Is live data crucial for creating effective policies?

During the pandemic, the world watched as real-time COVID infection information led crucial government decisions about public health and welfare support. But outside of extreme situations, is live data helpful for policymakers? Under growing pressure to make data-driven decisions, our sector needs practical guidance on when, and why, we need rapid data updates. Our expert panel discusses when it adds value to policy-making, and when it doesn't.

Resources

Moderator

Matt Whittaker, CEO, PBE

As CEO, Matt works closely with the board of Trustees and with the senior management team to oversee PBE’s strategic direction. He joined PBE at the end of 2019 and helped to drive an expansion in the organisation’s remit and reach. As part of this, he served as a founding member of the Law Family Commission on Civil Society, the research and policy programme run by PBE through 2021 and 2022 to bring together experts from across the public, private and social sectors to help “unleash the potential” of civil society over the next decade.

Matt is an economist by training and was previously instrumental in establishing the Resolution Foundation as a major economic think tank. He spent 11 years at Resolution Foundation, serving as Chief Economist and Deputy CEO, and earning a reputation as a leading expert on the subject of income inequality and UK living standards.

Panellists

Emily Barker, Senior Policy Researcher, 4 in 10

Emily Barker has been using data to research the lives of children through the lens of human rights and everyday experiences across the UK for over 15 years. Her research and policy work has covered a wide breadth of issues including the impact that homelessness, war, cultures of play and family life, international migration and early years education has on children’s lives in the UK. As Senior Policy Researcher at 4in10, she engages in collaborative, grass-roots-led approaches to research and impact analysis to get to the heart of complex policy issues as they impact the everyday worlds of children experiencing poverty in London.

Dr. Emma Gordon, Director, Administrative Data Research UK

Dr Emma Gordon is the Director of the Administrative Data Research UK (ADR UK) programme at the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC), which is opening up secure access to linked government administrative and health data across the UK, to support research and inform policy decisions. Emma joined ADR UK from HM Treasury, managing the Government Economic Service and Government Social Research profession, and prior to this was Head of Health Analysis at the Office for National Statistics (ONS). At the start of her career, Emma was a post-doctoral researcher on the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), studying the prevalence of mental and physical impairments within that cohort and routes to diagnosis. Emma sits on the Executive Committee of the International Population Data Linkage Network (IPDLN), and is Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Population Data Science.

Shamim Rahman, Deputy Director, Department of Health and Social Care

Shamim is a Deputy Director at the Department of Health and Social Care, where she leads multidisciplinary teams using data to shape national policy on mental health, neurodiversity, women’s health, and maternity. She directly advises Ministers, and has secured billion-pound funding for national services by making the case for change through evidence and analysis. She is also an officer on DataKind UK’s board of trustees. Passionate about the third sector, she volunteered with Amnesty International for five years, teaching young people how to campaign for human rights. Shamim brings deep analytical expertise, a strategic mindset, and a strong belief in the power of data science to drive enduring change, especially when shaped in partnership with communities and the social sector.

Thank you to the Insight Infrastructure programme for their support. Developed by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, it aims to democratise access to high-quality quantitative and qualitative data and evidence through open collaboration and innovation, to help tackle injustice and inequality in the UK.

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