The Datavores of Local Government

1. The Datavores of Local Government Data for Local Government 27thSeptember 2016 Tom Symons @tomwsymons

2. Contents • Introduction to Nesta • Overview of local datavores research programme • How are councils using data? • What have we learnt about using data for decision-making and as a tool of transformation?

3. A ~£400m endowment with a mission to help people and organisations bring great ideas to life. Research & Analysis - understanding how innovation happens and how to support it Innovation Lab - supporting innovation in governments, local authorities and civil society Innovation Skills – supporting abilities to innovate via tools, training, networks Investments - in early stage companies, social enterprises and venture intermediaries

4. The Local Datavores programme aims to improve the use of data in local government 1. Explore how better use of data can help councils to cut costs, improve efficiency and drive better social, economic and environmental outcomes 2. To establish and articulate the critical success factors of better data use 3. To set out ways in which central government, Nesta and other organisations can help councils get more from their data 4. To create insight and tools which help councils to get more from the data they hold

5. The Local Datavores - programme overview Preliminary research and report Literature review and interviews to sketch landscape of local gov data use Case Study Research 8 in-depth English local authority case studies + international case studies Provocation Paper Series and Final Report How smart is too smart? What does devolution mean for data, and vice versa? And what does the data revolution mean for the study of ‘what works’? Workshop 1 - Nesta, London Workshop 2 - LGA, London Workshop 3 - York Final report launch

6. We published a discussion paper in July based on our preliminary research • A taxonomy of local government data • Collation of different use cases for data • Trends in how councils are using data • 7 things councils can do to get more from their data • Framework and hypothesis for second phase of work

7. What were the critical success factors for the project/programme? Scope of case study research There are five key stages to the research methodology, which we are investigating using interviews, a survey and document review What level of data maturity preceded the work? What were the key use cases for the data in the project/programme? What is the value case for the project/programme in terms of internal productivity and external benefits? How replicable is the project/programme for the wider sector?

8. Overview of case studies Leeds City Council Bristol City Council Kent County Council Manchester • Smart city programme connects the city council with the needs and views of residents • IoT mesh network to enable citizen generated data to flow towards government • Open data portal to democratise information and increase transparency • Operations centre to integrate data and optimise city management • Integrates health and care data for c1.5m people in Kent • Data is pseudonymised and linked • Enables matched-control trial evaluation of interventions and services • Allows modelling the impact of changes in services on population health and care outcomes • Enables key workers to visualise data contained across case files in multiple agencies. • Population-level analysis such as needs segmentation and regression analysis • Increases staff productivity and informs commissioner decision making • Open data portal and partnership approach to addressing Leeds’ challenges • Data Mill North hosts data for range of organisations • Innovation Labs to bring developers together with council staff to solve problems • Data analysis to identify where council can strategically support growth of business

9. Overview of case studies continued… Birmingham City Council Camden Suffolk Newcastle • Integration of health and social care services supported by data • Moving to a performance culture based on outcome data • Analysing services and population data to identify problems • Integrated teams of frontline professionals supported by shared outcome frameworks • Service transformation (Hackney Reclaiming social work model) informed by data • Data-led segmentation of family by groupings of need • Embedded data analysts within social work units • “Institutionalising curiosity” • Back office and service transformation led by data • Camden Resident Index brings together 16 line of business systems • Data dashboards to manage services following systems thinking reviews • Open data portal to reduce FOI burden and engage with business • Digital Birmingham is using data to inform the transformation of the council, and how it interacts with communities • Smart city initiatives to improve city management, such as temperature sensors in roads so that gritting can be targeted when it snows

10. Preliminary use cases emerging from research

11. How to approach data work in local government Start with a clear problem to be solved with data Gauge the level of support for data-led work in senior leadership Start small, engage with end-users and look for quick-wins Be clear about ultimate objectives and how these will be measured Ensure there are realistic financial and staff resources allocated to the project Approach the work through a series of sprints which enable rapid development, testing and iteration Secure dedicated expertise for information governance and be specific about the purposes of sharing Test the product with end-users and take on board their feedback Be receptive to making decisions informed by data Evaluate the overall impact of the work against the original objectives

12. tom.symons@nesta.org.uk @tomwsymons