Using administrative data to understand community well-being

This project will explore whether administrative data about behaviour, already gathered by local authorities, can be ethically used as a means of gaining additional insight into community well-being.  

Current policy-relevant knowledge about place-based wellbeing is derived from a combination of self-report surveys, qualitative data, space/service provision and economic data. Unlike in the consumer sector, behavioural data is not used by government agencies for policy-focused analysis, despite them holding much of this information on their own servers, for example council tax records, closed-circuit television feeds, noise complaints, and library membership. This information is more objective than self-reported data, although it can be overly specific. It also carries a variety of ethical concerns.  

The research team will explore the ways non-economic and non-self-reported behavioural (administrative) data could inform policymaking. The research will be completed in four stages:  

1. Evaluating existing wellbeing measurements using a behavioural lens. Common domains among the different frameworks, which might be measured using local authority behavioural data sources, will be mapped and used to inform the second stage of work.  

2. Conducting an ethical review of using administrative data to measure community wellbeing. An ethical review group, including community representatives, will consider ethical issues and draft best practice guidelines.  

3. Creating a behavioural data algorithm using simulated data to test its efficacy as a measurement tool. The research team will engage with the Camden and Barking & Dagenham local councils, ensuring the research is policy relevant.  

4. Evaluating the effectiveness of administrative data to predict wellbeing. The research team will assess the performance of the algorithm with simulated data and compare it to traditional measures of community wellbeing. This will determine the potential advantages of this novel approach.  

Academic papers will communicate the findings and methodology. The team will produce blogs and appear on podcasts and traditional media to discuss findings as broadly as possible. Policymakers and practitioners will be engaged through working papers, workshops and seminars. A publicly available report will summarise findings and recommendations.