1. User Engagement – The Producer Perspective RSS Conference – Sep 2016
Tom Davies
Head of Client Statistics
Data & Analytics, Department for Work and Pensions

2. Cover DWP statistics and some recent developments
What User Engagement we do
A practical example of user testing and its conclusions

3. DWP statistics One of the largest producers of Official Statistics
Our data sources are mostly administrative data designed for operational purposes

4. DWP statistics – a layered approach

5. DWP statistics developments: Stat-Xplore
New tool for dissemination of DWP statistics
Ability for user to have access to a broader range of data and to customise the breakdowns they require.

6. DWP statistics developments: release template
DWP Statistics moving to new template: landscape view; charts and maps.
Reduced in size: Households Below Average Income - from 132 pages to 22.
Appealing to a wider range of users.
Before
…..and after

7. User engagement
Statistical Publication Strategies – encourage comments from range of stakeholders.
External User Groups – e.g. Welfare Sector Transparency Board
Stats User Network
Close working with Internal Stakeholders
User analysis – Stat-Xplore usage analysis; Google analytics. Use to determine what goes into Release.

8. User engagement – practical example
Series of user-testing sessions - how well do DWP statistics meet the needs of our users.
12 volunteers - complete a number of ‘information retrieval’ tasks using our statistics pages on gov.uk.
E.g. “How many people are receiving Jobseeker’s Allowance?”
“When will Universal Credit statistics next be published?”
“How many children live in low income households?”
Used specialist equipment to record participants’ on-screen actions and facial responses
Encouraged to think out loud - understand why they were doing things in a particular way.

9. User engagement – practical example: results
The Good...
the Bad…
and the Baffling…
There’s a lot of useful stuff in here
Oh no… I can’t look through all this
Where’s the data?
That was dead easy to find…3 clicks
Well… that’s not obvious is it?
Is this the latest one?
This page is better than just wanging it into Google
Why isn’t it in the search results?
Am I in the right place?
It took an average of 8.5 clicks to find requested information. If they had followed shortest path – less than 4 clicks.
Outcome: Used the evidence to identify and prioritise improvements to our statistics.
E.g. a new theme-based approach for finding statistics, alongside the existing search options (A-Z collection list and release calendar)

10. Challenges
Wide range of users; some are more visible to us than others.
Hoops to jump through
Summary
Used user engagement to develop how we release statistics so more accessible to all users; and give users more freedom to interrogate.
Use routes to external users to inform and consult
New world – user analysis and user testing
Any comments on DWP statistics to :