The impact of poor data management

Sarah Brown

Things have changed…

Departmental silos

Need to be accessible and relevant

E Government. Joined up Government

Relevance• E.g housing,

leisure, health, social services>>>>

“Ten years ago we told them they were going to have red doors and they had red doors. Now we

consult about everything.”A Housing Officer

The vision

• “Delivering the best treatment to each service user at the right time through the most suitable channel at the appropriate cost: a citizen-centric approach with efficient and effective service delivery”

Data issues

• Accuracy

• Completeness

• Relevance

• Up to the minute

• Not used inflexibly.

Strategic difficulties

• Multiple systems

• No overall responsibility

• No data strategy

• Multiple channels of collection

• Lack of senior management buy-in

• Lack of personnel / technology / budget

• Training and cultural issues

The costs of poor data

• Your image• Annoyed service users• Failure to maximise

opportunity• Poor service delivery

/Inefficiency• Operational inadequacy• Competitive disadvantage• Demoralised staff.

Big Danger

• This approach encourages the perception of customers as records, numbers, segments and service centres.

• “I am not just a number”

Effects of poor data“Its frustrating when you call them up and they can’t do the things you need

over the phone”

“I’ve been with them over thirty years. I expect them to know a bit about me.”

“Why the hell should I be even thinking I am interested in resident committees when they can’t even get my name right?”

“It makes you think, do I want to stick with this shower or what?”

“I only ever get junk mail from the council which I am not interested in “

“When I rang to follow up my crime report nobody knew what I was talking about.”

1998

Your Charter

• Respect service users’ rights to privacy

• Discretion is vital in building confidence

• You must offer explanations, reassurance and honesty

Dear Sir/Madam,I recently got an e-mail from a man in prison. I don’t know anybody in prison, but he seemed to know a lot about me!

I have found out that he got my name and e-mail address from a computer disk I had used at college. I had entered a lot of personal information on the disk as part of my course. My tutor used the same disk to teach the course in prison.

What should I do?

Yours,

Worried 

The Eight Principles (1-5)

Data must be:

1. Processed fairly and lawfully2. Obtained only for specified and lawful

purposes3. Adequate, relevant and not excessive4. Accurate and, where necessary, kept

up-to-date5. Kept for no longer than necessary

The Eight Principles (6-8)

6. Processed in accordance with the rights of data subjects under the Act

7. Safeguarded against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental destruction or damage

8. Retained wholly within the EEA unless adequate protections apply in the receiving territory

Are we?

QAQA