Data Standards
The Improvement Service embraces various aspects of data standards through its delivery of data products and services for local government.
Our suite of Data Services has been developed for varying purposes to help local government improve the way that it handles and uses data. Therefore, each component uses different kinds of data standards to ensure that data is being made as fit-for-purpose as possible.
Our ‘data standards’ can be broken down into three types:
- Computer to computer interaction (how data gets shared between machines)
- Syntax (the structure of how data is created and managed)
- Semantics (how data is used to consistently define and categorise things that need systematically recording)
Several of our services (such Spatial Hub and One Scotland Gazetteer) use data standards for metadata and APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) to move both data and information about the data efficiently between machines.
Most of our services place a high importance on standardising the way that data is structured so that it becomes far easier to use and analyse.
And several of our services focus on ensuring that we use standardised ways of referring to things, like people and places (through Data Hub), to ensure that we’re always comparing like for like when we begin to join data together to understand wider issues.
In using these various data services, we are ensuring that local government data can be optimised and trusted for many future uses, especially Artificial Intelligence.
Local Government Data Standards Board
The Local Government Data Standards Board (LG DSB) was jointly established by the Digital Office for Scottish Local Government (LGDO) and Improvement Service (IS) to increase the focus of promoting and establishing data standards within local government.
The Local Government Data Standards Board is co-chaired by LGDO/IS and consists of data and technical leaders from councils and partner organisations. In terms of governance, the Local Government Data Standards Board reports into the Local Government Digital Assurance Board (DAB), which already plays an important assurance role for national digital programmes, and itself reports into the Digital Partnership Board, which is co-chaired by COSLA/Solace.
Progress delivered to date by the Data Standards Board includes the following:
- agreement on a concise definition for data standards and work to set out the benefits of data standards
- the development of processes and tools for managing data standards and enabling wider adoption within local government
- the creation of a prototype data standards catalogue
- agreement on a process for assessing data standard recommendations
- agreement to trial the use of a “data standards canvas”, developed by the Open Data Institute to capture the information required to evaluate the cost benefit (and impact) of adopting new data standards
- a backlog of initial candidate data standards for adoption which includes standards such as SAVVI, FHIR, CHI, SNOMED CT and 360 giving standard.
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Phase 1 Final Report
The final report of the first (discovery) phase of the project.
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The Crerar Review
Report of the independent review of regulation, audit, inspection and complaints handling of public services in Scotland.
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The Verity House Agreement
Partnership agreement between the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and the Scottish Government “setting out our vision for a more collaborative approach to delivering our shared priorities for the people of Scotland.”