Open data isn’t exactly a high profile issue for the public,
but MPs on the Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) have got their
teeth into the subject. The publication this week of its Statistics
and Open Data report shows that its members are not happy with the progress
of campaign, and believe it’s falling far short of its promise to boost business
and provide better government through making most government data sets freely
available.
One shortcoming that stands out is that public servants
themselves don’t have the skills to do much with the data, and the
statisticians who do often hide away when they should be champions for the
cause. It follows up with a call on the Government to encourage training of
more data scientists, with a timetable and target numbers, and include data
skills and open data awareness in the Civil Service policy training.
It reflects the fact that open data is often messy data, and
while there is a case for standardisation, it is unlikely the public sector
will have the resource or the inclination to make it more user-friendly. For
the foreseeable future it’s take it or leave it, and taking it will only be a
serious option for those with someone with the ability to extract knowledge
from the mess.
It ties in with a call that I’m hearing more often for an
increase in the number of data scientists. Businesses are being told that if
they want to take advantage of big data and the internet of things they need
people with more the mathematical skills to grab insights from the torrent of
information, but the investment isn’t an easy sell at the moment. It’s still a
vague idea for many, and the benefits seem a long way off.
There’s a need for more degree courses and vocational
training, and the Government could give it a push by developing some of its
statisticians into the role of data scientists. It’s not just about the
training, but beefing up the role, and giving it the type of profile that it
gave to CIOs a few years ago. If it’s something for people in the Civil Service
to aspire to, it could raise the profile of the role and set a trend for others
to follow.
The immediate effect would be limited to a few Whitehall departments, but it could provide some longer term momentum for the profession and do something for the cause of open data.
The immediate effect would be limited to a few Whitehall departments, but it could provide some longer term momentum for the profession and do something for the cause of open data.
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