Data transformation framework: data personas report

4 Survey results and analysis

Key findings

The survey was sent out to all participants in advance of the workshop. 15 out of the potential 16 participants responded fully to the survey. The key insights from the survey responses are documented below.

Most participants scored themselves reasonably highly (3-5/5) when it came to their experience around working with data. However only 60% of respondents claimed to have received any formal training around data. In most cases this formal training was academic, but some was also through internal courses.

Frequency of activities

Participants were requested to confirm how often they did certain activities. The high-level ad-hoc creation of data was expected, as was the need to undertake data quality and cleansing and analysis activities. However, the high number of respondents that also confirmed they undertook activities to configure and bespoke the systems they were using to their own needs was unexpected. The number of respondents who confirmed they undertook data strategy activities at least monthly was 9. This was particularly unexpected and has highlighted a need for an additional persona that includes strategic activities around data

Data types

The types of data that participants reported working with, were as expected. There was a focus on geospatial and demographic data.

Data provenance

Government data, both local and national, is the most common source of data to work with.

Data discovery

Existing knowledge and networks are currently the most common ways to find the required data.

Data access

Data is normally accessed through files or by requesting access existing networks.

Training needs

The awareness of knowledge gaps around governance, data quality and ethics is interesting. It demonstrates an appetite for enhanced learning around key areas that will feature in the Data TransformationFramework.

Additional comments within the survey covered areas from legislation to metadata standards to the need to use and manipulate data in almost all roles.

Workshop input

Whilst participants summarised their roles within the survey, there was a clear need to delve into the difference between the individual's use of data and that of their wider team. This led to the inclusion of a discussion around the engagement with wider stakeholders within the workshop.

The decision to focus the workshop discussions around barriers and suggested improvements was also influenced by some of the additional comments included within the survey which began to touch on this.