Today, the Cabinet Office UK published their Open Data command paper, which sets out plans for putting data and transparency at the heart of government and public services. One of the case studies included in the paper is the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), where SuperSTAR is being implemented to meet Open Data requirements. The extract follows:
Case study – Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
To improve the quality and accessibility of its data, DWP provides an online Tabulation Tool which allows users to download national statistics to their own requirements. This facility is available for national statistics on:
- DWP benefit caseloads;
- DWP benefit on and off flows;
- employment programmes;
- National Insurance contributions and qualifying years and second tier pension provision (taken from the Lifetime Labour Market Database or L2); and
- National Insurance number allocations to adult overseas nationals entering the UK.
Key out-of-work benefit statistics have recently also been available via Google Public Data Explorer which includes user-friendly visualisation and mapping of statistics. The replacement (called Stat-Explore) will build in more flexibility than the current Tabulation Tool and allow users to obtain more detailed data than is currently available. Data will be more easily re-used and built-in visualisation of the data will provide a more user-friendly experience. The privacy of individual claimants will be protected by the application of complex disclosure control methods when users request specific data breakdowns.
To read more, please refer to “Open Data White Paper : Unleashing the Potential”.
