Visualising  data  –  why/how  Involving  schools?  disinterested  use  of  open  data  

@paul0evans1  &  @tobyblume  #visualdata  

Understanding  what  we’re  trying  to  achieve  with  data/visualisaCons  

‘Noisy’  opinion  •  UnrepresentaCve  –  small  numbers  -­‐  

intermediaries  •  Time-­‐rich  –  heavy  engagement  •  ‘Prejudiced’  (ideology,  religion,  tribalism  

etc)  •  Self-­‐interested  –  not  public  interest  •  GeOng  more  abundant  (free  publishing)  

Down with this sort of thing!

DistorCon  &  disinformaCon  

Heavy  preferences  &  passionate  views  

Coercion:  Campaigning  &  vote-­‐driving  

Good  digital  policymaking  tree  OpCmal  Policy  

Evidence  Experience  +  research  +  disinterested  armchair  auditors,  hyperlocals  

Councillors  

ConsultaCons  

Opinion  Newspapers,  pressure  groups,  FOI  requests  +  

Bloggers  

NaConal  Government  

We  want…  

•  Disinterested  analysis  -­‐  not  inducCve  •  Many  minds  –  diversity  of  perspecCves  /  invenCon  /  ‘conversaCon  starters’  

•  Issues  made  more  a^racCve  to  engage  with  –  infographics  /  walk-­‐throughs  etc  

•  Folksy  descripCon  of  council  work  –  not  ‘officer-­‐speak’  

PenalCes  of  being  hard  to  deal  with  

•  Price  parCcipaCon  at  £0  =  mostly  ‘fanaCc’  respondents  

•  Hard-­‐to-­‐get  informaCon  (FOI)  rewards  hard-­‐to-­‐avoids  –  and  loses  control  of  how  informaCon  is  released  

•  Having  a  monopoly  in  describing  your  service  =  bureaucraCc  voice/distrust  (spin)  

h^p://dharmafly.com/localbusiness  

SuggesCons  from  the  session  •  Review  required  skills  for  LocalGov  employment  •  Co-­‐ordinate  visualisaCon  skills  within  local  government  be^er  •  Lower  expectaCons  on  corporate  style  –  go  for  authenCcity  rather  

than  branding  •  Encourage  people  other  than  formal  employees  to  present  

informaCon  –  it’s  more  authenCc  –  enable  and  curate  rather  than  ‘just  create’  

•  Make  a  clearer  link  between  parCcipaCon  &  decisionmaking  •  Make  organisaCons  more  permissive  in  comms  terms  –  making  

everything  go  through  the  corporate  filter  doesn’t  work  •  When  we  inform  –  say  WHY  we’re  informing  •  Curate  walk-­‐throughs  of  how  people  do  good  data-­‐visualisaCon  –  

dotgovlabs  /  skunkworks  •  Visual  media  surgeries!!!