Data science has the potential to enhance the delivery of public services in the UK; artificial intelligence, for example, might enable different forms of interaction between local authorities and citizens. However, data science is still rarely used in UK local government work, because in doing data science authorities face a number of crucial barriers.
Based on extensive documentary review, a nationwide survey of local authorities, and in-depth interviews with over 30 practitioners, this report sets out those barriers, as well as pointing out where data science is being used successfully today. It lays out just how UK local governments can best make use of data science, offering recommendations for practitioners who want to put data science to work in a productive, ethical, and accountable way.
Research Associate
In 2022 Jonathan Bright became the Head of AI for Public Services at the Turing Institute, having previously been a faculty member of the OII. A political scientist, he specialises in computational and ‘big data’ approaches to the social sciences.
Industrial PhD student, IT University of Copenhagen and the Education Secretariat for Industry (Denmark)
DPhil Student
Thomas Vogl works at the intersection of public administration, organizational studies, and digital change. His thesis explores public sector organizational memory in the digital age.
