We have set up a Data Programme to co-ordinate all data projects across the department from data collection to data use and wider data dissemination, not forgetting a focus on people, skills and infrastructure; creating the opportunity to embed innovative data solutions across the department. The Data Programme Board also provides a platform to connect and work more effectively with policy colleagues, other departments and external stakeholders. This holistic approach allows us to identify interdependencies and efficiencies across the Department, promoting sharing not just within the department but also beyond.

These data sets are critical for producing official statistics, informing policy decisions and making grant payments, which can be up to several million pounds. Previously, data providers from a variety of external sectors submitted information to the Department in a range of different online and email-based systems.

In July 2017, a new consolidated online system went live. The new system will provide:

• greater efficiency & resilience in our data collection teams;
• more resource for analysis;
• more robust, reliable & transparent systems;
• further improvements in data quality; &
• a better user experience, including automatic email notifications on data submission and validation at the point of entry reducing the need to chase data providers for additional information.

To enable greatest utility of data across our organisation we are also focussing on adopting common data standards for all our datasets. Creating comparable datasets DCLG has worked to create data standards that can be used across datasets. We have collaborated with the UK Government Digital Service to build the single, definitive list or register of Local Authorities in England.

In partnership with Local Authorities, we have also developed data standards for the new local brownfield land registers and used these to gather and consolidate local registers from around the country via webscraping. The brownfield land registers will help house builders quickly identify suitable brownfield land – previously developed sites – on which they can build new homes. Having up-to-date publicly available information on brownfield sites, will give developers and communities’ assurance on where to plan local housing. This innovative approach has ensured the relevant data is publicly available and avoided Local Authorities having to make separate data submissions to central government.

Opening up our data for others to use Open data, such as the brownfield registers, can be used to reform public services, generate economic growth and provide accountability. DCLG have created one of the leading open data platforms in government: Open Data Communities. This enables us to make more of the data DCLG collects available- so it is open, accessible and reusable to internal and external audiences. Not only does this disseminate and create easy access to public data, but the data is in a 5*open data linked format. Publishing data in this format enables data linking between datasets, as well as enabling robust low maintenance digital apps and services. Internally we have been able to use this database to power tools such as a prototype which uses an algorithm to automatically generate factsheet briefing for Ministers and officials on local authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships and other entities.

We have also already seen the benefit of opening this data up publically. Within a few days of releasing data from over 15 million Energy Performance Certificates (EPC), third parties were combining this data with other sources in new analysis - including the first ever heat maps of property prices per square metre for the whole of England and Wales.

Not all data is suitable for publication as open data. For the evaluation of the Troubled Families Programme DCLG has linked administrative personal data on a substantial scale for the first time. To evaluate the programme we have linked data from over 150 local authorities and central government sources such as the National Pupil Database and the National Police Computer. Currently we have linked data on around 350 000 individuals, with outcomes ranging from crime and anti-social behaviour, to education and school attendance, to child safeguarding, to financial exclusion and work, to health and to domestic abuse or violence.

The projects within DCLG’s Data Programme Board - of which a few examples are set out here - are striving to create an environment where data is more easily shared and linked. This not only will lead to greater efficiencies, but also better use of data and improved outcomes for citizens and communities.