Data Management Structures in the United Kingdom: An Analysis
In a bold move towards enhancing public services, policymakers are exploring ways to make private sector data more accessible and usable for the greater good. This initiative, known as the "Private-sector data for public good: modelling data access mandates" project, aims to understand the main purposes and incentives for access to private data, common technical and non-technical obstacles, friction points between different actors, and the role of legal mandates in rebalancing power dynamics.
One sector that stands to benefit significantly from this shift is transport. For instance, Transport for London has been a consistent client of Strava Metro, using its data to assess the impact of bike safety lanes. Strava, a private company that programs a popular fitness tracking application, prepares an aggregated dataset via its Strava Metro initiative and shares the data with organizations involved in supporting active travel infrastructure. This collaboration has proven valuable, with local governments in the United States and the UK using Strava data to plan infrastructure investments, design safety features on public trails, and evaluate the success of government policy on access to green spaces.
Another area of potential improvement is water pollution management. Researchers at the environmental advocacy group Windrush Against Sewage Pollution (WASP) used sewage spill data to reveal unauthorized spills and potential environmental damage, leading to fines for three water companies totaling £168 million by the Water Service Regulation Authority (Ofwat) in 2024. However, accessing and using sewage spill data was not straightforward due to investigations, delays, and data quality issues.
To effectively implement data access mandates, policymakers should establish robust data governance frameworks. Key practices include adopting comprehensive data management standards, employing frameworks to manage risks related to privacy and representation, developing transparent data sharing agreements and governance models, and promoting alignment of interests between private companies and the public. Interoperability is crucial, with standards and APIs allowing seamless data exchange across agencies and stakeholders.
The consultation launched by the Office of Communications (Ofcom) in the UK aims to establish an access-to-data framework that prioritizes independent scrutiny. This consultation is necessary for enabling public scrutiny and independent auditing of online platforms. The consultation will feed into a report the regulator must produce under the Online Safety Act 2023.
However, it's important to note that different actors may have different objectives and incentives, which can potentially jeopardize scrutiny by obfuscating data and blocking research. A data sharing process can introduce frictions that dissuade or slow down research, ultimately delaying projects. Datasets need to be representative of the general population to avoid services that are biased towards certain demographics or overlooking harms against specific communities or groups.
In conclusion, policymakers should implement mandates backed by strong data governance, privacy and ethical oversight, interoperable technical standards, public-private collaboration, and community engagement to improve public services while managing challenges around data quality, representation, and stakeholder interests. Water and sewage companies in England and Wales are obligated to make environmental information publicly available, and both public and private organizations are currently testing different types of data access mechanisms. As we move forward, it's essential to ensure that these initiatives lead to more transparent, accountable, and effective decision-making in transport and water pollution management.
[1] Comprehensive data management standards: Master Data Management, NIST SP 800-53, FISMA [2] Frameworks for managing privacy and representation risks: Fair Information Practice Principles, Five Safes framework [3] Interoperability standards and APIs: CMS Interoperability and Patient Access Final Rule, healthcare data sharing rules [4] Open, accessible formats and centralized public data inventories: Publishing data in open, accessible formats, maintaining centralized public data inventories
- The transportation industry could greatly benefit from the Private-sector data for public good project, as the use of private data, such as Strava's, can help local governments plan infrastructure investments, design safety features, and evaluate the success of government policy on green spaces.
- In the realm of finance, having more accessible and usable data from the private sector could foster improvement in water pollution management, as demonstrated by the use of sewage spill data by environmental groups like Windrush Against Sewage Pollution to uncover unauthorized spills and environmental damage, leading to significant fines.
