Another day, another challenge! Kudos to everyone who participated in February’s challenge. Our fantastic Active Essex team periodically provides us with new physical activity challenges. This time, it was a walk/run to the “Islands of the Caribbean,” with approximately 1,390 km to be covered by up to 5 team members.
The goal of these challenges is to encourage physical activity, which has numerous health benefits, and to make exercise fun. The first step in the challenge is to form a team and come up with a creative name. We had many inventive team names, and we’ve selected the top three:
Congratulations to all! We eagerly anticipate the next round of your creativity.
The next noteworthy aspect is the statistics. How did we fare this time? According to the Active Essex Team;
We extend our hearty congratulations to the winners – Latton Bush Walkers. They covered an impressive 1,974,757 steps (equivalent to 864 miles or 1,390 km). We reached out to the people who managed to cover the most distance to learn their strategies. How did they do it? What’s the secret?
A Special Note: For every 10 active participants that sign up for the challenge, one tree gets planted. This means that 109 trees will be planted thanks to your participation in our challenge – a big thank you to everyone who took part! Not only that, but we would also like to share some positive stories from our participants:
I would say that thinking about the positive impact on wellbeing the challenge can have is really important. From my experience of these challenges, you really do feel better, healthier. Lose weight and sleep better as a result of lots of walking. If you really want to do well (and let’s be honest, the challenge quickly becomes competitive!) then it is important to be quite structured and disciplined. I made sure to get in a good walk before work each day, again at lunchtime and most evenings were spent on the treadmill!
The next challenge is in aid of International Women’s Day and aims to inspire women and girls across Essex to take part. Find out more about the challenge here, sign up yourself or help celebrate the women in your life! https://www.activeessex.org/women-like-us-big-team-challenge/
]]>The significance of collaboration in leveraging data analytics cannot be overstated. It presents diverse avenues for pooling resources, sharing expertise, and fostering collective intelligence. This collaborative ethos is the focus of Day 2 of the upcoming Data Talks programme, where public sector partners will share the tangible impact of partnership working, while introducing new opportunities for uniting around data.
Join Chief Constable, BJ Harrington, to hear how Essex Police, together with data scientists from the Essex Centre for Data Analytics and the University of Essex, developed a pioneering algorithm—the Knife Crime and Violence Model. This exemplifies how cross-sector collaboration can yield innovative solutions to pressing societal challenges.
In the second Data Talks session of Day 2 the collaborative efforts of the Essex Integrated Care Systems will underscore the power of linked data in transitioning from reactive to proactive healthcare approaches. Healthcare colleagues will share compelling case studies demonstrating how insights derived from linked data are leading to more effective preventive measures.
In addition to addressing specific challenges, collaboration has also facilitated the establishment of system-wide frameworks, such as the Information Sharing Assurance Framework pioneered by the Suffolk Office for Data Analytics. Overcoming barriers to data sharing, this initiative has laid the foundation for a new linked data service architecture, exemplifying the potential for collaboration to drive systemic change.
Cross-organisation collaboration is also enabling Councils to enhance their data analytics capabilities and capacities. Partnerships between Essex County Council, Datakind UK, and local councils, are unlocking resources to tackle complex problems, generate insights, and maximize data assets across the system. During Data Talks we’ll hear from Braintree District Council Rochford and Brentwood Councils how this collaborative approach is fostering a culture of innovation and knowledge sharing, propelling public sector organisations towards data-driven decision-making.
Yet, amidst the data-driven revolution, ethical considerations loom large. Recognising the significant responsibilities inherent in data usage, a session on data ethics will provide an invaluable opportunity for collaboration and reflection. By engaging with ODI Data Ethics Professionals from Essex County Council, participants can explore best practices and chart a course towards becoming ethics-led data organisation, where data empowers without compromising integrity.
Collaboration comes in all shapes and sizes, extending beyond traditional boundaries, as evidenced by partnerships between the Business and Local Government Data Research Centre and the Community and Voluntary Sector in the final session of Day 2, Collaborative Communities.
In essence, collaboration lies at the heart of the data analytics revolution in the public sector. By uniting diverse stakeholders, sharing resources, and fostering innovation, collaboration not only drives efficiency and effectiveness but also ensures that data serves as a force for positive societal change. As we embark on this journey towards a data-powered future, join Data Talks 4-6 March, and embrace collaboration as the cornerstone of transformative progress.
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From healthcare to transportation, education to urban planning, data and analytics are revolutionising how we shape public services. But here's the catch: it's not just for the data-savvy – to harness its full potential entire workforces need data skills and a ‘data aware’ mindset!
Many non-data professionals find themselves overwhelmed by the rapid growth of data analytics. The goal of achieving organisation-wide data literacy is not to turn everyone into data scientists, but rather to empower individuals to understand and use data to inform the decisions they make in their respective roles. Put simply, developing data literacy enables everyone to dive into the world of data with confidence!
Cultivating data literacy became a focus for Essex County Council (ECC) in 2021 as we began to lay the foundations for our data strategy and set out to make data everyone’s business. As the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step! Over the past three years we have achieved much, and learned much more! Most importantly we have learned that achieving data literacy is not a one-time endeavour. Just as digital skills have evolved over time, so too do the requirements for individual and organisational data literacy. We recognise that to achieve, and enable data-literate workforces to flourish, an ecosystem needs to be in place.
The journey towards organisational data literacy begins with a clear vision and strategy for realising the potential of data. Executive sponsorship is not only crucial for driving data culture but also for continual investment in comprehensive learning and development programmes. And when progress is made the real challenge remains, adopting an enterprise-wide approach that equips and enables the newly data aware workforce to thrive.
There’s much organisations can do to support people to speak the language of data, develop critical thinking, remain curious, and adopt a fresh perspective on applying and amplifying data and analytics initiatives. And there’s much more that individuals can do to invest in themselves!
In ECC we’re continually learning about what works, applying new knowledge, identifying our gaps, iterating, and improving, and we’re keen to share this journey with our peer organisations. We’ve made progress by defining what data literacy means for ECC and why it matters for our people and organisation outcomes. We’ve spent time assessing data literacy levels within our organisation, identifying the essential skills and behaviours for our workforce, and implementing upskilling approaches that deliver tangible results.
It’s time for everyone to invest in the data skills transformation. Join us for the Speak Data session at Data Talks and learn how to support your team and organisation to speak the language of data. No, a data science degree is not required, neither is an endless supply of resources – just a willingness to explore what’s possible and sharpen your data literacy skills.
There’s a place for everyone in the world of data and analytics. Let's empower everyone to unlock the value of data! Register for Data Talks 4 March and join us for the Speak Data, Embrace the Era of Data Literacy session from ECC and the Office for National Statistics!
You may be interested in the full Data Talks programme! Taking place 4-6 March there’s 16 sessions, delivered by 20 organisations, and something for everyone working in the public sector.
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Fast forward to 2024 and the picture of crime all those years ago becomes nothing more than the storyline from a Charles Dickens novel compared to the complexities and dangers we ask our brave officers to face today.
Now don’t get me wrong, gut instinct and experience is still what makes a great officer and always will, but these days we have a new tool to help tackle crime too. It doesn’t need to wear a uniform, juggle shift patterns with family life or miss out on an important social event due to having a rest day cancelled. This new crime fighting tool comes in the shape of data analytics and insight, and a team of crime fighting analysts who can help to predict crime or harm before it even occurs. In Sir Robert Peels day, this would be nothing more than the stuff of science fiction but in today’s modern world of policing, this science is very much alive and kicking.
It's why I am so passionate about supporting events like Data Talks. We need to recognise the benefits and impact that analysing the data our organisations hold can bring, and the results we can achieve if we work together. At Essex Police we are already using analytics to identify serious crime hotspots and identify those at risk of knife crime in the county. We have used insight and worked with Essex County Council and the University of Essex to analyse the risk factors associated with domestic abuse perpetrators. The possibilities of how our data can help us make the tough decisions on where to focus our resources are truly endless.
Imagine a giant jigsaw puzzle with pictures of all the Essex organisations. Some of the puzzle has been completed but there is still more to finish. By combining our data and drawing on richer insight, we can tackle joint problems and start to complete the puzzle helping to directly benefit the same customer we all share - citizens of this county.
During Data Talks 4-6 March, I will be excited to hear from other partners about their own experiences on how data has helped to address issues, and from those who have combined their data with other partners to make an even bigger impact. Breaking down our organisational silos and having the confidence and trust to share data presents us all with a wealth of new insight that can help drive real change for the better, transforming our services and helping to directly benefit citizens.
This is the first event of its type in Essex, three days, 16 sessions and over 20 partners shining a spotlight on the opportunities, and it is important for a number of reasons – it will help to connect people, provide expertise, create spaces for collaboration and provide real world accounts of data in action.
Beyond the Data Talks event I will continue in my own personal drive to help create a county that encourages a positive data culture and that uses analytics to inform and shape our decisions and achieve real and lasting change.
Remember a problem solved often starts with a problem that was once shared, so clear your diary for the Data Talks event 4-6 March 2024, and take up the opportunity that Sir Robert Peel could only ever have dreamed of. Take a look through the exciting programme http://tinyurl.com/Data-Talks and register for the sessions you want to attend. You will be spoilt for choice!
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To further complicate matters, Openreach has begun switching off the old copper cable network as they roll-out new superfast fibre across the country. This process is already underway and is expected to be completed by 2027. As a result, digitally excluded populations will no longer have traditional landlines and must adopt digital technology to stay connected. Aware of the implications of the above network changes, the Digital Connectivity team at Essex County Council approached us in the Data and Analytics team to develop a data-driven solution or tool to help identify Essex residents who are at risk of exclusion or who are already digitally excluded. With additional insight, the Digital Connectivity team hoped to be able to design a targeted intervention to contact and provide tailored support to these residents.
We began our analysis by posing the following question: who, and where, are Essex residents susceptible to digital exclusion?
To answer this question, we first needed to understand what underpins digital exclusion. Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, identifies three aspects of digital exclusion: affordability, access, and ability. Affordability refers to being able to pay for broadband, or digital devices such as mobile phones or laptops. Access can be understood as digital infrastructure- for instance, the strength of mobile signal or presence of internet service providers in an area. Finally, ability describes the extent to which someone can participate and engage with the digital world. This is sometimes known as ‘digital literacy’. These three aspects intersect and enmesh with one another. However, there is one common factor which underpins them all: poverty.
In the UK 8 million people have problems affording communications services (Ofcom, 2023). Since the onset of the cost-of-living crisis, broadband prices have increased. For many, there has been no choice but to disconnect. Citizen’s Advice estimate that people claiming Universal Credit (UC) are six times more likely to have disconnected their broadband than people not in receipt of state benefits.
In 2018 it was estimated that around a fifth of the UK population had either no, or extremely limited, digital skills. Of all cohorts, low levels of digital literacy disproportionately impact people in later life. In fact, Age UK estimate that over a third of over-75s don’t use the internet in any capacity. The impact of digital exclusion on people in later life is demographically uneven. For instance, those who are less affluent and less qualified are likely to feel digital exclusion especially acutely.
As mentioned earlier, Openreach is in the process of replacing legacy copper networks with digital and fibre infrastructure throughout the country. However, they have already communicated that for some sparsely populated rural areas laying new digital lines would not be economically feasible. In these areas, alternatives would have to be found to prevent the affected residents from being left in the dark.
With a short-list of risk-factors of digital exclusion in hand, we set upon finding and procuring relevant datasets that would allow us to quantify their prevalence across the county. Procured datasets included ONS Census demographic and educational attainment data, Universal Credit claimant data from the Department for Work and Pensions, internet infrastructure and connection speed data from Ofcom, as well as mobile data provision levels (3G, 4G, etc.) as reported by various mobile providers.
Each of these datasets also contained geo-spatial information at varying levels of granularity (ward, postcode, UPRN, longitude / latitude). This allowed us to create a dashboard in which each dataset and its corresponding measure of risk-factors of digital exclusion were layered on top of an interactive map of Essex. With this map we could identify areas where multiple risk-factors coincided, and which were therefore more likely to have groups of residents at risk of digital exclusion. Moreover, by filtering the map using different combinations of specific risk-factors, the Essex Digital team could target different areas with interventions tailored to support the specific needs of the local population.
Essex Libraries offer access to free computers and WiFi the residents can use if they don’t have access to a computer or internet themselves. Additionally, Essex Libraries, in partnership with Adult Community Learning (ACL) offer residents courses and help to improve their digital skills and confidence using the internet. As an extra feature, we mapped out the locations of all libraries and digital literacy support provision across the county. This would enable the tool to also identify proximity of target areas to existing resources of support.
So, what will the outcomes from all of this work? Well, the dashboard we produced is already being put to use generating insights and supporting intervention design by the Digital Connectivity team. However, this is by no means a finished product. In the near term, we continue to search for additional barriers to digital connectivity and measures that could help us understand the prevalence of these barriers across the county. We are also looking into introducing additional functionality features to continue to develop the ease at which insights can be extracted from the tool.
If you're interested in learning more about the digital connectivity work, join us at Data Talks on 4 March 2024. The work will be demonstrated during this session Analytics in the Real World: Practical Insights and Applications register to secure your place.
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Data Talks brings together a diverse array of public and private sector expertise all with a shared passion for transforming data into actionable insights to achieve real and positive change.
Tailored for the public sector the varied programme of live Data Talks offers something for everyone, whether you are a senior leader setting organisation strategy, commission or manage services, or have access to data in your role. Covering topics from AI to data ethics, linked data to data literacy, starting small with analytics to effective data sharing, and much more, you're sure to discover something that aligns with your interests and responsibilities. Explore the full programme and secure your spot, it's free to attend!
Why you should attend Data Talks
As we strive to address complex social challenges collaboration has become increasingly essential in unlocking insights from our data.
During Data Talks you will hear from a range of organisations helping you to:
Data Talks is a collaboration between more than 20 organisations. The practical insights and case studies shared by presenters during Data Talks will inspire, support, and connect you with others, offering new perspectives on how your own data can contribute to meaningful transformation.
]]>Essex County Council is committed to listening to, and understanding, the people of Essex. One of our responsibilities is to obtain more knowledge around potential inequalities that may have exist for people accessing our services. To continually improve service delivery, we need to know who our customers are, consider the diversity of their needs and possible barriers to equal access – both in terms of how representative the customer base is of the wider population, but also the difference that those services make. This is to ensure that support can be equally obtained and that services are adapted if people have outcome differentials.
Let me start by sharing the problem statement: In tackling and understanding differential equality outcomes, and understanding the experience of different groups, there is a need to comprehend what we are and can collect around equality data so that we can effectively monitor and constructively challenge the organisation.
Inequalities aren't a one-dimensional puzzle. They're a complex, multi-layered tapestry that require different lenses to unravel. And so, although a statistical approach has for sure been a trusty ally in focusing in on the things that matter, the work was shaped by the expert eyes of a multidisciplinary team (MDT)– something like an Avengers-style team - featuring Researchers, Analysts, and Heads of Professions across the Policy Unit. Each professional brought something unique to the table, and together, we formed a powerhouse to tackle inequalities from every angle.
Our MDT started off with an awareness of what information we currently have about equalities, and how well recorded that information is (i.e. do we collect ethnicity information? How well populated is the religion information in our databases? etc). Here, Performance and Business Intelligence colleagues played an important part in understanding our current data. They provided clarity to functions on where our data needed to be collected.
Then, Data and Analytics members contributed statistical knowledge that helped the MDT to focus in the right places. As we delved into the intricacies of Essex's population through the equalities lens, we quickly realised that mere observations weren't going to cut it.
To better understand peoples' experiences by different protected characteristics, according to the Equality Act 2010 we looked at age, gender, ethnicity, marital status and disability. We decided to use Chi-square tests, Kruskal-Wallis tests, among other methods to seek the truth and obtain robust findings. It wasn't just about spotting variations in the data; it was about ensuring those variations were more than just random quirks. We needed robust evidence, the kind that stands up to scrutiny, the kind that you can confidently present to the sceptics.
We jumped straight into the data-ocean that led us to the specifics of service users’ access and outcomes. We covered areas such as how we connect with Essex citizens (Direct Contacts, Interventions, through Health Settings, etc), how we evaluate people’s situations and how we can help them (adults and carers), what services we provide, how we did after the services provided were finished, and so much more!
In each area, we then analysed user’s proportion for each of the protected characteristics to try to answer questions such as: are more male users contacting us after being discharged from hospital? Are more younger users more likely to contact us using more modern technologies?
I can tell you that, like I said at the beginning, statistics did help us to look in the right places; for example, that we have an over-representation of female users over 75 years old and an under-representation of males in their 75 or over years old. The difference of that finding with the census figures was so significant that was basically saying "pay attention to this!" It's a clue, a beacon of interest, but we need the full story. And here is where our amazing MDT played its part.
We gathered the granular findings to compare those proportions with the population of Essex (are we seeing the same proportion of female residents reflected in the proportion of female users?) Again, more statistics! But this time around, it was Research and Citizens Insight colleagues that brought all that knowledge about Essex and provided us a greater understanding on those numbers around protected characteristics looked like at a county level. And not only that! They also brought into the conversation further information that made us understand why we were seeing specific patterns, proportions that seemed a bit out of context,
The MDT approach was critical to this work. Without bringing all the skillsets from these different teams into the conversation, we would not have been able to create a complete picture of Equalities from our data.
So here we are, my fellow analyst warriors, knee-deep in the battle for equality, armed with spreadsheets and statistical hammers, ready to change the game and pave the way for a brighter, more inclusive, tomorrow for the people of Essex.
]]>Google image search the word “coder” and you will find a sea of images of men staring at computer screens, possibly interspersed with sparse and occasional pictures of women doing the same. Let’s also take a minute to search the most common stereotypes of a career in Data Analysis:
We’re bored with small boxes!
Historically, traditional gender roles limited women’s access to data and research roles. This means there is now an underrepresentation of women in coding and data related jobs, with gender stereotypes reinforcing the perception that data careers are more suited to men. That’s disappointing considering that the first computer programmer was a woman, Ada Lovelace, and she was breaking the mould in the mid-1840s, before the first computer was even built!
Here at Essex County Council women are at the core of, and in fact make up the majority of, the data and research teams. Promoting women in data and research is not only about breaking these traditional gender roles but also about ensuring everyone is able to shape a culture of data driven decision making.
Stereotypes stop you doing stuff!
Women in Data and Research
In 2022, our data and research teams launched a new group called "Women in Data and Research." Our mission is simple, to connect with one another to ensure that more women feel comfortable in the world of data and research.
The team started off by talking about some of the challenges we all experience (imposter syndrome anyone?!) and identifying what would be most helpful for the group to get stuck in to. Confidence, public speaking and communication were mentioned by lots of us as something we wanted to focus on.
With this in mind, the group arranged the opportunity to take part in ‘She Said’, a learning programme focused on supporting women to speak up and be heard. The course covered the history behind the barriers women face when public speaking, the impact of unconscious bias, and practical steps we can take to speak with confidence and leave an impact. Fired up by the course, in 2023, we really started to get organised and held an in person (!) workshop where we split our areas of focus into four main activity areas:
Since then, we have all been squirrelling away in our respective themes to try and get various projects off the ground. Throughout this year we have been meeting regularly, developing our network, sharing ideas, co-working, again actually meeting each other face-to-face. Something perhaps a little less regular when Teams meetings are now the norm.
One exciting project in the pipeline is the potential for members of women in data and research to attend local schools to promote what a career as a researcher or analyst looks like – breaking down these gendered stereotypes. Other future projects are also set to involve volunteering, fundraising, and we have started planning for International Women’s Day on the 8th March. The theme this year is inspiring inclusion. Every year Essex County Council holds a series of talks and events centred on women, and this year our group hopes to get involved.
While the Women in Data and Research group at ECC is still in its infancy, it is growing and working towards empowering women in data and research roles across Essex to provide mentorship, networking opportunities, and act as a platform for sharing experiences and insights. This will mean we can look forward to more inclusive, data-driven decision-making processes. This means that our communities will benefit from a diversity of perspectives.
The Women in Data and Research group are acting to help each other within ECC to empower women in data and research roles. By closing the gender gap in data and research, Essex County Council is not only advancing gender equality but also enhancing the quality of services provided to the community.
If you would like to launch your own women in data and research group, please feel free to contact us and we will be more than happy to share our experience of creating a more inclusive and data-driven community.
]]>Looking back, last year was a somewhat challenging one, but satisfyingly so. After digging deep, we laid solid foundations on which we began to deliver our data strategy implementation plan.
So, 2024, where to next… building the structural framework of our new home, aka the walls, floor, and roof!
And what better way to mark the completion of the build than to proclaim it from the rooftop!
In March we’ll be getting vocal by hosting a Data Talks event for Essex public services, in collaboration with ecda and our partners. We want to connect with more partners, share how others have overcome barriers, inspire decision makers with examples of how people and data come together to create positive change and create an evidenced informed culture to stay one step ahead. We will be making our energy for all things data and analytics contagious, talking about our experiences and lessons learnt on strategy, delivery, capabilities and much more. Save the dates for Data Talks 4 to 6 March 20204, full programme to be announced soon!
I’ve never constructed a house, but I can confidently say that I have built a home for data and analytics to flourish and thrive within ECC. Subscribe to the blog, and join us for Data Talks to keep abreast of this year’s hard graft as we continue to support colleagues to improve outcomes for our residents.
]]>Data Talks is a new virtual conference for the public sector, bringing together a diverse array of expertise all with a shared passion for turning data into insight to achieve real and positive change.
You won’t want to miss out on the exciting series of live Data Talks! The event, hosted by Essex County Council, offers something for everyone working in the public sector, whether you commission services, set organisation strategy, manage, or have access to data in your role.
Join the public sector community at Data Talks 4-6th March, to expand our county’s collective knowledge of the valuable insight we can get from our organisations’ data, and together we’ll explore what’s possible.
During Data Talks you will hear from a range of national public and private sector organisations helping you to:
- Discover innovative solutions to gaining new insight about shared challenges
- Connect with organisations and individuals to exchange knowledge and share experience
- Explore what’s possible for your organisation with big data, the use of data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning
- Identify skills, available resources, and opportunities to amplify data-driven initiatives
- Learn first-hand from those who have already harnessed the power of data analytics to achieve tangible results
Data Talks is a free virtual three-day conference offering a mixed programme of content for everyone interested in unlocking the potential of data. You don’t need a data science degree to attend!
We'll be sharing the full programme soon, until then save the dates!
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