Dara Linkage Meeting 25 May 2011
Data Linkage Operations Oversight Group Meeting
14 July 2011
Note of meeting
Attendees – Violet Warwick, Anthea Springbett, Chris Dibben, Sara Grainger, Rob Wishart, Ellen Lynch, Dette Cowden, John Frank, Kirsty MacLachlan, Ganka Mueller, Elaine Drennan, Albert King, Alison Stout, Alex Morton
Feedback from Steering Group
Rob highlighted the main points from the steering group meeting as a) they agreed to form a steering group and b) they were enthusiastic about a data linkage framework and eager for progress.
Progress since the last meeting
At the previous meeting it was agreed to establish three working groups to look at legal/ethical issues; individual referencing systems; and efficiencies to be gained from a more collaborative approach to IT/safe havens etc. All three groups met:
Individual Referencing Working Group
Members: Dette, Ganka, Elaine, Anthea
This group are working together to produce a paper evaluating the referencing systems that currently exist. This will map their strengths, weaknesses, accessibility and other issues of practical consideration. Focussing first on population registering systems and moving on to addresses and businesses later. The first draft will be ready for sharing by 14 August.
Technology and Infrastructure Working Group
Members: Gerry, Albert, Violet, Anthea, Chris, Ganka, Peter, John
This group are working together to produce a paper that maps the technology, expertise, resources, and approaches across all the data linkage units that currently exist in Scotland. A representative from Rural Payments will be invited. The group will develop a remit and set of objectives for itself and seek endorsement from the oversight group.
A note of the group’s first meeting is embedded below:
Legal and Ethical Working Group
Members: Sara, Ganka, Peter, Graham, Edward Coyle
This group agreed not to meet again in the near future as these issues can’t really be taken forward until there is more clarity about the objectives of the strategy and when/how/if SHIP (specifically the governance and public engagement strand) will expand .
Graham Fisher subsequently provided the attached paper:
Working with Local Authorities
At the last meeting Dette and Ellen spoke about plans to engage with Local Government on data linkage. A web seminar is planned for August. Ganka suggested that the Good Practice Note developed by Graeme Laurie be circulated amongst those attending.
Business Case
The main item of the meeting was to discuss the draft business case circulated previously. There were no issues around the aims of the framework or the benefits from it although the latter could be added to: the benefits to Local Government are currently not clear.
Most of the discussion was around the idea of a Data Linkage Centre, about which there was a fair amount of concern about how this would work in practice and whether it is the best idea, or whether better co-ordination and joined up working across the existing units would be preferable. It was agreed that jumping wholesale to a single data centre that takes over the functions of existing units would be a bad idea. It was also agreed that we do need to be ambitious and make a serious step change in progress towards maximising the potential of data linkage. The aim of any change should be to make life easier for all those involved in data linkage and to allow and enable data linkages to occur where necessary and sensible. We should avoid centralising functions that do not need centralising and are more efficiently done by separate units. Clarity will be needed on the functions and the operating system/organisation and security arrangements of any central resource, but it is too early to specify those now, so flexibility of approach is vital.
Action: Sara to amend business case before it goes to the steering group. The steering group need to be made aware of the sensitivities and concerns that exist around the idea of a data linke centre.
Wider Communications
Communications with wider stakeholders including ONS, DWP, HMRC, Local Government and the public need careful consideration and most likely tailored approaches – the business case as circulated is not appropriate for a public document, for example.
If the steering group are broadly content with the proposal the intention will be to approach Ministers following which we can appraoch wider stakeholders for views.
Australia Visit
Data linkage experts from Western Australia are visiting Scotland in September. They will spend 7th September with ScotXed and 8th Septemebr with ISD. Anyone interested should contact Albert.
Next steps
The Steering Group is meeting on 25th July to discuss the business case and communication issues. A meeting with ONS is planned for the 27th.
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