Who we are

We are a collegiate and intellectually curious team of data policy experts and delivery managers with interests across national and international public policy. We work with a community of expert Associates and Special Advisers on key topics in data policy and digital technologies – such as data governance, data innovation, and artificial intelligence – for open and trustworthy data ecosystems. These public policy areas are reflected in our ODI manifesto points of infrastructure, capability, innovation, equity, ethics and engagement. You can read more about this on our policy topic page.

The ODI is non-partisan but we believe that data is a political topic. Our contributions will always be pragmatic, collaborative and consultative, while maintaining our independence.

What we do

Our vision is a world where data works for everyone, and we are a public policy team that works with companies, governments and civil society to achieve this. Our public policy advice is grounded in data practice, is informed by the multidisciplinary expertise of the wider ODI, and shapes the ODI’s thought leadership. We work as openly and fearlessly as possible, developing our public policy positions in dialogue with what we learn from our ODI R&D, consultancy, training and innovation activities, and drawing on insights and evidence around our portfolio of ODI toolkits and resources for people, businesses, civil society and governments.

How we work

We are a global organisation headquartered in London and our work has international application. We work in a range of domains, sectors and topics including health, jobs, climate, cities, sports, international development, utilities, artificial intelligence, public services and digital government.

Our public policy activities include: undertaking policy research and analysis; convening discussion events such as expert roundtables and workshops; synthesizing and developing an evidence base for consultation responses or for engagement with Parliamentary bodies such as All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs); providing expert advice to civil servants, Parliamentarians, political advisers and journalists; and publishing policy reports, tools, guides, and op-ed pieces.

We publish blog posts on topical issues, serve on expert and advisory committees, and participate in public events, policy events, or data-specialist events such as conferences, expos, panels and keynote lectures.

We also work in partnership across domains and sectors with national and international organisations such as think tanks, research institutes, civil society organisations, multilaterals and companies.

Our portfolio

Our policy projects have been reported on by the Financial Times, BBC TV News, and Computer Weekly magazine, among others.

Some of our recent and current public policy projects include:

• The UK’s geospatial infrastructure: challenges and opportunities (2018)
• About Data About Us (with the RSA and Luminate; 2019)
• What are the links between data infrastructure and trade competitiveness? (2019)
• Monitoring Equality in Digital Public Services (with The Legal Education Foundation; 2020)
• The Value of Data (with the Bennett Institute for Public Policy, University of Cambridge; 2020)
• Data about children’s lives in the pandemic (with Barnardo’s, Mumsnet, MyEd, and ODI Leeds; 2020)
• Data on teachers’ lives during the pandemic (with NASUWT and Mime; 2021)
• Inclusive data: perspectives from a roundtable discussion (with the Ada Lovelace Institute and the Centre for Public Data; 2021)
• Innovation and the data economy: opportunities for UK regulators (with the Better Regulation Executive; 2021)
• The UK National Data Strategy (with the Ada Lovelace Institute, the Centre for Public Data, the Institute for Government, and the Royal Statistical Society; ongoing)
• Data in Europe (for the European Commission with Deloitte, GovLab, and Lisbon Council; ongoing)
• Data institutions in low- and middle-income countries (with World Bank; ongoing)
• Mapping data in the UK government (2021)
• Data literacy and the UK government (2022)
• Experimentalism and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (ongoing)
• Secondary use of health data in Europe (with Roche; ongoing)
• Data landscape and health data governance (with World Health Organisation; 2021)
• The Global Pandemic Data Alliance (with data.org, I-DAIR, the Royal Society and the Trinity Challenge, as part of the UK’s G7 Presidency 2021; ongoing)
• The UK’s new data protection regime (with Institute for Government and Wellcome Trust; ongoing)
• Tackling greenwashing through data assurance (ongoing)
• Our consultation responses and APPG evidence submissions.
• Our commentary on topical issues includes analysis of the 2020 A-level fiasco, our spring/summer 2021 policy highlights, our reflections on the 2021 Sewell Report by the Commission for Race and Ethnic Disparities, commentary on the 2021 Spending Review, observations on policy to unlock the economic value of data, insights from mapping data initiatives in UK government, and discussion of the UK government’s data opportunity

Contact us

We’re active on social media and regularly share updates and commentary on Twitter (@ODIHQ).  If you’re interested in partnering with us, commissioning us, or have any queries about our work you can also reach us by email at policy@theodi.org – this will send a message to the whole public policy team.