Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 4
4
Good quality modelling and evaluation is hampered by challenges in sharing data and a lack...
Recommendation
Good quality modelling and evaluation is hampered by challenges in sharing data and a lack of common data standards. Government does not always see data as a priority and data quality is often inadequate. We have drawn attention to poor data and a lack of joined up systems in numerous reports over the years, such as on supporting the vulnerable during lockdown, on tackling the tax gap, on effective regulation of gambling, on dealing with rough sleepers, and on identifying and tackling fraud and error. When producing and using models, poor data can lead to additional time and increased difficulty when quality assuring the model inputs. This difficulty is compounded by a lack of data standards across government which means there are inconsistent ways of recording the same information. When dealing with new situations, such as the rapidly changing pandemic, Government needs to be fast and agile at sharing data. Recommendation: The Cabinet Office should set out its progress in using its national data strategy to address the barriers to better sharing and use of data, including its development of cross-government standards for collecting, storing, recording and managing data.
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
4.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: April 2025 4.2 The strategy will be completely delivered by April 2025; however, an interim progress report will be produced by December 2023. 4.3 The Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) in Cabinet Office is responsible for delivery of Mission 3 of the National Data Strategy, and has led the creation of the Government’s 2022 to 2025 roadmap for digital and data. In this roadmap the government has outlined how all departments will work towards better use of data through a set of agreed commitments. 4.4 To provide strategic direction and oversee delivery on better use of data, CDDO convenes the Chief Data Officers’ Council, attended by data leaders from around 40 government departments, arm’s length bodies and the devolved administrations. 4.5 Governance and processes to enable the data standardisation agenda have been established. The Data Standards Authority, convened by CDDO, continues to endorse new data standards to drive convergence across government and work towards interoperability. Recent standards include the Beneficial Ownership standard (March 2022), and the Open Referral UK standard (March 2022). 4.6 To support data sharing across government, CDDO has published the Data Sharing Governance Framework, a set of principles and actions to reduce or remove common non- technical frictions and barriers to data sharing across government. CDDO is also establishing the Data Sharing Playbook, a virtual team to provide impartial support where data sharing and access discussions between departments are blocked with support from other government departments and the Office for National Statistics (ONS). During its discovery phase, the Playbook team has supported 21 cases and identified common blockers to data sharing across government departments.