Bradford 2025

Open Data Strategy

25 July 2024

Introduction

This short presentation outlines the principles, stakeholders, data sources, technical platform and key milestones that will shape the Bradford 2025 open data workstream.

Open data workstream

• Publish output indicators openly…
  Available for anyone to find and use
• Present key metrics on a data dashboard
  Easy-to-use graphics present the story in data.
• Perform regular automated updates
  New “live” data published every day

Benefits

Increases data visibility

Bradford 2025 team decisions based on data

Improves data quality

Using data helps identify issues early

Demonstrates transparency

Allows public scrutiny of progress and value

Supports evaluation

Less quantitative analysis needed → more qualitative analysis possible

This strategy was prepared during July 2024 by Open Innovations, a Leeds-based not-for-profit working on innovation with data.

They built the LEEDS 2023 data microsite, and are working on legacy projects with Leeds City Council and the University of Leeds.

Principles

A clear set of principles will help justify the organisational change.

Principles

Data-literate organisation

The Bradford 2025 organisation will make meaningful and proactive use of data to inform decision making.

Data quality is everyone's business

By making use of our data we will spot problems as they occur and can fix them while the information is still fresh.

Radically transparent

We will publish data that shows an honest appraisal of our progress. As an organisation in receipt of public-funding, we welcome public scrutiny.

Stakeholders

We need to know who will use the data so we can ensure we meet their needs.

Priorities will be based on stakeholder needs

Internal stakeholders

• Evaluation

  Aim: Evaluate the success of Bradford 2025 against stated aims

• Board / Trustees

  Aim: Understand progress, be accountable and demonstrate transparency

• Youth Panel

  Aim: Assess youth-focussed aspects

• Audiences

  Aim: Focussed audience engagement, communicationss and PR campaigns

• Engagement

  Aim: Assess and extend grassroots and community engagement

• Programme

  Aim: Track quantity and quality of events

• Operations

  Aim: Efficient running of key processes

• Development

  Aim: Build relationships and attract investment

• Education, skills and wellbeing

  Aim: Support legacy goals

The Bradford 2025 team

There are some overriding internal aims

• Information is easily at hand and reliable
• Feedback loops are in place, allowing early course corrections
• Time spent writing reports (e.g. for funders) is reduced

Direct stakeholders

• Bradford Metropolitan District Council

  Aim: Assess inclusive growth; recipient of legacy

• West Yorkshire Combined Authority

  Aim: Key funder; Cross-CA opportunities

• Bradford Institute for Health Research

  Aim: Extend Born In Bradford research

• Key funders

  DCMS, Arts Council, National Lottery

  Aim: Get "live" updates on progress

• Private sector sponsors

  Aim: Assess return on investment

• Yeme Tech

  Aim: Build on existing social models

• University of Bradford

  Aim: Research project opportunities

• University of Leeds

  Aim: Research project opportunities

• Centre for Cultural Value

  Aim: Research project opportunities

• Bradford Producing Hub

  Aim: Support partnership

People we are actively working with or speaking to

Indirect stakeholders

• Bradford residents

  Aim: Feel involved in Bradford 2025 and access benefits

• Bradford based private-sector

  Aim: Benefit from increased visitors and economic investment

• Bradford-based national portfolio organisations

  Aim: Partnership / co-creation opportunities and benefits

• Schools and colleges

  Aim: Enhance arts education offer

• Local arts organisations

  Aim: Engage with Bradford 2025

• WYCA and Other councils

  Aim: Learn from Bradford 2025, share resources

• Journalists and the Media

  Aim: Develop stories about Bradford 2025

Other people interested in the data

Data Sources

We need to catalogue what data will be published and where it will be sourced.

The story of change

The story of change identifies Inputs, Outputs and Outcomes leading to Impact.

The open data workstream and live dashboard will focus on Inputs and Outputs.

Source mapping

Each prioritised input or output will map to a source.

Technical Platform

We need to document how the data is processed, stored and presented.

Data sources

Data is collected via many routes, some well-structured and some “messy”.

Data processing

Automated pipelines extract, cleanse, anonymise and summarise ready for publishing.

Open data publishing

Data is catalogued and made available for use under clear licensing terms.

Live dashboard

The live data dashboard presents data about Bradford 2025 in an easy-to-interpret style.

Reference data

Processing and visualisation depends on reference data like lists of venues and map layouts.

Data processing

Pipelines are responsible for extracting data from source systems and getting ready for publication:

• Cleansing
  …validating, fixing and converting varying data formats.
• Anonymising
  …removing personally identifiable data so it is safe to publish.
• Summarising
  …by event, date, geography, etc.

Open Data publishing

Data needs to be

Made publicly available…

A web site or source code repository work well

…catalogued so it can be found…

Data portal such as Northern Data Hub, Data Mill North or a culture-focussed observatory.

…with documentation

Describing the source, processing and publication timeline

Data infrastructure

Built and left as a legacy for the culture sector.

Reference datasets

Bradford venues (location, capacity, accessibility);

Bradford-based cultural organisations;

…and others…

Code libraries

Statistical methods for survey preparation;

Source system connectors.

Geospatial mapping and visualisation

Address to geography lookup;

Geographic base maps, hexmaps

Schemas

Standards for sharing data

Geographies are difficult

Larger, rural areas can visually swamp smaller, urban areas.

Hexmaps give all areas the same visual weight

Outline plan

Understanding critical dependencies will help ensure appropriate planning of milestones.

Illustrative timeline and milestones

Work strands

There are two distinct, interrelated strands of work

Data publishing

Create data publishing pipelines;

Store pipeline code and open data stored in a repository;

Set up automated, scheduled pipeline execution.

Dashboard creation

Build data visualisations;

Create website to host data, with Bradford 2025 branding;

Update as data updates.

Contracting options

Initial contract recommendation

Let two initial contracts, with a final milestone to tie in with programme release.

• Contract 1: publish one prioritised dataset (either volunteers or planned events)
• Contract 2: create dashboard and visualise one dataset

Benefits of separating into two contracts:

• allows governance of data release to be managed
• decouples timing - publication can start before dashboard work
• live dashboard is positioned as a user of the open data

Subsequent contracts

References

Links

• Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture
• LEEDS 2023 Data Microsite