Principle 3

Key Issues

Data is increasingly recognised by governments as a strategic asset
ICTs have exponentially increased societies capacity to produce, store, process and share data
Using data to enhance public sector intelligence to support policymaking and service design and delivery
The creation of data-driven culture in the public sector

Overview

The massive production of data calls for governments to adopt a strategic approach to their use of data and technology to strengthen public sector intelligence.

To take the full benefit of public sector information, governments should:

Better exploit digital technologies and data analysis to understand societal needs;
Embed the use of data throughout the policy cycle
Put in place governance arrangements to ensure responsible and coherent use of data that benefits citizens and strengthens public trust
Develop a culture of data analysis and use within the public sector that helps predicting new needs and trends, and understanding how to improve existing processes and dynamics.

To take full advantage of “big data”, governments should:

Increase availability of evidence and data concerning their operations, processes and results
Incentivise public engagement in using these data to improve understanding about governments’ performance
Ensure that data and evidence are trustworthy and take steps to prevent misuse
Develop a strategic view for big data and enhance public sector’s capabilities on big data analytics