Big data and the public sector: strategy and guidance

Key Points:

Before any big data analytics exercise, Agencies need a thorough understanding of the inputs, outputs, and their processes to stay within the law.

The digital economy has seen an exponential increase in the production of data, not least in government-collected data about citizens and businesses, organisations' internal operations and its own interactions with external parties such as suppliers and communities.

The benefits of big data analytics are no secret; government recognises that their use can improve decision-making, targeting and delivery of services, and thus productivity, which, in turn, can substantially reduce government administrative costs. The challenge lies not in convincing agencies to use big data but in actually analysing it effectively and lawfully.