The Data Challenge facing government

Government has huge data assets, but often fails to make best use of them. We gathered the ideas of civil servants across the workforce on how to improve our data systems and tools, and took the best ideas forward in project teams of civil service volunteers. The winning idea is now benefiting from £50,000-worth of development work.

Thank you for your ideas

We believe there’s huge potential to use data better in government, strengthening staff tools, saving taxpayers’ money and improving outcomes for citizens. And nobody knows how to address our weaknesses and realise our potential better than the civil servants who manage, maintain and use our current systems. So we gathered your ideas for how government could make better use of data, and formed teams of civil service volunteers to research and develop the eight most promising concepts.

The eight teams pitched their ideas to the judging panel in a Dragon’s Den-style Semi-Final, and the best four went on to a Final on 9 December. The winning idea is now being further developed with £50,000-worth of support from NTT DATA UK, putting it firmly on the road to implementation.

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Our teams

We brought together civil servants of all departments, professions, roles and grades to form teams around the best ideas. Working with colleagues from across government – and with the support of senior leaders, key organisations and specialist professionals – they investigated the idea’s potential and viability, presenting their concepts to panels of top civil servants at Semi-Final and Final events. With the backing of civil service chief operating officer Alex Chisholm, all eight ideas are now being further developed.

The benefits

A team presenting their idea

The judges discussing the ideas

How it worked

The 2021 Civil Service Data Challenge was a competition and staff development programme open to all civil servants. We gathered ideas for improvements to government’s use of data, and formed teams of volunteers around the eight best. At the end of the first stage of development, those teams presented their ideas to the judging panel at the Semi-Final; four teams went on to a second development stage and the Final, where the overall winner was selected.

More details below…

The process

Stage 1 – Now Complete

Applicants put forward their ideas on how to use data more effectively. Ideas need not be well-developed or researched: just set out your concept in our simple form, and we’ll identify those with greatest potential and help you take them forward.

Stage 2 – Now Complete

We help applicants to form small teams to further develop their ideas, assessing viability and assessing the potential costs and benefits. This stage culminates in a shortlisting event, where your team presents its idea to the judging panel.

Stage 3 – Now Complete

With technical support from NTT DATA, the four shortlisted teams further developed and refined their data use cases. This stage closed with a Final event where they pitched their ideas to a Final Decision Panel, and an overall winner was chosen.