Master Builders: The Foundations of Good Data Management

As the UK government looks ahead to plot a course through the post-Brexit, post-pandemic world, senior leaders are focusing on the huge opportunities around better use of data: as the National Data Strategy makes clear, the government’s existing data assets could provide the fuel to power UK PLC in an increasingly digital environment. But to realise that potential – linking up disjointed public services, strengthening evidence-based policymaking and supporting innovation – civil servants must address some of the foundational issues around how data is gathered, managed and exchanged. Without robust data governance and clear policies on how data is deployed, government bodies will struggle both to build public and business confidence in the agenda, and to deploy data in policymaking, management and service delivery. The solutions lie in finding ways to ‘master’ data across government – creating persistent keys to allow data to be matched and exchanged between departments, connect up services and eliminate duplication. Featuring senior data leaders from the UK civil service alongside external experts, this webinar discussed how the UK civil service can seize the opportunities lying within its rich data assets.