Last week, members of the Commons’ Science and Technology Committee lashed out at the government’s plans to discontinue the 10-yearly national census and explore more cost effective ways of collecting population data.
They were right to do so. At a time when public budgets are continually under scrutiny and the government agenda is to make more information available online, the census will have a bigger impact than ever before. The information gathered about UK citizens and their day-to-day needs is crucial to ensure that funds and public services are allocated correctly. The vital element here is the data that the census provides about the shape, make-up and needs of the UK public.
Although we may not realise it, big data analysis also presents our economy with an important growth opportunity. This was highlighted in a recent study we carried out with the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), which calculated that better use of big data could add £216 bn to the UK economy between 2012 and 2017. However, to make this figure a reality, it’s crucial that the government starts to view data as the asset it really is.
Even though individual government departments already have access to specific information about the public this information is not currently housed in a central repository, due to the siloed nature of the public sector. The majority of the population would most likely think central and local government shares and communicates information to improve services. The unfortunate reality is that we are not quite at that stage yet. With all the data the government has on its citizens scattered across different agencies it cannot be viewed and analysed in a holistic manner, and thus its true value is either diminished or lost completely.
Findings from the Science and Technology Committee showed the benefits of the census do outweigh its financial cost. Other surveys, it argued, were not adequate replacements. Currently no other data sourcing processes deliver the same detailed snapshot of the UK’s demographic breakdown. Not only are there lessons to be had from a historical benchmarking standpoint, but the census is the only tool which provides all departments with a deep slice of data that allows them to make informed decisions about the delivery of public services. According to the customer services strategy employed by Kent Council this year, the “missing gold” is failure to make better use of the data it holds about citizens to improve service delivery.
Citizens have multiple points of contact with government, but they are whole individuals, not a fragmented set of needs. The drive for joined up services can only succeed if government has a joined up view of citizen data. The census can help achieve this as it provides the UK with one of the richest collections of population data in the world. Used correctly, the data will enable the public sector to make better, more informed decisions based on a holistic view of the UK population. It can then prioritise public spending on services that meet the needs of citizens and communities today, tomorrow and over the 10 years until the next census. In fact, we’ve been working alongside the United Nations to help developing countries establish this vital capability, so they can understand their citizen needs and demographics to accelerate their progression.
The 2011 census cost an estimated £480 m. When compared to the £216 bn potential growth big data analysis could provide the UK economy, this seems a relatively insignificant investment.
Government statisticians and the Office for National Statistics are currently working on designs for a replacement to the population survey which has run nearly every decade since 1841. Whichever direction future censuses or replacement data collection techniques take, the government needs to ensure that the same level of detail on the public is being captured and shared across all departments so that the insights needed to adequately support the public’s needs are not lost.
Simon Dennis is central government director at SAS UK