Articles

Officials should publish more freely; the media more carefully

Vast quantities of information are generated each second, but how can policymakers exploit ‘big data’ to inform their decisions? Ben Willis watched as experts from the worlds of academia, IT and policy tried to make sense of it all

The government will legislate so that departments can share information on people who owe debt to public bodies, Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude announced on Monday. However, he also told CSW that he couldn’t guarantee that the legislation will be passed in this Parliament.

Now more than ever, the census is vital in ensuring public services and funds are properly allocated, argues Simon Dennis

As the Parliament’s halfway point looms, Tim Fish and Ben Willis examine the Cabinet Office’s progress against the tasks it was set in May 2010 as part of the Coalition’s Programme for Government.

Central government has shown the smallest increase in self-reported data breaches compared to other parts of the public and private sector, according to figures obtained from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) by data security firm Imation Corp.

The four members of the Public Data Group (PDG) are working together to develop new commercial, revenue-generating data services, Land Registry chief executive Malcolm Dawson has told CSW. The move will help Land Registry to generate an income from some of its data, funding the publication of other datasets without charge.

Central government has shown the smallest increase in self-reported data breaches compared to other parts of the public and private sector, according to figures obtained from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) by data security firm Imation Corp.

Since last year, the PM and DPM have been noisily pushing for the rapid implementation of coalition policies. Matt Ross meets Will Cavendish, whose job it is to chivvy departments into delivering on the government’s promises

The Department of Health’s new information strategy sets out plans to standardise data collection in NHS bodies, and to share and use it more effectively. Colin Marrs examines a trailblazer for the open data agenda

Civil servants support moves to increase the transparency of government and to devolve powers down to local government and communities, but are strongly opposed to outsourcing delivery to the private and voluntary sectors, an exclusive poll by CSW has found.

Getting the right metrics to drive effective markets is no easy task, but it’s key to payment by results. It can also be a dry topic – which may be why Joshua Chambers begins his investigation with Pacman and Jurassic Park.

The government must measure and monitor the costs and benefits of increased transparency and open access to public data, the National Audit Office said in a report published last week.

The release of official statistics to ministers, special advisers and civil servants before their official publication is largely unnecessary and causes the public to mistrust the figures, Andrew Dilnot, the new head of the UK Statistics Authority, has told Civil Service World.

Public sector trading funds are to be paid to release more of their data to the public for free as part of the government’s ‘open data’ initiative, it was announced last week.

Former cabinet secretary Lord O’Donnell has told the House of Commons Justice Committee that a ‘safe house’ should be established where ministers can speak freely without fear of a Freedom of Information request.

Government must remember the cost of gathering public sector data before it gives it away in its ‘open data’ initiative, Ordnance Survey (OS) chief executive Vanessa Lawrence has told CSW.

Christopher Graham, the information commissioner, has criticised the “nonsense” from some civil servants who claim that the Freedom of Information Act (FoIA) threatens good government.

Departmental select committee chairs have provided mixed reviews of the departments they scrutinise for a Civil Service World Special Report, which has found that 40 per cent of them are dissatisfied with departments’ responses to their reports.

The government has just published the submissions to its open data consultation. Mark Rowe learns about the many and varied pressures on the Cabinet Office's transparency team, charged with finding a way forwards

Voluntary sector bodies are warning that Cabinet Office plans to dramatically broaden access to public data may end up putting charities and social enterprises at a disadvantage in the competition for service delivery contracts, as private companies plead commercial confidentiality to evade new transparency rules.

National Audit Office chief Amyas Morse has raised concerns about the quality of data departments will receive under new systems designed to ensure accountability in devolved service provision.