Dos and don’ts of data-driven policymaking
Slowly evolving legal frameworks and significant inertia have been hindering innovative approaches to administrative processes for a long time now. In this context, Big Data could easily look like an insurmountable challenge. So how do we move on from there? Big Policy Canvas (Big Policy Canvas – Needs, Trends and ICT Tools for Advanced Data-Driven Public Sector) may be holding the keys to data-enlightened decisions overcoming societal challenges. Over 2 years, the project strove to provide the public sector with every bit of information it would need to turn itself into an effective, efficient, precise, consistent and evidence-based policymaking structure. “As a Coordination and Support Action, we put forward the different research and innovation directions that should be followed,” says Ricard Munné, coordinator of Big Policy Canvas and Project Manager at Atos Research and Innovation.
Guiding future research and decision-making
Over 2 years, the project developed a set of tools to that effect. The first is the ‘Needs and trends assessment framework’. It is compiled from desk research, interviews with experts and a quantitative analysis of online science databases and Twitter. The framework provides a methodology to map the needs of public administrations and the trends that may impact their policymaking process in application domains (agriculture, urban planning, health, etc.). It also assesses these needs and trends based on criticality and intensity. By following this framework, public administrations can prioritise application domains of greater interest, importance, urgency and capability. The second tool is the Knowledge Base – an online repository compiling all knowledge produced by Big Policy Canvas. The content is structured around needs, trends and assets, with cross-linking between elements influencing or interconnected with each other. Say, for instance, that an administration is facing the need to protect the environment. Using the knowledge base, it will be able to download valuable open data, get recommendations and find out which tools should be used (nudging, Internet of Things, social media, etc.). The remaining two tools are the ‘Roadmap for Future Research Directions in Data-Driven Policy Making’ and the ‘Research Directions and Recommendations’. Whilst the former lists research and innovation directions highlighted by the project team, the latter aims to accelerate the roadmap’s take-up. “Our efforts led to the identification of six ‘challenge clusters’,” Munné explains. “These are: privacy, transparency and trust; the creation of a public governance framework for data-driven structures; data acquisition, cleaning and representativeness; data storage, clustering and integration; modelling and analysis with Big Data; and data visualisation. We accompany these with a set of research directions and recommendations for all stakeholders.” The project is now completed, but Munné is confident that the Roadmap and the Research Directions and Recommendations will continue to enable the adoption of data-driven policymaking over the coming years. The Big Data Value Association intends to incorporate Big Policy Canvas’ main results into their Roadmap White Paper, while the Horizon 2020 Co-VAL project will maintain and strengthen the community it created. Various other projects such as Big Data Stack and PolicyCLOUD also use Big Policy Canvas’ results and input to develop their solutions. “We definitely want our community to keep on growing,” Munné concludes.
Keywords
Big Policy Canvas, public administration, big data, knowledge base