Building trust through audit and certification

– This opportunity is now closed –

Call for proposals: Role of regulators, professional bodies and industry bodies in creating the conditions for trustworthy sharing and reuse of data

Tender reference: ODI_DA_02

Call for tenders by the Open Data Institute Contact: [email protected]

Organisations and individuals accessing, using and sharing data need to be able to provide assurance, or be confident, that data is fit for purpose and trustworthy for its intended use, and that the purposes of data collection and use are ethical and equitable.

The ODI is looking into the role of data assurance in improving data sharing by helping organisations assess, build and demonstrate both trust in data practices and the trustworthiness of data for different purposes.

There are several ways that organisations sharing and reusing data can provide assurance of data and data practices. These can be incentivised by public policy tools like legislation and subsidies, and supported and encouraged by industry bodies and professional bodies.

We are commissioning this research to explore the role of regulators, professional bodies and industry bodies in creating enabling conditions for trustworthy sharing and reuse of data across different sectors and cross-sector ecosystems.

This work will inform future strategies to engage these  bodies to actively encourage assessment; build and demonstrate trustworthy data practices, and embed assurance of data and data practices in different sector and cross-sector ecosystems. Together these activities aim to support delivery of the National Data Strategy.

Summary and timeline

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Terms of payment

Payment of 50% the agreed contract price will be made half way through delivery, and 50% on completion.

Background

To create a world where data works for everyone, we need trustworthy data to flow in well-governed ways around the data ecosystem. Data use is restricted when governments and companies that could share or reuse data are unable to assess the trustworthiness of datasets or the data practices of other organisations. This reduces their willingness to provide access to data they steward and to use data from third parties, leading to both duplicated data collection efforts and missed opportunities for the use of data.

Trust in the external environment (the factors outside an organisation that can affect its operation by influencing its activities and choices) – such as in the effective enforcement of data protection law or ethical codes of practice – gives stakeholders assurance in those providing, stewarding, or acquiring data. Key actors in shaping the external environment are regulators, professional bodies, and industry bodies.

We are commissioning this research to explore the role of regulators, professional bodies and industry bodies in creating the conditions for trustworthy sharing and reuse of data across different sectors and cross-sector ecosystems.

Research questions we’d like to explore are:

  1. What are the mechanisms by which regulators, professional and industry bodies can encourage trustworthy data practices?
  2. What are the mechanisms by which regulators, professional and industry bodies can embed data assurance in different sectors and cross-sector ecosystems?
  3. What are the likely or possible impacts of each of these mechanisms?
  4. What are the challenges or blockers for enacting these mechanisms?

This research will build on and add to earlier related thinking including:

  • Data portability and the role governments should play to support open innovation and competition while preserving people’s privacy.
  • Business attitudes to sharing data and where regulators and industry bodies can support this.
  • The Value of Data and how to provide a trustworthy regulatory and institutional environment.
  • Discussions with the Better Regulation Executive (BRE) and regulators on ‘innovation and the data economy: opportunities for UK regulators’.
  • Research into increasing access to data across the economy
  • Identification of the ways governments support independent stewardship of data to facilitate data sharing.

Deliverables

The deliverables will be:

  • Write up of research and findings
  • Case studies showcasing successful (or less successful) interventions
  • Set of recommendations for regulators, industry bodies and professional bodies on actions needed to create the conditions for trustworthy sharing of data.
  • Set of recommendations for ODI and other actors to support regulators, industry bodies and professional bodies to create the conditions for trustworthy sharing of data.

Applicants should propose the format and length of deliverables as part of the tender response.

We expect project teams to:

  • Work closely with the ODI team e.g. include ODI colleagues in engagement activities with regulators, industry bodies and professional bodies.
  • Attend feedback sessions with team members
  • Communicate plans and progress regularly

The ODI will provide:

  • Documentation and links to existing, related work
  • Access to team members involved in previous and current related work

Activities

The successful organisations will work in close collaboration with the ODI team to ensure the deliverables meet the needs of the project.

We are keen for the ODI team to have an opportunity to engage with regulators, professional bodies and industry bodies as part of this research to develop understanding and relationships.

We anticipate there will be certain types of activity required - such as desk research, stakeholder interviews, workshops and engagement, assessment of research findings and drafting of output(s) - however applicants should propose specific activities and research methods as part of the tender response.

Form of tender response

Applications can be on behalf of a consortium of organisations. Interested parties should submit a costed proposal (in English) to [email protected], which includes:

  • A short (no more than 5 page) explanation of your proposed approach, with references to any relevant existing work or activities
  • A description of why you are best placed to deliver this research
  • A description of the team who will do the work, including biographies
  • The total value (£) of your proposal, with a breakdown of the costs by activity and people
  • A project plan with a clear description of activities, research methods, outputs from the different activities and how the will help to address the research questions outlined
  • Where required, what form of in-kind support from the ODI team would be useful, for example, to provide training, technical support, connections etc
  • Targeted stakeholders that will be approached/engaged as part of this work and proof of their commitment
  • Any risks and data protection considerations

If you have any questions about the tender, please contact [email protected] quoting the tender reference. The ODI reserves the right to make both anonymised questions and answers public or shared with other organisations having stated their interest.

Decision criteria

All proposals will be assessed as described in our public procurement policy. In addition, for this procurement we will be looking for:

  • Applications submitted by a consortia should highlight how money is being spent across the organisations involved and the roles each consortium member will be taking.
  • Alignment with the ODI’s goals and priority areas