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matters, especially in today\u2019s local government sector. As we\u2019ll see, by adopting <a href=\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/gxa\/\">Government Experience Agent (GXA)<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ne-derbyshire.gov.uk\" target=\"_blank\">North East Derbyshire District Council (NEDDC)<\/a> has not only improved its content, data, and the customer experience it offers, but is actively preparing for the changes that are set to shape the future of local government. <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"anchor","anchor_name":"Finding the right functionality "},{"acf_fc_layout":"wysiwyg","wysiwyg":"<h2>Finding the right functionality<\/h2>\n<p>Speaking of the impetus behind their adoption of GXA, Kristen O\u2019Gorman, the organisation\u2019s digital innovation and development manager, explains, \u201cThe council has been interested in having something like a chatbot and using AI for quite a while.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>The council was already a user of Granicus <a href=\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/product\/govdelivery\/\">Communications (formerly govDelivery)<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/product\/govservice\/\">Service Request Management (govService)<\/a>, but a conversation with their account manager in early 2026 revealed that this lack of structured, real-time digital interaction was hampering its forward progress, preventing it from optimising its CRM capabilities to their full extent. <\/p>\n<p>Simultaneously, Kristen states that the council was undertaking a review of its site with a view to improving both its content as well as the overall quality of the data it collects. \u201cWe also realised long ago that our search tool wasn\u2019t fantastic,\u201d she adds, an aspect that had a direct impact on the service received by customers. <\/p>\n<p>By implementing GXA \u2014 Granicus\u2019 AI-powered digital agent \u2014 NEDDC gained the capabilities it needed to move forward with its digital transformation goals. <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"anchor","anchor_name":"Reviewing and refining content with GXA "},{"acf_fc_layout":"wysiwyg","wysiwyg":"<h2>Reviewing and refining content with GXA<\/h2>\n<p>The implementation of GXA technology \u2014 now deployed on the council\u2019s website via its NedBot tool \u2014 was undertaken in the first half of 2026, overlapping the organisation\u2019s own review of its site. Kristen explains that, during the review process, the council\u2019s various service areas were asked to verify their online content for accuracy and duplication. \u201cEverybody\u2019s really on board with this type of thing at North East Derbyshire,\u201d she says, but \u2014 as part of the process of implementing GXA \u2014 the support team at Granicus provided Kristen and her colleagues with an extensive list of User Acceptance Testing (UAT) questions to ensure that the information returned by the agent was relevant and correct. <\/p>\n<p>This intensive testing process was an \u201ceye opener,\u201d says Kristen, adding that, \u201cBy doing a project like this, just by using an agent to ask that one simple question, you can see if that information is in multiple places.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Kristen and her team took a thorough and thoughtful approach to testing. These efforts \u2014 made in collaboration with Granicus \u2014 not only resulted in the smooth implementation of GXA but also helped to ensure the overall quality of the site\u2019s content. Looking back, Kristen says that, \u201cIf we hadn’t done the thorough testing that we did, I don’t think any of this would come about.\u201d <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"anchor","anchor_name":"The positive impact of implementation "},{"acf_fc_layout":"wysiwyg","wysiwyg":"<h2>The positive impact of implementation<\/h2>\n<p>After months of testing and refinement, NedBot went live on the council\u2019s site in early July 2026. Thanks to the swift support offered by Granicus during this time, Kristen and her team are now able to create an experience that \u2014 even in these early days \u2014 has had a positive impact on the council\u2019s customers. At present, Kristen explains that engagement with the chatbot is steadily increasing and that she and her team are in the process of carefully analysing the responses it has returned. <\/p>\n<p>However, she says, \u201cWe\u2019ve had some really good feedback,\u201d with users particularly impressed by the speed and accuracy of NedBot\u2019s responses to their queries. But as Kristen goes on to say, \u201cWe have a real focus on providing excellent services to customers. And for the vast majority of people that will be our online presence, whether it’s social media, it’s the websites, it’s the agent \u2026 So we need to get that right.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>The wider project to implement <a href=\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/resource\/digital-confidence-in-public-services\/\">GXA has delivered significant accessibility benefits<\/a>, reducing the need for lengthy PDF documents and complex local government terminology. By providing information through natural language conversations, GXA helps to make council services and information more accessible to a wider range of residents, while improving the quality of enquiries and responses. <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"anchor","anchor_name":"Facing the future with confidence "},{"acf_fc_layout":"wysiwyg","wysiwyg":"<h2>Facing the future with confidence<\/h2>\n<p>Looking ahead, North East Derbyshire District Council sees Nedbot as an important step in its broader digital transformation journey. Reflecting on the potential benefits of GXA, Kristen explains, \u201cI would like to look at the levels of calls that we get in the contact centre and the revenues teams and see if that is reducing over time, but also if the duration of those calls is increasing.” The ambition is not simply to reduce demand, but to ensure that staff spend more of their time supporting residents with complex enquiries, situations where personal assistance is invaluable. <\/p>\n<p>The launch of Nedbot also provides a foundation for the council’s wider <a href=\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/resource\/ai-public-sector-readiness\/\">exploration of AI<\/a>. As the technology evolves, the council is continuing to assess how AI can be used responsibly to improve access to services, enhance customer journeys and deliver practical benefits for residents and staff, while maintaining appropriate oversight and governance. <\/p>\n<p>Quality remains central to this approach. For North East Derbyshire District Council, ensuring information is accurate, accessible and up to date is essential to delivering a positive customer experience. It is also becoming increasingly important as the organisation prepares for future changes across local government. “We are moving toward local government reform,” says Kristen. This shift has further reinforced the importance of having reliable content, strong data foundations and modern digital services that residents can trust. <\/p>\n<p>While the implementation of GXA has already enhanced the way residents access information and services, it has also given the council confidence that it is building the foundations for the future. Whether improving customer access today or exploring new opportunities for responsible AI tomorrow, North East Derbyshire District Council is ensuring it is ready for whatever comes next. <\/p>\n"}],"2_column_w_sidebar":{"page_content_builder":[{"acf_fc_layout":"wysiwyg","wysiwyg":"<p>Quality matters, especially in today\u2019s local government sector. As we\u2019ll see, by adopting <a href=\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/gxa\/\">Government Experience Agent (GXA)<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ne-derbyshire.gov.uk\" target=\"_blank\">North East Derbyshire District Council (NEDDC)<\/a> has not only improved its content, data, and the customer experience it offers, but is actively preparing for the changes that are set to shape the future of local government. <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"anchor","anchor_name":"Finding the right functionality "},{"acf_fc_layout":"wysiwyg","wysiwyg":"<h2>Finding the right functionality<\/h2>\n<p>Speaking of the impetus behind their adoption of GXA, Kristen O\u2019Gorman, the organisation\u2019s digital innovation and development manager, explains, \u201cThe council has been interested in having something like a chatbot and using AI for quite a while.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>The council was already a user of Granicus <a href=\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/product\/govdelivery\/\">Communications (formerly govDelivery)<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/product\/govservice\/\">Service Request Management (govService)<\/a>, but a conversation with their account manager in early 2026 revealed that this lack of structured, real-time digital interaction was hampering its forward progress, preventing it from optimising its CRM capabilities to their full extent. <\/p>\n<p>Simultaneously, Kristen states that the council was undertaking a review of its site with a view to improving both its content as well as the overall quality of the data it collects. \u201cWe also realised long ago that our search tool wasn\u2019t fantastic,\u201d she adds, an aspect that had a direct impact on the service received by customers. <\/p>\n<p>By implementing GXA \u2014 Granicus\u2019 AI-powered digital agent \u2014 NEDDC gained the capabilities it needed to move forward with its digital transformation goals. <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"anchor","anchor_name":"Reviewing and refining content with GXA "},{"acf_fc_layout":"wysiwyg","wysiwyg":"<h2>Reviewing and refining content with GXA<\/h2>\n<p>The implementation of GXA technology \u2014 now deployed on the council\u2019s website via its NedBot tool \u2014 was undertaken in the first half of 2026, overlapping the organisation\u2019s own review of its site. Kristen explains that, during the review process, the council\u2019s various service areas were asked to verify their online content for accuracy and duplication. \u201cEverybody\u2019s really on board with this type of thing at North East Derbyshire,\u201d she says, but \u2014 as part of the process of implementing GXA \u2014 the support team at Granicus provided Kristen and her colleagues with an extensive list of User Acceptance Testing (UAT) questions to ensure that the information returned by the agent was relevant and correct. <\/p>\n<p>This intensive testing process was an \u201ceye opener,\u201d says Kristen, adding that, \u201cBy doing a project like this, just by using an agent to ask that one simple question, you can see if that information is in multiple places.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Kristen and her team took a thorough and thoughtful approach to testing. These efforts \u2014 made in collaboration with Granicus \u2014 not only resulted in the smooth implementation of GXA but also helped to ensure the overall quality of the site\u2019s content. Looking back, Kristen says that, \u201cIf we hadn’t done the thorough testing that we did, I don’t think any of this would come about.\u201d <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"anchor","anchor_name":"The positive impact of implementation "},{"acf_fc_layout":"wysiwyg","wysiwyg":"<h2>The positive impact of implementation<\/h2>\n<p>After months of testing and refinement, NedBot went live on the council\u2019s site in early July 2026. Thanks to the swift support offered by Granicus during this time, Kristen and her team are now able to create an experience that \u2014 even in these early days \u2014 has had a positive impact on the council\u2019s customers. At present, Kristen explains that engagement with the chatbot is steadily increasing and that she and her team are in the process of carefully analysing the responses it has returned. <\/p>\n<p>However, she says, \u201cWe\u2019ve had some really good feedback,\u201d with users particularly impressed by the speed and accuracy of NedBot\u2019s responses to their queries. But as Kristen goes on to say, \u201cWe have a real focus on providing excellent services to customers. And for the vast majority of people that will be our online presence, whether it’s social media, it’s the websites, it’s the agent \u2026 So we need to get that right.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>The wider project to implement <a href=\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/resource\/digital-confidence-in-public-services\/\">GXA has delivered significant accessibility benefits<\/a>, reducing the need for lengthy PDF documents and complex local government terminology. By providing information through natural language conversations, GXA helps to make council services and information more accessible to a wider range of residents, while improving the quality of enquiries and responses. <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"anchor","anchor_name":"Facing the future with confidence "},{"acf_fc_layout":"wysiwyg","wysiwyg":"<h2>Facing the future with confidence<\/h2>\n<p>Looking ahead, North East Derbyshire District Council sees Nedbot as an important step in its broader digital transformation journey. Reflecting on the potential benefits of GXA, Kristen explains, \u201cI would like to look at the levels of calls that we get in the contact centre and the revenues teams and see if that is reducing over time, but also if the duration of those calls is increasing.” The ambition is not simply to reduce demand, but to ensure that staff spend more of their time supporting residents with complex enquiries, situations where personal assistance is invaluable. <\/p>\n<p>The launch of Nedbot also provides a foundation for the council’s wider <a href=\"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/resource\/ai-public-sector-readiness\/\">exploration of AI<\/a>. As the technology evolves, the council is continuing to assess how AI can be used responsibly to improve access to services, enhance customer journeys and deliver practical benefits for residents and staff, while maintaining appropriate oversight and governance. <\/p>\n<p>Quality remains central to this approach. For North East Derbyshire District Council, ensuring information is accurate, accessible and up to date is essential to delivering a positive customer experience. It is also becoming increasingly important as the organisation prepares for future changes across local government. “We are moving toward local government reform,” says Kristen. This shift has further reinforced the importance of having reliable content, strong data foundations and modern digital services that residents can trust. <\/p>\n<p>While the implementation of GXA has already enhanced the way residents access information and services, it has also given the council confidence that it is building the foundations for the future. Whether improving customer access today or exploring new opportunities for responsible AI tomorrow, North East Derbyshire District Council is ensuring it is ready for whatever comes next. <\/p>\n"}]},"sidebar_type":"sticky","content_builder_sidebar_group":{"content_builder_sidebar":[{"acf_fc_layout":"speaker_list","headline":"Author","speakers":[{"name":"Rachael Taft","title":"Customer Success Marketing Manager"}]},{"acf_fc_layout":"anchor_nav","headline":"Jump to topic"},{"acf_fc_layout":"link_list","headline":"Related blog posts","link_list":[{"link":{"title":"The digital front door: AI-powered self-service in action","url":"https:\/\/granicus.com\/uk\/resource\/the-digital-front-door-ai-powered-self-service-in-action\/","target":""}},{"link":{"title":"AI readiness to AI-powered service delivery: A two-part webinar series for the public 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