data THING
i've been trying to work on something that sums up my thinking on data strategy but it's more my thoughts than just strategy... the hardest part is deciding what to call it... 🥴 well here it is anyway:
i believe that
- data is not a standalone "thing". if we treat it like one we end up focusing on reporting and dashboards which, although they are interesting, don't deliver real value
- services are already "data-driven", just not in a digital way. officers make decisions based on data all day long. to say "we need to become data-driven" does them a disservice
- big data and a heavy focus on analytics works for companies like amazon with huge resources, huge volumes of transactions and a focused purpose
- local government is diverse and fragmented. we deal with the edge cases of society - situations that require nuance, sensitivity and a human touch. they can't all be reduced to an algorithm or automated.
- AI work should focus first on the mundane, low importance, drudgery work. the boring stuff that people don't want to be doing. lots of people work in govt because they are passionate about helping people. let them craft the important things that are meaningful for them, don't hand it over to a machine.
- adding new tools without removing old burdens doesn't help. we need to focus on changes that reduce workload
- data only becomes useful information with context, so business area experts are the best people to lead this work.
for me this means
- we need to pressure the sector to improve the software on offer. so much of the work i've done on "data" projects is spent working around inadequacies in the software we use. we should invest in fixing the problem at source - demand better during procurement, work with suppliers to improve their offerings
- we will get a better ROI from investing in data work as integrations and automation over analytics and reporting - reduce context switching, reduce manual entry, reduce looking things up
- analytics work should be aligned around decision making points. if there isn't a lever that can be pulled it won't have any impact
- don't get me wrong - analytics work has real value and i enjoy doing it. but right now, for most councils, poor integration and manual processes are bigger barriers than lack of dashboards
- most of our day-to-day frustrations come from clunky software and bureaucratic processes, not from lack of reports. people aren't being held back by lack of dashboards- they're being held back by having to use 5 different systems to complete one task
the reality we're working with
- data is often tied to software - systems have their own databases that come coupled with specific applications. as more systems move to cloud, more of this data is managed by suppliers. though we can create data warehouses for reporting, we have less control over the core data itself.
- legacy systems aren't going away soon. long contracts, limited alternatives, and budget constraints mean we can't simply start fresh. we need to make the most of what we have while building toward something better
- we need to be realistic about impact - local authorities have complex decision-making processes (which is often appropriate given the range of functions we provide). this means analytics work may not translate directly into immediate changes, so we should focus on areas where we can make tangible improvements
- in many cases data doesn't need "unlocking" - often what we really need doesn't exist, or doesn't exist in a digital format yet
- there's a risk of "data" becoming another silo rather than the unifying platform it should be
what i am focusing on
- mapping out the key entities we deal with. agree a single reference for each and ensure it's present in every system that works with that entity
- designing integrations and automation that replace manual processing or embed data into workflows to reduce application switching
- data warehousing projects that deliver value through time savings from automation, not just the end analysis
- business analysis training and support for system admins working in business areas
- building relationships with suppliers to influence product development toward more open, integrated approaches