Data plays an increasingly important role in government. Public organisations use data to develop policy, better understand societal challenges and improve public services. Data helps them make better-informed decisions, identify trends and make processes more efficient.
The amount of data available is also growing. This creates opportunities for better collaboration and innovation, but it also places greater demands on how governments manage data. Data needs to be reliable, up to date and accessible. Clear agreements are also needed on how data is managed, shared and used.
Data sharing and data availability
Many societal challenges require collaboration among different organisations. These include issues such as housing, healthcare, mobility, sustainability and security. To address these challenges effectively, public organisations need to be able to share and reuse data.
This does not mean that all data needs to be collected in one place. Increasingly, organisations are seeking ways to make data available while keeping it at its source. Agreements, standards and shared facilities help make data discoverable, accessible and usable by other organisations.
Initiatives such as the Intergovernmental Data Strategy (IBDS) and the Federated Data System support this approach. They help public organisations make data more readily available while retaining control over their data.
Responsible use of data
Using data also entails responsibilities. Public organisations must handle personal and sensitive information carefully and comply with legislation and regulations. They also need to consider information security and ethical issues.
Transparency and trust are essential. Citizens and businesses need to be able to rely on their data being kept secure and used responsibly.
These pages feature news, background information, interviews and practical examples of how data is used in government. Topics include data-driven working, data sharing, data availability, open data, standards, governance and public values.
