Jason Kitcat, leader of Brighton and Hove City CouncilData sharing is increasingly under the spotlight as public sector organisations seek to streamline their services, often by improving communication between agencies and departments, such as in the case of social care and Universal Credit.
But a fearful attitude may be stifling progress. "I'm worried that we're stuck in the same mindset we'll make same mistakes as before", he said. The key, said Cllr. Kitcat, is 'doing the right thing respectfully'. "If you do the right thing respectfully you won't get sued".
The free day-long took event - which took place on the same day as the Policy Exchange published its data sharing report 'Small pieces loosely joined' - explored how the public sector can use data to improve public services and overcome the challenges of data sharing.
The Local Digital programme's Discovery Days provide a rare opportunity for local and central government to come togther informally to address service improvement and are followed by Co-Design Days, where service users, heads of service, policy experts, hackers, and data experts and user experience experts design nationally-scalable solutions to the problems identified.
Cllr. Kitcat said that good data sharing practice among local authorities is happening but "in little towers" without "a whole view of sharing". He urged the audience to make the most of accredited available resources, rather than developing new systems in isolation, duplicating effort across the country. "Don't go and build your own - it'll be expensive and painful", he said.
It is clear that more work needs to be done to facilitate and improve the way data moves between government organisations to make services better and prevent duplication. And Cllr. Kitcat's call to arms was blunt. "All councils will be bankrupt if we don't do something now. By 2020 there'll be no more money coming so we have to find a way of doing things differently".
But with that call to action, he complained that not enough people in local government realise the importance of effective data sharing. "We need more people to be engaged in this agenda - I mean digital change for faster, better cheaper services. We need more of you. Go out and convince your directors and Chief Executives", he told the audience, made up of influencers in local government like transformation and business change managers, Chief Information Officers and heads of service.
Local authorities should be thankful that the UK Government does not take the stance of the Estonian Government, suggested Cllr. Kitcat, which issues fines to agencies that ask citizens to provide their personal data more than once.
Before a constructive discussion could take place though, it was first important to define the many different types of data Government handles daily, according to Professor Sir Alan Wilson from the Government Office for Science's Future of Cities 'Foresight' project.
The project, sponsored by Minister for Cities Greg Clark MP, is investigating opportunities and challenges facing cities over the next 50 years, including understanding future leadership and finance needs, for example. Tackling these issues is impossible without good data at your fingertips, said Professor Wilson; data which takes several forms - open; closed; real time (eg from embedded traffic sensors), 'fast' (as in the information that retailers hold on us) or 'slow' (as in the national census that takes place once a decade).
"Data on its own will not solve problems, certainly not in terms of planning and policy. You need the analytical capability that goes with it", he said.
Great examples of effective data sharing are emerging from government organisations but as budgets run down, local authorities will increasingly need to know which good practice can be replicated rather than developing discrete programmes of work in isolation from one another.
There is good news on that front. The Local e-Government Standards Body (LeGSBE) is working on creating four kinds of data sharing standards for the public sector grouped as 'operational' - everyday needs such as how multi-agency organisations share data; 'statistical' - common thinking about grouping things together; 'analytical' "what the future might look like"; and 'political' - data used to take decisions on shaping services, for example budgets.
"The only forum where central Government come together and talk standards" LeGSBE's overall goal is to enable "one version of the truth we can all share" said Director of Standards Paul Davidson, also CIO of Sedgemoor District Council. LeGSBE also forms a bridge between data interest groups that have traditionally worked separately, such as the open data movement and those working on multi-agency data sharing.
The Connected Digital Economies 'Catapult' from Government's Innovate UK also brings people together to improve data sharing, but from across the public, private and education sectors. The Catapults are technology and innovation centres where businesses, scientists and engineers collaborate on research and development and new products and services to stimulate economic growth.
Matt Stroud, Head of Personal Data and Trust, echoing Cllr. Kitcat's message about fear, said that putting in place a privacy and trust framework is crucial. "We won't build a sustainable system unless users trust it. If you don't secure trust, the system is unsustainable and likely to lead to a backlash", he said.
"Trust is consent and personality dependent, one size doesn't fit all. The 'trust deal' has to be struck locally with the individual and in context. Trust frameworks put the user in control of data. It's important in the longer run because then you have trust from the beginning", he said. To allay fears among customers that their personal data will be exploited, public sector organisations could sign up to a set of ethical criteria (showing customers you are an 'ethical' organisation is viewed as a competitive advantage in the private sector, Stroud highlighted).
The impact of getting it right could be great. Stroud said that based on figures from McKinsey, World Economic Forum and the Boston Consulting Group, data sharing could add £75bn on to the country's economy.
He invited local authorities that wanted to continue the discussion to apply to attend the Connected Digital Economies Catapult's three-day event in March (interested parties should email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
Other factors mean that public sector organisations may be less than enthusiastic to tackle data sharing. Myths surrounding data sharing and the law abound, according to Victoria Cetinkaya, Senior Policy Officer at the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). She told participants not to be fooled. One such myth is that the Data Protection Act (DPA) is a barrier to effective sharing of information; a barrier that ICO is currently exploring with the Cabinet Office.
"As a data controller, don't see the DPA as barrier - understand it and use it. It's a framework for sharing in a secure, reasonable way. Safeguarding is essential, transparency is key. More citizens want to know what's happening to their data, which data and why. It's vital that you spell it out"
But against the backdrop of proposed changes to the EU's Data Protection Regulation (which aims to harmonise rules and practices regarding processing and movement of personal data across member states), Cetinkaya said it was hard to predict the future of data sharing and the rights of individuals.
What is certain is that the data sharing agenda is growing in importance. Perhaps there is a fine balance to strike between fear and trust; a responsibility for both the public sector and citizens? "It's fair to say society runs on personal data. Citizens have got to trust that it's safe in the hands of those dealing with it", said Cetinkaya.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Mel Poluck
Quelle/Source: UKAuthority, 30.01.2015
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