs are still stuck on the first three levels of the hierarchy and many still struggle with participation.

Technology creates the potential to engage with tenants and to facilitate their participation in the management process so that they can contribute to the decision-making process. The use of technology to achieve tenant participation therefore poses the biggest challenge for organisational cultures, power structures and the roles of board members, managers and professionals.

The maxim "information is power" will have to be changed to "information is empowering". What better manifestation is there of tenant and community engagement than participation in the management process of RSLs?

However, technology is only the means to achieve this participation. Tenants must be willing to participate and RSLs must be willing to allow tenants to participate. Tenant willingness to participate will only be generated if they believe their participation will make a difference. A key part of this relates to the credibility of the board, managers and staff.

If participation really does lead to tenant empowerment, credibility will be generated. If it merely leads to the provision of interesting information and not to empowerment, the board will soon fall into disrepute and fail, and the potential of technology to really contribute to the effectiveness of RSLs will remain unfulfilled.

Tenant empowerment cannot be achieved overnight and needs to be seen within the context of objectives and risk-management processes. Nevertheless, it should be part of the evolution of all RSLs. Technology needs to be part of the strategy for achieving that participation.

Many housing associations have made progress with information and communication technology strategies. The spectrum of progress, however, is still wide. Even within organisations, different service areas show differing degrees of progress on the provision of information, opportunities for interaction and even transaction.

Leading RSLs are moving towards becoming tenant information gateways. Some are linking the use of technology with Best Value. The real test of their ability to evolve, however, is the move to participation.