It took ten years for the Justice Data Lab model to be adopted by a new government department. Last October, the Employment Data Lab was launched and we’re excited about its potential to help us to understand the impact of employment interventions by UK charities. 

However, using a Data Lab is not as intuitive as, for example, an app like Uber or Tindr. While it would be nice to imagine a Justice Data Lab app that can provide comparative analysis at the press of a thumb, that’s unlikely to happen. At least not anytime soon. 

This is why NPC is keen to make a stronger case for Data Labs to be launched by other government departments, as well as improvements to be made to the existing Data Labs. 

One of the ways we can do this is by providing data analytics use cases, and this is where you come in! 

A data analytics use case describes how an organisation intends to use data, and the insights it provides, to answer tangible questions that contribute to better decision-making. 

Essentially it is the argument you make for the data you need to inform your work.   

Here’s an example from the medical sector: 

Using genomic data from tens of thousands of patients, researchers can identify disease genes and biomarkers that pinpoint potential future health issues. This information can help medical research companies prioritise where they invest resource for the most likely financial return.

Read the full article about data analytics and policy change by Hannah Kowszun at Think NPC.