Achieving data maturity within government

By embracing data maturity, governments can lay the foundation for a more effective public sector and digital society, but how do we get there?

Data is one of the most valuable assets an organization has. Governments hold vast amounts of data of value to both the public and private sectors.

But many governments around the world, including the UK, have failed to seize the opportunities that data presents.

The public sector (such as the Environment Agency) has adopted the data maturity model, but continues to lag behind the private sector.

If the UK government reaches data maturity, the benefits are enormous: streamlining and transforming public sector services, enhancing security, improving efficiency and further increasing public pound revenue.

What Hinders Data Sharing Between Governments?

The UK government is not alone in underutilizing the data it holds. Many other governments around the world face the same challenges.

In recent years, with the launch of the National Digital Strategy in 2020, data has become a key priority. This builds on the manifesto’s pledge to improve the use of data within government and position the UK as a data-first nation.

However, there are still many barriers and challenges to overcome before reaching data maturity.

The first challenge is siled data. This means that there are many separate data pools collected by separate entities that cannot be consolidated in their current form. These data silos are mostly related to technical debt and legacy systems (which are themselves a debate).

There is also the challenge of paper-based data storage in the public sector.

The above challenges, combined with pervasive skills shortages, security concerns, and tightening public purse strings, highlight the hurdles to streamlining the ‘backend’ and achieving full digital transformation. .

The Covid-19 pandemic has also highlighted the immaturity of the UK government’s data. Aggregating case numbers from laboratories and hospitals across the country was time consuming and cumbersome, often requiring back-and-forth correspondence by phone, email, and fax.

From tackling the spread of the virus and planning medicine inventories to delivering health, social and occupational care, each stage relied on data sharing and collaboration.

Europe’s neighbors the Netherlands and Denmark are prime examples of coordinated governments.

You don’t have to look far to see the wide-ranging benefits of connected government. The neighboring countries of Europe, the Netherlands and Denmark, are prime examples.

The Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat) uses big data analytics to predict ‘just in time’ maintenance for national highway networks based on known asphalt life.

Another is the Danish National Citizen Portal, Borger.dk. This digital platform provides residents with a single point of access to view information about public authorities and act across online services. Using this platform, people can register their children for daycare, report a change of address, apply for child benefits, change GPs, prepare tax returns, and more.

The Many Benefits of Data Maturity

Data maturity refers to an organization’s ability to effectively collect, manage, and use data to support its operations and decision-making.

In central government, data maturity can support several goals. The first is increased efficiency and reduced costs. Second, it strengthens data security and governance to ensure that data is used in a secure, ethical, and compliant manner.

The result is increased trust and more accurate decision-making among stakeholders. This leads to better outcomes and better service delivery, allowing organizations to better understand the impact of their policies and programs on their citizens and adapt accordingly.

Understanding the “data maturity” scale

There is a gradual scale when it comes to data maturity.

For an organization to reach the pinnacle of maturity, data must be firmly embedded throughout and integrated into all decisions and business objectives. We also need to follow his four pillars set out in the National Data Strategy.

Data infrastructure

The true value and foundation of data means that it is fit for purpose, stored in a standardized format in modern, future-proof systems, searchable, accessible, interoperable and reusable. fully realized only if it is held in a state that

data skills

Getting the most out of your data requires a wealth of data skills. This means providing the right skills through our education system, but it also means enabling people to continue to develop the data skills they need throughout their lives.

Data availability

For data to have the most effective impact, it should be accessible, transportable, and reusable. This means facilitating the coordination, access and sharing of data of appropriate quality among public, private and third sector organizations, and ensuring adequate protection for international data flows.

responsible data

As we facilitate the use of data, we must do so in a legal, safe, fair, ethical, sustainable, accountable and responsible manner. We also need to support innovation and research.

The Journey to Data Maturity

Achieving data maturity is a journey of overcoming obstacles. It requires considerable resources and can be time consuming.

But by following this path, governments can fundamentally lay the groundwork for a more effective and efficient public sector and digital society. Government for the future.

The infrastructure your data relies on is an asset that must be protected, maintained and supported to ensure security, compliance and business continuity.

Buy-in from everyone in your organization is critical to driving data ownership and quality, moving your data strategy forward with a workforce of data-savvy specialists.

Investments in new technology solutions must support progress. Both bespoke professional services and commercial “off-the-shelf” software dedicated to data and analytics.

The public sector should also rely on the private sector where skill and resource gaps exist

The public sector should also rely on the private sector where skill and resource gaps exist. Working with a managed service provider can help governments and their many departments and bodies reach data maturity faster.

Crown Commercial Service’s Big Data and Analytics RM6195 framework offers dedicated hardware and software, consulting for planning and implementing big data and analytics projects, and training and support services to help your organization get the most out of it. We provide a comprehensive list of approved suppliers and providers that we can offer. their tools and platforms.

Chris Reynolds, leader of the central government team, said: soft cat