Detail Data Launch

There was huge interest in the programme launch with over 70 people from the voluntary and community sector, media, public and tech sectors in attendance.

The Detail Data programme will engage with organisations to build their capacity to access and apply data to their work in order to stimulate innovation, engage public participation, increase transparency and inform decision-making. A training calendar has been developed and includes formal training in open data from the Open Data Institute. Ten masterclasses and 15 lunchtime seminars will be delivered by the Detail Data team, the Information Commissioners Office and NISRA.

Thirty high-impact data stories on key issues relevant to the sector will be produced. The first story, Places Apart: Exposing huge disparities in Northern Ireland’s 11 new councils, launched earlier this month, compares educational achievement, claimant counts, life expectancy, housing stress and estimated debt per capital in the new council areas. The second story is due to be launched later this week.

A core element of this programme is the development of an open data portal, also launched yesterday. This central resource will hold public, private and voluntary and community sector data relevant to the sector. This data will help organisations to tailor services, strengthen their advocacy role, challenge government on gaps in provision and performance, and develop stronger and more robust funding applications.

Lisa McElherron, Head of Public Affairs at NICVA, said:

‘Open data is a global movement and we in NICVA are looking at how we can harness open data and use it for public good. Open data will make our sector do what they do better and deliver more for those they represent. This project will build the capacity of organisations to use data and will publish high-impact data stories relevant to the sector.’

Joanne McDowell, Director of Big Lottery NI, said:

‘As an organisation working in Northern Ireland and across the UK we hold a lot of information and we had started to think what open data could mean for the voluntary community sector and the opportunities it would bring. It is important for us to look at what the voluntary and community sector needs and this project is a great example of this.’

Detail Data Launch by Detail Data