Policy paper

National Data Strategy monitoring and evaluation framework

Published 10 September 2021

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Ministerial foreword

Data has revolutionised the way that we all live and work. It is the single common factor underpinning all of the digital technology that our economy and society depends upon. From personal gadgets to medical research programmes, online shopping and infrastructure development projects - data is used throughout the UK to bring benefits to individuals and organisations.

However, we know that the future opportunities of data reach far beyond this, and there is evidence that we are not realising the full potential of data within our economy and society now. That is why, in September 2020, we published the National Data Strategy for consultation, setting out the government’s ambitions to unlock the power of data for the UK. Feedback received during the consultation confirmed that this was the right framework. In May 2021 the government responded to the consultation, and set out our next steps to implement the strategy and continue collaborating with all of our stakeholders through the National Data Strategy Forum.

It has now been one year since the National Data Strategy was first published, and we have made significant progress on a number of aspects of the strategy’s five missions. To highlight some of our key achievements, we have:

It is vital that we maintain that momentum and ensure that the National Data Strategy continues to deliver on the opportunities we are seeking to unlock. We are therefore marking the strategy’s one year anniversary by publishing an update focused on how we are monitoring and evaluating the strategy. Our monitoring and evaluation framework will ensure we are driving progress, and that the strategy remains fit for purpose in the coming years.

Data will be key to achieving this government’s ambition to level-up across the nation, transition to net zero, and build back better and fairer from COVID-19. Implementation of the National Data Strategy will help achieve those aims, but this must be informed by a diverse range of perspectives for it to be truly successful. And so we would welcome your collaboration through the National Data Strategy Forum and the five new workstreams that we are announcing today to advance the strategy’s development.

Data is an exciting opportunity, and much of the activity under the National Data Strategy is breaking new ground. It is prompting us to think about data in ways that have not been tried before. A particular priority is developing the evidence base needed so government can determine whether policy interventions are optimally designed and targeted and whether we are delivering fully against the Strategy’s objectives. This is a challenge, and one which we are making headway on. However, we know that government does not have all the answers, and there is much valuable expertise within the wider data ecosystem.

In the spirit of collaboration with which we developed the original strategy, through this publication we are launching a call for evidence on a National Data Strategy indicator suite. The suite will track data within the UK and paint a picture of what data use looks like across the country, and its contribution to the opportunities across the UK that it can help unlock . With your help, we want to comprehensively map what data sources exist to support this, and identify where we might need to create or commission new research. Together, we want to make something that can add real value to the way we all approach data in the UK now, and can inform policy-setting over the long term.


The Rt Hon John Whittingdale OBE MP
Minister of State for Media and Data

1. Monitoring and evaluation of the National Data Strategy

The National Data Strategy was originally published as a consultation in September 2020 and set out our proposals for how best to unlock the value of data in the UK. In May 2021, we then published the government’s response to the consultation which confirmed that government’s focus would now turn to implementation of the strategy.

To do this, we have created a monitoring and evaluation framework for the National Data Strategy. This will track delivery of government’s interventions, assess their effectiveness, and enable us to plan for further interventions in the future.

The framework has three guiding principles for how monitoring and evaluation of the National Data Strategy will operate:

  • Dynamic and forward looking: a framework with a strategic focus, tied to delivering real-world impacts and keeping the National Data Strategy relevant in the ever-evolving context of data and digital.
  • Outcome-oriented: a framework which focuses on the delivery of the key strategic priorities for the National Data Strategy, and achieving results.
  • Proportionate: a framework focused on taking the most appropriate approach which adds genuine value to the work under the National Data Strategy, and which doesn’t exist to simply ‘tick a box’.

The framework is comprised of three core elements, drawing on the original National Data Strategy framework:

  1. Monitoring the delivery of the five missions and the actions committed to in the September publication, to enable us to measure progress.

  2. Tracking the status of the data opportunities and pillars of effective data use, to enable us to understand the UK’s data-ecosystem.

  3. Evaluating the effectiveness of the five missions in delivering their objectives, to enable us to assess the success of our prioritised areas of action.

This document sets out an update on each of those three elements and our next steps, including:

  • Monitoring: a summary illustrating key progress and priorities for the five missions, our key delivery vehicles.
  • Tracking : a draft indicator suite, and a call for evidence for developing this further.
  • Evaluation : a summary of how we are progressing our research to support National Data Strategy implementation.
  • Next Steps: what lies in store for the National Data Strategy moving forward, and how we are collaborating to deliver through the National Data Strategy Forum.

2. Monitoring: progress and priorities

We are monitoring how the missions and associated actions of the National Data Strategy are progressing. We previously set out updates on progress reflecting the period September 2020 - May 2021 in the government response to the consultation on the National Data Strategy. Below are updates covering the period since then, as well as key priorities for the next 12 months, for each of the five missions.

Mission one: Unlocking the value of data across the economy

Key achievements for mission one and its associated actions include:

  • An investment by UKRI of £17 million into new infrastructure capabilities to enable researchers to turn data into knowledge, as part of the first phase of its Digital Research Infrastructure (DRI) programme. This initial investment is focused on enhancing access to UKRI’s research and innovation communities, and supporting new initiatives in net zero and Trusted Research Environments (TREs).
  • The Smart Data Working Group Spring 2021 report, detailing the progress made by the cross-sector Smart Data Working Group. The report provides an update on the development of sector specific Smart Data schemes, more detail on the Working Group’s efforts to identify areas for cross-sector coordination, and possible delivery models to enable this.
  • Launch of a consultation on how government can support an effective ecosystem for data intermediaries (third parties which enable data sharing) as part of the data reform consultation.
  • Appointment of a refreshed advisory board for the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation, to drive forward the Centre’s remit to ensure that data-driven innovation in complex areas actually happens, moving the dial on the UK’s tech and research competitiveness, and supporting the transformation of data use by organisations across the economy.
  • Publication of two key pieces of research by the Open Data Institute in support of Mission 1:

Mission one’s focus over the next 12 months will be continuing to develop a framework which sets out our view on where Government should act to support data availability across the economy, and seeks stakeholder views on how Government can build the evidence to support a move beyond horizontal data availability measures to target interventions in the highest-priority areas. Beyond that, mission one will continue to focus on support of the foundations that enable data availability, including by supporting the uptake of Privacy Enhancing Technologies and considering Government’s role in standards setting; work to create a trusted data sharing environment, including by supporting the development of a thriving intermediary ecosystem and the right data sharing infrastructure; build evidence to shape the emerging digital competition regime’s approach to data-related remedies; and continue to learn from international partners and develop international cooperation to support the UK’s data agenda on the world stage.

Mission two: Securing a pro-growth and trusted data regime

Key achievements for mission two and its associated actions include:

Mission two’s focus over the next 12 months will be analysing the responses to the Data Reform consultation, to inform our approach to a future data protection regime, including reform of the ICO.

Mission three: Transforming government’s use of data to drive efficiency and improve public services

Key achievements for mission three and its associated actions include:

Mission three’s focus over the next 12 months will be using 2021’s spending review process to drive improvements in data capability and sharing in government, and driving system-wide transformation to change the way we attract, grow, share and retrain Digital, Data and Technology capability within government.

Mission four: Ensuring the security and resilience of the infrastructure on which data use relies

Key achievements for mission four and its associated actions include:

  • Continued work to support the data infrastructure sector through the Covid pandemic, by securing key interventions for critical staff and providing guidance to ensure the functionality and maintenance of the sector. These included critical worker status, and a route to request case-by-case international travel quarantine exemptions and self isolation exemptions.
  • The National Security and Investment Act (NSI) received Royal Assent in April 2021 and will commence fully on 4 January 2022. The NSI Act will provide the government with a strong lever to mitigate national security risks while minimising the impact on businesses in the data infrastructure sector. This has involved work to develop a framework for scrutinising investments in the data infrastructure sector and intervening when an investment presents a risk to national security.

Mission four’s focus over the next 12 months will be continuing to build a stronger risk management framework to ensure high and consistent security and resilience standards across the sector, working closely with stakeholders to do so, in line with our commitments in the National Data Strategy consultation response. Additionally, we will focus on the Integrated Review’s commitment to address critical vulnerabilities in our Critical National Infrastructure (CNI),[footnote 1] including data infrastructure. The concept of CNI is part of HMG’s risk management tool kit, and we are therefore considering whether the criticality of UK data infrastructure warrants inclusion as ‘CNI’ to better capture the essential services it provides. The support that the Data Infrastructure sector has received during the Covid Pandemic aligns with that secured for existing CNI sectors. This reflects the importance HMG places on securing the resilience of the sector and the recognition of the role that the sector plays in underpinning many of the services we depend on.

Mission five: Championing the international flow of data

Key achievements for mission five and its associated actions include:

Mission five’s focus over the next 12 months will be securing international agreements and shaping the global position on data flows, including through adequacy assessments, negotiating provisions that enable data flows through our current and upcoming trade and multilateral negotiations, and delivery of the G7 Data Free Flow with Trust Roadmap. In particular, over the coming months the G7, Australia and Republic of Korea will meet in a series of events, along with expert stakeholders and businesses, to build evidence on data localisation, advance regulatory cooperation, and share knowledge on data sharing to support innovation.

3. Tracking: indicator suite call for evidence

A. Overview

For the National Data Strategy to be successful, we need to have a clear grasp of the real-world context for our action. To do this, we are bringing together a suite of high-level ‘indicators’, which can be tracked to provide that context. While we are still developing our longer-term approach to evaluation (covered in more detail in the Evaluation section of this publication), the suite will act as a more immediate source of evidence that can inform our broader strategic thinking.

The indicators are based on existing elements of the National Data Strategy:

  1. The pillars of effective data use: when addressed and taken together, form the basis of a ‘healthy’ data ecosystem. Improvement in the status of the Pillars suggests a move closer to a ‘healthy’ data ecosystem. Tracking will therefore focus on ‘health’ measures for each Pillar.

  2. The data opportunities: the UK is aiming to become the world’s number one data destination, which will in turn enable us to realise these key opportunities. There are specific ‘data drivers’ to support each opportunity. Tracking will therefore focus on those ‘data drivers’.

Data drivers

‘Data drivers’ are defined in this monitoring and evaluation framework as the specific ways in which data helps to support the realisation of the data opportunities in the National Data Strategy. Some data opportunities have multiple data drivers, described in further detail later in this section.

We ultimately want to compile a suite of complementary indicators across the pillars and opportunities that we can track over time, and which can represent the state of data in the UK. Data is a powerful tool which has the power to advance opportunity for everyone in society, and being able to holistically track data use in the UK in this way is an important step in enabling us to fully unlock the power of data for everyone, everywhere.

To date, we have prioritised assessing existing data sources that could feed into the indicator suite. Data policy is still a relatively new and novel field to work in, and while we have discovered a number of metrics which could help form the basis of our indicator suite, we have also unearthed gaps where there appears to be little or no existing tracking.

We are therefore calling for evidence from stakeholders across the world of digital, data and technology to help us identify what already exists in the way of appropriate metrics, and scope out the development of new metrics that could be created for future tracking.

B. The indicator suite structure

We would like to establish approximately three indicators for each of the following areas:

Pillars:

  • Data foundations: measures which examine whether data is fit for purpose, recorded in standardised formats on modern, future-proof systems and held in a condition that means it is findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable.
  • Data skills: measures which examine the state of data skills in our education system, and how they are developed throughout people’s working and everyday lives.
  • Data availability: measures which examine whether data is appropriately accessible, mobile and re-usable.
  • Responsible data use: measures which examine whether data is being used responsibly, in a way that is lawful, secure, fair, ethical, sustainable and accountable, while also supporting innovation and research.

Opportunities:

  • Boosting trade, and its data driver of removing unjustified barriers to global data flows.
  • Boosting productivity, and its data drivers of: (i) championing data-driven processes and data-enabled business models; and (ii) making data more available across the entire economy.
  • Supporting new businesses and jobs, and its data drivers of: (i) removing barriers to data use; and (ii) reducing the unnecessary regulatory compliance burden on the average business.
  • Increasing the speed, efficiency and scope of scientific research, and its data drivers of: (i) driving the standardisation of data, so that it’s easier to use and reuse; and (ii) making it easier for universities, labs, clinical trials and other research units to responsibly share their data.
  • Driving better delivery of policy and public services, and its data drivers of: (i) building up government data infrastructure; (ii) hiring more civil servants with data skills, and; (iii) training more civil service leaders to understand the potential of data.
  • Creating a fairer society for all, and its data driver of ensuring data is used responsibly, in a way that people trust.

We believe that around three indicators per pillar and opportunity should enable us to track them in a relatively holistic way, without making the suite unwieldy and difficult to interpret. We acknowledge, however, that this approach risks oversimplifying a number of complex areas, and that prioritising focus in this way could have unintended side effects on the strategy’s implementation. To mitigate this risk, we need to be conscious in finalising the suite of any potential impacts on broader strategy implementation, and indeed impacts on the data ecosystem itself. We will do this through a robust and thorough final selection process, that also takes into account any impacts we may have on equality and diversity considerations.

Each of these are very broad categories, and they have multiple inputs and factors that influence their behaviour. Ensuring that data gathered from the suite is appropriately used and interpreted, and not taken as the ‘final line’ on any one pillar or opportunity, will also be an important part of developing the final suite.

The suite will not track progress toward specific targets. Although we are continually developing our understanding of the evidence base for data interventions (covered in more detail in the Evaluation section of this publication), it is by no means comprehensive. Any targets would be at best arbitrary, and at worst a mechanism that risks introducing perverse incentives into National Data Strategy implementation. We do however intend to establish a ‘desired trend’ for each indicator (i.e.: an increase or a decrease), to help understand the state of data in the UK over the coming years, and the rate at which change is occurring.

C. Emerging thinking on the indicator suite

Pillars

Our thinking on indicators for the pillars is set out below, along with potential sources, latest data, and the gaps we are looking to fill, summarised in the table below.

  • Data foundations: We have been unable to find robust, regular data sources to measure the state of data foundations in the UK, and believe this will be a particularly challenging area in which to find quantifiable metrics that reflect the breadth of the pillar. We are considering how the recent research published in August 2020, which seeks to measure the level of ‘data foundations’ within organisations, could inform the development of potential indicators going forward.
  • Data skills: There is an increasingly good evidence base on aspects of the scale of the UK data skills gap in businesses - for example in the recent data skills gap research commissioned by DCMS - but there are few standing metrics reported on a regular basis. Outside data skills capability in business, there is limited evidence on the level of data skills in the general population, and about the demographic breakdown of people with data skills in the general workforce. We would be keen to explore these further.
  • Data availability: There are some potential metrics in this area, including ones which span international comparisons. However, measures that go beyond just business use would also be helpful.
  • Responsible data use: There are relatively good metrics in this area that already exist. We are also in the process of exploring how the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation’s forthcoming Public Attitudes Tracking Survey can help build our understanding more broadly of this area, in particular around trust in data use and the ethics of data use.
Area Indicators identified Source Confidence assessment of indicators identified Gaps identified
Data foundations None identified in current research N/A N/A Data foundations across all sectors of the UK (e.g.: private, public, third sector)
Data skills Number of businesses recruiting for roles that require data skills (48%: 2021)

Number of businesses that have struggled to recruit for roles that require data skills in the last 2 years (46%: 2021).

Number of workers that have not received any data skills training within the last two years (50%: 2021)		 Quantifying the UK Data Skills Gap (May 2021) Medium – not currently collected on a recurring basis How skills present across diverse characteristics

Data skills within the general population
Data Availability I. Percentage of businesses who use digitised data who think data has become more available (around half: 2020)

II. Percentage of businesses using digital data, estimated to be 81% of all UK Businesses (79% of micro businesses, 99% in businesses with 10-249 employees, and 100% of those with 250+employees: 2020)

III. UK Government Data Availability Score (the UK ranked 18th in 2019)		 I & II: UK Business Data Survey (May 2021)

III: OECD Open, Useful and Re-usable data (OURdata) Index: 2019 (March 2020)		 I: High

II: Medium – proxy indicator

III. High		 measures that span business, third sector, and public sector use
Responsible data use Percentage of businesses and charities who have rules in place for storing and moving personal data securely (49% for businesses, and 52% for charities in 2020)

Percentage of businesses and charities with information about how data is supposed to be stored in their cyber security policies (80% for businesses, and 85% for charities in 2020)		 UK Cyber Security Breaches Survey (March 2021) Medium – proxy indicator Trust in data use

Measures related to data ethics
Confidence assessment key:

High = indicator represents the pillar or opportunity well based on methodological considerations, regularity of collection, and its direct fit to the area in question

Medium = indicator represents the pillar or opportunity well, but only meets two of the three criteria that satisfy the ‘high’ confidence assessment (specified in table)

Low = indicator represents the pillar or opportunity partially (further detail in the table)

Opportunities

Our thinking on indicators for the opportunities is set out below, along with potential sources, latest data, and the gaps we are looking to fill, summarised in the table below.

  • Boosting trade, driven by removing unjustified barriers to global data flows: we are looking to estimate the UK’s data-enabled service exports and imports, a more direct measure than statistics on the value of UK digital trade (likely a limited proxy for data related trade). Using ONS trade data and UN classification of ‘digitally deliverable services’,[footnote 2] we aim to aggregate services trade in certain digitally deliverable industries, and this will provide an estimate of potentially data-enabled services trade. We are also continuing to develop our evidence base and understanding on the scope and scale of unjustified barriers to data flows.
  • Boosting productivity, driven by (i) championing data-driven processes and data-enabled business models, and (ii) making data more available across the entire economy: we are planning research to deepen our understanding of whether whole-economy statistics could play a role here, and how to hone that to productivity gains directly attributable to data. Measures for Data Availability could be potentially used in this specific context also, given how this underpins the opportunity. We are interested in exploring a mechanism for collecting information on organisational operational models, and the extent to which data plays a role, across the private, public and third sectors.
  • Supporting new businesses and jobs, driven by (i) removing barriers to data use, and (ii) reducing the unnecessary regulatory compliance burden on the average business: there is some data available within this opportunity which can reflect on how new businesses are faring, however we acknowledge that these will be affected by a range of factors, and we are considering whether information gathered in the next UK Business Data Survey could provide more targeted insight against this opportunity. We are also interested in looking at an effective mechanism for measuring barriers which businesses face, and compliance costs.
  • Increasing the speed, efficiency and scope of scientific research by (i) driving the standardisation of data, so that it’s easier to use and reuse, and (ii) making it easier for universities, labs, clinical trials and other research units to responsibly share their data: there is good data on Research and Development spend by UK businesses, although the direct proportion of this related to ‘data use’ is perhaps unclear, and does not cover academic or institutional uses, in particular how data flows within the broader research community, which are significant aspects of this opportunity.
  • Driving better delivery of policy and public services by (i) building up government data infrastructure, (ii) hiring more civil servants with data skills, and (iii) training more civil service leaders to understand the potential of data: we are working with the Central Digital and Data Office, who are responsible for delivering mission 3 of the National Data Strategy, and against which this opportunity closely aligns, to identify suitable metrics that fully reflect this area. We are considering the extent to which measures of data professionals within government, and measures of data-sharing within government, could be appropriate here. However, we would ideally like to look at holistic government measures, and also ensure we are covering local government as well as central government through this opportunity.
  • Creating a fairer society for all by ensuring data is used responsibly, in a way that people trust: this is a particularly challenging area to measure, given its breadth and diversity of existing work being done to understand the drivers and outcomes at play. The accuracy of data about individuals, trust in data use and impacts and perceptions of algorithms are key parts of this indicator which we are interested in exploring. Thus far, we have found little in the way of existing metrics that we could draw on to measure this, and are considering to what extent surveys of individuals could be used to compile quantifiable and robust metrics; in particular, this is potentially another area where the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation’s forthcoming Public Attitudes Tracking Survey could help supply indicators.
Area Indicators identified Source Confidence assessment of indicators identified Gaps identified
Boosting trade Value of UK digital good imports and exports (£17.4bn value of exported goods, £43.2bn value of imported goods in the digital sector in 2019) DCMS Sectors Economic Estimates Medium – proxy indicator Data-enabled trade
Boosting productivity None identified in current research N/A N/A Productivity gains directly attributable to data

Public and third sector measures of organisational operational models
Supporting new businesses and jobs I. Number of new businesses, and survival of businesses, in the field of data processing, hosting and related activities; web portals (new businesses = 870 in 2020; 66.5% of new enterprises in this field formed in 2017 continued to operate in 2019: UK, 2019)

II. Births and survivals of new businesses overall (390,230 UK Business births in 2019 with 69.3 of new enterprises forming in 2017 surviving to 2019: UK, 2019)		 Business demography, UK statistical bulletins, ONS I. Medium – represents a relatively small proportion of businesses

II. Low – indicator focuses on overarching landscape more than ‘data’ itself		 Measures of barriers and compliance costs
Increasing the speed, efficiency and scope of scientific research Research and Development spend by UK businesses (£25.9bn: UK, 2019) Business enterprise research and development, UK Statistical bulletins, ONS Low – indicator focuses on overarching landscape more than ‘data’ itself Data use in academia

Researchers accessing data
Driving better delivery of policy and public services None identified in current research N/A N/A Holistic central government measures

Local government measures
Creating a fairer society for all None identified in current research N/A N/A Trust in data use

Impacts and perceptions of algorithms

Accuracy of data recorded about individuals
Confidence assessment key:

High = indicator represents the pillar or opportunity well based on methodological considerations, regularity of collection, and its direct fit to the area in question

Medium = indicator represents the pillar or opportunity well, but only meets two of the three criteria that satisfy the ‘high’ confidence assessment (specified in table)

Low = indicator represents the pillar or opportunity partially (further detail in the table)

D. Call for evidence questions

We may be able to fill certain gaps through commissioning new surveys, or by expanding the scope of existing surveys, such as the UK Business Data Survey. However, we know that data and digital is a rapidly-evolving field, and there could be a number of existing metrics that we are not aware of. We are keen to hear your views on what metrics we could feed into this work.

For the purposes of this call for evidence, we are defining a metric as a measure which is recorded on an annual or regularly recurring basis, from a reputable source, and which is available in the public domain.

Based on that context:

  1. Are you aware of any metrics which currently exist which we could use as indicators for the pillars or opportunities? If so, please provide a hyperlink or further information on where they are recorded. We would particularly value input where we have no or low confidence measures.

  2. Do you have any thoughts on metrics which are being developed, or could be developed, which we could use as indicators for the pillars or opportunities?

  3. Do you have any comments on the indicators which we have suggested?

  4. Do you have any views on how the National Data Strategy indicator suite is structured?

For questions 1 and 2, we are particularly interested in indicators that:

  • broadly represent the UK, including the private, public and third sectors
  • highlight how data impacts on diverse or underrepresented groups
  • can be broken down to a regional level within the UK
  • consider how international factors may influence the pillars or opportunities
  • can be compared at an international level to demonstrate the UK’s relative position in a global context

Please visit Annex A for more details on how to respond.

4. Working towards evaluation: building the evidence base

As set out above, research on tracking and evaluating data use is still at a relatively early stage. This means that we have evidence gaps that we need to fill, to maximise the effectiveness of the National Data Strategy’s monitoring and evaluation framework and ensure we are targeting our actions effectively.

We have already started making progress on this, and over the past 9 months have published the following pieces of research that are informing our thinking:

  • The increasing access to data held across the economy report (March 2021), which set out a framework to help prioritise possible interventions related to increasing the availability of data, highlighting six barriers to data availability and six possible levers for intervention.
  • The quantifying the UK data skills gap report (May 2021), which helped define and quantify the UK’s data skills gap and provide evidence on the overall need for data skills in the UK economy, the specific needs for data skills across various business sizes and sectors, and where a future focus on training and recruitment might lie.
  • The UK Business Data Survey 2020 results (May 2021), which for the first time set out how businesses are collecting, using and transferring data, confirming that 81% of all UK businesses handle digitised personal data, digitised non-personal data, or both, and use of data increases considerably as businesses become larger.
  • The data foundations and AI adoption in the UK private and third sectors report (August 2021), which confirms that data foundations are a critical prerequisite for the effective adoption of AI, though not sufficient on their own. There is widespread understanding of data’s importance to the success and growth of UK private and third sector organisations, however challenges remain for improving data foundations and increasing the adoption of AI technologies.

We will soon be publishing two further reports that expand the evidence base further. These will cover:

  • The societal impact of data use, which will set out the types of broader market, societal and environmental impacts of data use beyond the immediate users. These include potential privacy impacts, network effects and economies of scale.
  • The value of data assets, which will set out the advantages and disadvantages of methods to assess the value of data assets that organisations hold, and how to approach the valuation of changes in data assets.

This body of research is an important input for measuring the impact of data policy interventions in a meaningful way, and therefore being able to accurately quantify the success of the National Data Strategy. To do this, we will focus our evaluation efforts on the National Data Strategy missions, as the priority areas of actions for the strategy where we expect to have maximum impact. Each mission is unique, and so we will take a tailored approach to evaluating the success of each, drawing on best practice evaluation methodology from across government and beyond, and accounting for any further research on data-use as it emerges.

5. Next steps for the National Data Strategy

A. Our evolving context

The UK’s data and digital ecosystem is rapidly evolving within a similarly evolving global context. We will need to ensure that the framework takes account of the latest and most impactful developments in data, continues to meet our longer-term ambition and goals, helps build resilience for the UK, and that the actions and missions are still tackling the right issues.

Our phased and flexible approach to future iterations of the National Data Strategy will ensure that we remain agile and alert to emerging trends. We continue to monitor a range of trends across the data landscape. For instance, we are monitoring the market dominance of a small number of technology companies’ impact on data innovation, as well as how political trends such as increased tensions around trade may pose obstacles to free flow of data and knowledge sharing.

As part of our evolving thinking, we have also started to consider the flow of data across borders within the broader international data ecosystem, looking at it as a whole. We have worked with GO-Science and our Chief Scientific Advisor to conduct a large-scale horizon scanning exercise, identifying key trends impacting the international data ecosystem to 2030 and the UK’s role within it. Further to this, we are currently exploring possible future scenarios for the international data system and how we might better seek to shape it. This will enable us to work towards a long-term UK ambition for data in the global order against which we can monitor and evaluate progress. It will support a more comprehensive approach in our engagement with international partners, frame discussions and explore issues in a more holistic manner, forge relationships seeking to address dependencies where there is a chain of problems, and identify opportunities to consider what we can use and build on better and maximise social and economic benefit for the UK.

We want to shape an accessible, interoperable international data system that enables competition and supports a level playing field. An international system that works ‘as a whole’ for the UK will be crucial to delivering the National Data Strategy and Integrated Review ambition to unlock the power of data and establish the UK as the most attractive global marketplace and a global services, digital and data hub.

To ensure we are taking into account this evolving context through all aspects of our work, we are taking steps to establish a Data Horizon Scanning Knowledge Hub that will embed future focused working across National Data Strategy workstreams. This function will:

  1. Monitor trends in the data landscape and share timely updates with policymakers and Ministers.

  2. Collate a list of methodologies toolkits to support future focused thinking across missions.

  3. Establish a network of external future thinkers across the ecosystem that can support policymakers and, where appropriate, play an active role in the National Data Strategy Forum.

  4. Provide learning and development opportunities to policymakers to improve their horizon scanning skills.

This new function will ensure that our policy development remains future focused, able to leverage opportunity and manage risk early in this broader global data order, and stand ready to tackle the data challenges of tomorrow. We are keen to know if there are other ways we should be thinking about this work - if you have any thoughts or would be interested in joining our network of future thinkers, please get in touch with us by contacting nationaldatastrategy@dcms.gov.uk.

B. National Data Strategy Forum

A key objective of the National Data Strategy Forum is to help shape the development of the future vision for the Strategy. This includes horizon-scanning for future opportunities and providing challenge and advice on the long-term future direction of the Strategy.

Following the Forum’s first discussion in the summer, we identified in collaboration with Forum participants five key workstreams to structure that activity around:

Workstream Aims
Unlocking the power of data for everyone everywhere This workstream will focus on unlocking the power of data, whether that’s improving data quality and standards or increasing access - right across the UK data ecosystem and in all the UK’s regions. We want the Forum to share learning and best practice on the steps we can all take and on how we do this in a way that helps all parts of the UK to level up.
Trust in data We want to build public support for trustworthy data use, so that data can be harnessed to unlock societal benefits and improve lives. This workstream will bring together an active and collaborative network of Forum participants, who can help us collate the evidence and examples we need to rebalance the conversation about data use and build that support.
Data Reform This workstream will help ensure we are bringing a diverse range of views to the data reform consultation exercise. Working with Forum participants, we want to help them start their own discussion events and create content about the data reform consultation, and take forward deep dive workshops and discussions to get into the detail.
Net Zero Data infrastructure is energy-intensive, but data collection and analysis can also support environmental sustainability by enhancing the energy efficiency of supply chains and production. This workstream will explore how we can work together to harness the power of data to meet our net zero ambitions.
Measuring the data ecosystem This workstream will focus on mapping out metrics for the National Data Strategy indicator suite, and collectively tackling key challenges thrown up by a lack of evidence or the complexity of what we are seeking to track. We will also explore how mapping stakeholder activity across the wider data ecosystem can help us understand how it is supporting implementation of the National Data Strategy.

We will use the National Data Strategy Forum to progress and develop these themes, to ensure we are capturing the right priority issues and opportunities for the future.

To get involved with any of these workstreams, please visit our National Data Strategy Forum page, where you can register your interest.

Annex A: How to respond to the call for evidence

Who we are seeking to hear from

We are keen to hear from a representative cross section of society, ensuring diversity and inclusion. The call for evidence has been designed with due consideration to the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Given the focus of the call for evidence, we consider it to have particular relevance to academics, and research and policy organisations with a particular interest in the role of data in the economy and society, as well as international data standards, regulation, and governance bodies.

This exercise is on a UK-wide basis: we welcome responses from organisations and individuals across the UK. The strategy covers both reserved and devolved areas: where the strategy covers reserved areas (and, in respect of Northern Ireland, excepted areas), it does so for the whole UK, and where it covers devolved or transferred areas, it applies to England only.

The call for evidence: how to respond

The call for evidence will be open for 12 weeks, closing on Friday 03 December 2021 to allow time for your consideration and response.

To help us analyse the responses please use the online system wherever possible. Visit DCMS’s online survey platform to submit your response. Hard copy responses can be sent to:

National Data Strategy
DCMS
100 Parliament Street
London
SW1A 2BQ

Email: nationaldatastrategy@dcms.gov.uk

If you are submitting a hard copy response, please include your name, organisation, and a contact email.

Summary of next steps

We will look to analyse and consider the feedback received as part of this call for evidence in the development of the indicator suite. We will share an update on our thinking in 2022.

Privacy notice

The following is to explain your rights and give you the information you are entitled to under the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (“the Data Protection Legislation”). This notice only refers to your personal data (e.g. your name, email address, and anything that could be used to identify you personally) not the content of your response to the call for evidence questions.

What personal data does the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) collect?

Most of the personal information we collect and process is provided to us directly by you. This includes:

Personal identifiers, contacts and characteristics (for example, name and contact details).

Why we are collecting your personal data

Your personal data is being collected to allow the National Data Strategy Implementation team to follow-up, if needs be, on responses to the call for evidence.

Our lawful ground for processing your personal data

The Data Protection Legislation states that, as government departments, the departments may process personal data as necessary for the effective performance of a task carried out in the public interest (i.e. a consultation).

We will not:

  • sell or rent your data to third parties
  • share your data with third parties for marketing purposes
  • use your data in analytics

We will share your data if we are required to do so by law – for example, by court order, or to prevent fraud or other crime.

With whom we will be sharing your personal data

Information you provide in response to this call for evidence, including personal information, may be disclosed in accordance with UK legislation (the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004).

If you want the information that you provide to be treated as confidential please tell us but be aware that we cannot guarantee confidentiality in all circumstances.

Qualtrics is the online survey platform used to submit responses to this call for evidence. They will store the data in accordance with the controller’s instructions and their privacy policy.

For how long we will keep your personal data, or criteria used to determine the retention period.

Your personal data will be held for two years after the call for evidence is closed. This is so that the department is able to contact you regarding the outcomes of the call for evidence, following analysis of the responses.

Your rights, e.g. access, rectification, erasure

The data we are collecting is your personal data, and you have considerable say over what happens to it. You have the right:

  • to see what data we have about you
  • to ask us to stop using your data, but keep it on record
  • to have all or some of your data deleted or corrected
  • to lodge a complaint with the independent Information Commissioner (ICO) if you think we are not handling your data fairly or in accordance with the law

You can contact the ICO at https://ico.org.uk, or phone 0303 123 1113. ICO, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Your personal data will not be used for any automated decision making

Your personal data will be stored in a secure government IT system and the survey company’s secure system

We are committed to doing all that we can to keep your data secure. We have set up systems and processes to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure of your data – for example, we protect your data using varying levels of encryption.

We also make sure that any third parties that we deal with keep all personal data they process on our behalf secure.

Changes to this privacy notice

We may change this privacy policy. In that case, the ‘last updated’ date at the bottom of this page will also change. Any changes to this privacy policy will apply to you and your data immediately.

If these changes affect how your personal data is processed, the controllers will take reasonable steps to let you know.

What are your data protection rights?

You have rights over your personal data under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018). The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the supervisory authority for data protection legislation, and maintains a full explanation of these rights on their website.

DCMS will ensure that we uphold your rights when processing your personal data.

How do I complain?

The contact details for the data controller’s Data Protection Officer (DPO) are:

Data Protection Officer
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
100 Parliament Street
London
SW1A 2BQ

Email: DCMSdataprotection@dcms.gov.uk

If you’re unhappy with the way we have handled your personal data and want to make a complaint, please write to the department’s Data Protection Officer or the Data Protection Manager at the relevant agency. You can contact the department’s Data Protection Officer using the details above.

How to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office

If you believe that your personal data has been misused or mishandled, you may make a complaint to the Information Commissioner, who is an independent regulator. You may also contact them to seek independent advice about data protection, privacy and data sharing.

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Website: www.ico.org.uk
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Email: casework@ico.org.uk

Any complaint to the Information Commissioner is without prejudice to your right to seek redress through the courts.

This notice was last updated on 06/09/2021.

  1. Critical National Infrastructure are critical elements of infrastructure (namely assets, facilities, systems, networks or processes and the essential workers that operate and facilitate them), where the loss or compromise of which could result in major detrimental impact on the availability, integrity or delivery of essential services – including those services, whose integrity, if compromised, could result in significant loss of life or casualties – taking into account significant economic or social impacts; and/or significant impact on national security, national defence, or the functioning of the state. ↩

  2. Using an UNCTAD definition (Trade in ICT/Enabled services) of digitally deliverable services, i.e. services principally or largely enabled by ICT. From this, we aim to aggregate value of trade in the following industries: insurance and pension; finance; IP; telecoms, computer and IT services; business services; personal, cultural and recreational. ↩

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