Data and Intelligence Network: ethics workbook

The Workbook

The ethics workbook should be completed by the 'challenge owner' and their team at the outset of a challenge being proposed.

The workbook has been split into four key sections that align to the natural lifecycle of a challenge:

• The Challenge
• The Data and Digital Technology
• The Public
• The Outputs

Within each of the sections are a set of tailored questions that signpost key ethical considerations at that stage of the challenge. You should try and work through the questions in order where possible.

Below each question you will see a prompt. These prompt questions have been designed with the intention to support your answers. You can choose to answer these prompt questions directly, or use them as a tool to structure and inspire your own answers. Each of the prompts links to one or more of the Rainbow Principles. You should make reference to the Rainbow Values and Principles in your answers where appropriate.

It is important that you try to include as much detail as possible in your answers. We would encourage the use of the prompts and questions to help explain both the public benefit and potential harms of the work candidly. You should also approach the assessment as if the person reviewing your answers has no prior knowledge of your challenge/project.

Think of the ethics workbook as a map with key questions to help you think about your challenge design and its impact. It should be a dynamic document that is used to review and evaluate the work throughout the challenge. This will help your team and others to understand the impact of your challenge from an ethical perspective.