Improving Access to Government Datasets – a VAR’s perspective

John Rae

Director of

Business Planning

Agenda

• About VAR’s

• Tales of our experiences

• Summary - ten steps to good access

• And yes, it sometimes works well

Value added resellers are not new

CACI has been a reseller of government data since the mid 1970’s

Why is a VAR useful?

• Re-packages the data appropriately for the niche markets in which they specialise.

• Processes the data to provide new forms information of interest to these niche markets.

• Combines official and non-official data sources, expanding the value of each.

• Combines data and software to provide tools that enhance analysis of the data.

• Supports the data and protects confidentiality and appropriate use through licences.

• Promotes the data• Responds to public and press reaction.

Experience of access

• A VAR is always grateful for access to official data.

• Regulatory frameworks, general policy and official guidelines can be helpful, but..

• How does it feel for a VAR in practice?

• Searching Data archive Web sites

• First contact I’m not sure we can do

that

• First objections Commercial access No resources Disclosure

VARs understand disclosure issues

• The same issues arise with non-official data.

• The desire to combine data sets means disclosure often requires more thought.

• VARs expect to modify their approaches accordingly

• Dialogue will mean privacy is preserved and the VAR can still build their product

Disclosure

• Example 1 A data set CACI had been using for years Interruption in supply due to disclosure

paperwork Dialogue to identify options that meet

disclosure objectives

• Example 2 New data to CACI Clearly sensitive data Less dialogue Less protection?

Negotiating arrangements

• Example 1 We don’t want you to have the data because

…we’re unhappy about what your competitor is doing with it.

• Example 2 No there’s no need to meet to discuss your

applications of the the data This is the licence defining what VAR’s want

to do with the data. You can only have this licence.

The price just increased by 500%. No we didn’t give any notice of this.

Yes we have that data. You can’t have it, we don’t make that available to VARs because it is not appropriate for their application of the data.

Devolution

Data made available to the public online

Government data “scraped” from public web site offered for saleVAR instead makes official request for access to the data - refusedLater VAR is approached again VAR receives reply –• I know you are at a commercial

disadvantage since your competitors are using the data but..

• No we still don’t intend to make the data available.

• No we’re not taking action to protect our data.

• Please don’t buy these data sets, they are unauthorised.

Are academics intermediaries?

A data set is analysed by an academic, by linking the data with products of both VAR A and VAR B

VAR A use analysis of the data set when selling their product and delivering their services

VAR B requests official access to the data set – and is refused.

Is it supposed to be like this

Ten steps to good access

9. Be flexible

1. Welcome greater use

2. Easy to identify contacts

6. Clearly record the arrangements.

5. Consistent licensing.

3. No second guessing.

4. Seek similar arrangements

7. Access for all parties.

8. Protect your data.

10. Dialogue

Summary

• Value added processing may require different forms of access, and combination with non-official data

• VAR’s are coping with current dissemination

• Dialogue helps

• More consistency would be welcome

And yes, it can be straightforward

• Find interesting data set• Easily find contact person• Have dialogue

“We’re really excited at having more people making use of the data”

“You’ve done this sort of thing before so you’ll understand that I’ll have to work out processes to address disclosure issues.“

“Yes, it would be really helpful to see how ONS solved the same issues with you.”

“Yes that works for us, in what format would you like the data”