Data Access and the Administrative Data Research Network David J Data Access and the Administrative Data Research Network David J. Hand Imperial College, London and Winton Group Meeting on Cross-national research data: access, legality, ethics, and opportunities 19 December 2016 Royal Statistical Society

• The Administrative Data Research Network (ADRN) • Origins and aims • Successes • Difficulties • Potential solutions

ORIGINS AND AIMS Administrative Data TaskForce reported 2012: “Access to [national administrative data] and the use of such data for research purposes in the UK has been difficult…” Recommendation 1: An Administrative Data Research Centre (ADRC) should be established in each of the four countries in the UK [ so intrinsically cross-national in one sense] “These will be responsible for commissioning and undertaking linkage of data from different government departments and making the linked data available for analysis…” Fundamental aim is to facilitate public policy and social science research

TaskForce recommendations: 1) An Administrative Data Research Centre (ADRC) in each country of the UK 2) An independent Governing Board to provide strategic guidance and assurance 3) UK wide researcher training and accreditation process 4) A strategy for engaging with the public 5) Generic legal gateways to access data 6) Sufficient resources to provide for state-of-the art and safe facilities

Which awarded five separate five-year grants To establish Capital funding provided to Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Which awarded five separate five-year grants To establish (1) an Administrative Data Research Centre in each of the four UK countries [Each centre collaborates with several universities and their National Statistical Institute] (2) an Administrative Data Service Also: a Governing Board, reporting to the UK Statistics Authority, and advising the ESRC [The UKSA is an independent body, which reports directly to Parliament]

Role of the Administrative Data Service: To help researchers prepare their projects for assessment by the Approvals Panel To process all applications and provide project support To train researchers to use administrative data safely, legally and responsibly To negotiate with data custodians, such as government departments and agencies, for access to administrative data And coordinate Network policies and protocols, advise the Network on legal and regulatory matters, coordinate the Network’s communications and public engagement, assure data security, inform the public about the social benefits of this type of research

SUCCESSES (August 2016) - The four ADRCs and the ADS established; secure rooms Researcher training (150+ researchers trained) Researcher accreditation programme in place [64 accredited researchers, 32 from academia, 24 from gov, 8 from the third sector] - Project approvals panel in place - Large number of project applications (c.100) - Good monitoring procedure to track times of projects [can identify where the bottlenecks are] - Success in projects from the devolved administrations - Good public engagement and communication programme

DIFFICULTIES (1) Getting data from central government departments concerns about security? resource issues? releases may lead to questions about their policies Successful from devolved administrations because (?): smaller constituencies personal relationships projects often initiated by the government bodies

(2) The network structure coordination issues

(3) Uncertain and changing legislative environment TaskForce Recommendation 2: Legislation should be enacted to facilitate research access to administrative data and to allow data linkage between departments to take place more efficiently Enacting legislation is a slow and uncertain process With conflicting players

WHAT HAVE WE LEARNT? Main challenges were strategic, not technical Offer resources to collate data Provide assurance about data security Importance of personal links Need a unique network director Need someone experienced at interacting with government departments (“data negotiator”)

OTHER POINTS Access for commercial organisations [Doing contracted analysis] Delicacy of many not-precisely-aligned interests Importance of good case studies Demonstrate value for money Demonstrate value added Data retention Legislation Brexit ?