User engagement: English Indices of Deprivation 2015 RSS Stats User Forum 27th March 2017 The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) published the Indices of Deprivation 2015 in September 2015 The work was conducted by Oxford Consultants for Social Inclusion (OCSI) NatCen Social Research assisted with user engagement for the update Baljit Gill, DCLG and Kirby Swales, NatCen www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-indices-of-deprivation-2015 Indices.deprivation@communities.gsi.gov.uk

Why engage users? Inform business case – who uses the Indices, how and why Review the methodology and indicators invite ideas eg what new data sources are there test specific proposals explore appetite for change Improve dissemination and guidance How well are the outputs understood? How easily accessed? What more information can we share How can we reduce simple queries

Engagement Plan Learning from user queries DCLG Statistics User Engagement Day GSS Methodology Advisory Committee: response to paper LGA and PHE use cases Government statisticians use cases Project Board and Advisory Group (central and local government and other interest groups Inc VCS) Poverty and Inequality Statistics User Forum Engagement embedded into development and delivery of the Indices contract– appointed OCSI with NatCen Government consultation Monitor feedback, queries, analytics

How was the user engagement done Pre-consultation Survey User Events Formal consultation survey

Pre-consultation survey Questionnaire Type of user Type and examples of use Versions of IMD used Ease of use and Access Closed and open questions 248 submissions a – a good response! Key learning: sample frames, questionnaire design, organisation vs individual responses, confidentiality, analysis of verbatim text Good response reflects well on IMD or the method.

User events - agenda

Findings from user survey, July 2014 Aim 1) What the data is used for, how it is accessed and how well it is understood Aim 2) Invite ideas for updating and strengthening the Indices 248 fully completed responses: 2/3 of submissions from Local Authorities, followed by central government departments/arm’s length bodies (10 per cent). 63% use Indices data ‘very often’ 78% use , or have used, multiple years of Indices data 69% use more than one of the Indices (IMD, IDACI and IDAOPI) Most use LSOA (94%) and LA level data (78%) It is used for multiple and varied purposes User survey… Summer 2014 Received 236 fully completed interviews Data users predominantly held research and analysis roles within their organisations (64 per cent). Many of the remaining contributors were split between policy (5 per cent); information management (5 per cent); service management (4 per cent); and academic (4 per cent) roles. Three per cent of submissions were made collectively by organisations. Two-thirds of submissions came from Local Authorities (67 per cent), followed by central government departments or arm’s length bodies (10 per cent). The remaining responses came from a variety of different organisations

User events – key points Format includes presentation and group discussions. About 50 at each event. Don’t under-estimate event planning Lots of ‘rich’ material generated: Need for non-technical guidance and summaries Need to access spreadsheets and underlying data Sharing of information on tools and resources Advice on using data, especially changes over time and aggregating geographies Continuity and change “Getting the best measure of deprivation at any one point in time is better than sticking with it [previous approach for continuity]. But too far to the right [a radical vision for change] is throwing everything up in the air” Frequency of updates and issues with measurement (e.g. Universal Credit). Possible new data sources IN SUMMARY, A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO MEET USERS Almost all people turned up

What worked well: each element has strengths Examples of uses help make the case - including £ involved Embedding engagement into development work (within a contract) combines expertise and brings meaningful engagement at pace Surveys allow more open and inclusive user engagement in the early stages of development – rather than wait for formal consultation stage Helps to have a good user email list One survey can pitch to general and very technical audience You can present a technical paper within it and invite ideas Nice to be able to quantify eg the majority find Indices easy to use (90%) and easy to interpret (83%) Formal consultation is important; gives balance but options offered are limited Face to face is invaluable: people seem to like a chance to hear about/discuss upcoming consultation producers are more available to users, and should get out of London understand the issues users face, gives colour to survey and consultation gives good grasp of how to improve outputs eg make more accessible, clear, easy to use. Could test examples. understand appetite for future development and priorities – more blue skies What is also needed is to maintain the momentum Look for ways to keep the user list active Keep building use cases Though tend to have a fallow period with this kind of product

The Index of Multiple Deprivation measures relative deprivation at neighbourhood level

How can the Indices be used?

Indices of Deprivation Explorer http://dclgapps. communities. gov

Links and register to receive updates English Indices of Deprivation 2015 published September 2015 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-indices-of-deprivation-2015 (See FAQs for links to mapping tools/resources) More about the Indices including previous versions https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/english-indices-of-deprivation Register to receive alerts, email ‘subscribe’ to indices.deprivation@communities.gsi.gov.uk Queries and feedback: indices.deprivation@communities.gsi.gov.uk