1. Big Data and Local Government: an oxymoron or a marriage made in heaven?
Vania Sena, Essex Business School and ESRC Business and Local Government Data Research Centre University of Essex
BLG Data Research Centre

2. Housekeeping Introduction
The debate around how big data can inform policy seems focused on the Central Government only. However, this topic matters to Local Governments as well. This has become even more important given their budgetary pressures.

3. Housekeeping LGs and Big Data
What are Big Data in the case of LGs? Why should LGs be interested in Big Data? What are the barriers?

4. Housekeeping LGs and Big Data
Big Data tend to be described by a set of Vs: Velocity, Variety, Viscosity, Variability, Veracity, Volatility Some authors have pointed out that data from the public sector cannot be considered Big Data.

5. Housekeeping Big Data and LGs
Big Data from LGs have VOLUME, VARIETY and (depending on the source) VERACITY. Not only Smart Cities.

6. Housekeeping Big Data and LGs
Examples: Administrative records of the delivered services; Personal data of beneficiaries; CCTV recordings; Feedback forms from customers. Data can be structured, unstructured, static and dynamic. Data can be very granular (CIN census is an example).

7. Housekeeping Big Data and LGs
Complexity is the key feature of Big Data from LGs:
Data are collected by several organisations;
Common standards for data collection have not been created;
Unit of observation may differ across the several organisations and the choice may be driven by the reporting needs.
Picture becomes more complicated if data from private organisations have to be used.

8. Housekeeping Big Data and LGs
It is not useful to concentrate on data from one local authority. It is better to focus on the whole data ecosystem around each local authority. This includes data owners (public and private) and data users who can become data owners as well.

9. Housekeeping Benefits from Big Data
What can Big Data do for LGs? Systematic exploitation of Big Data can help them save up to £25.4 billion over five years (Policy Exchange, 2015). Digital Transformation agenda.

10. Housekeeping Benefits from Big Data Data can be used to:
understand what drives needs in a community,
emphasise prevention;
Change of the model of service provision:
- synaptic public services;
- key role of commissioning.

11. Housekeeping Benefits from Big Data
However, most applications of Big Data methodologies seem to be limited to data platforms and apps. Started to use Big Data to reconfigure services. Very little is known about uses of Big Data to support the commissioning function within LGs.

12. Housekeeping Challenges Data silos; Data access and data sharing;
No secure data facility for data matching;
Lack of analytical skills and uncoordinated IT investments;
Organisational culture;
Ethical issues.

13. Example of a Big Data project
Housekeeping
Integrated Data Model for Children Services:
Understand what drives the demand for children’s services;
Identify the links among the different services;
Identify areas where early prevention is possible.

14. Example of a Big Data project
Housekeeping
Access to external data was difficult (data sharing agreement would take too long).
Need for corporate support.
Underpins the commissioning process now but it took a while.

15. Empower
Housekeeping
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