Data Strategy Briefing — September 9, 2020
The UK Government launched the National Data Strategy, setting missions for unlocking data value, safeguarding responsibility, and enabling data-driven public services.
Executive briefing: The UK government released the National Data Strategy (NDS) consultation on 9 September 2020, outlining a vision to unlock data value across the economy while strengthening governance. Organisations should evaluate how the strategy’s four pillars—data foundations, availability, infrastructure, and responsible use—translate into regulatory obligations, investment opportunities, and partnership expectations ahead of the final strategy and forthcoming legislation.
Understand strategic pillars and policy signals
The NDS sets out five missions: unlocking value, securing a pro-growth regulatory regime, transforming government, ensuring resilience, and championing international data flows. Key proposals include modernising the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), reforming data protection to reduce friction for innovation, promoting data trusts and intermediaries, and investing in digital infrastructure. The consultation references sector-specific initiatives such as smart data schemes (energy, finance, telecoms), public sector data sharing reforms, and data skills programmes.
Analyse how these missions intersect with existing compliance obligations. For example, mission two anticipates reforms to the UK GDPR, PECR, and CMA competition frameworks to balance innovation with privacy. Mission five underscores the UK’s commitment to cross-border data flows post-Brexit, hinting at adequacy negotiations and international agreements. Document the potential impact on your organisation’s data strategy, compliance roadmap, and investment planning.
Engage with consultation and stakeholder processes
Organisations had until 2 December 2020 to respond, but engagement remains crucial as the government develops sector policies. Coordinate responses via cross-functional working groups including legal, privacy, policy, data science, and public affairs. Provide evidence on barriers to data sharing, regulatory friction points, and the need for clarity around legitimate interests, anonymisation, and research exemptions. Advocate for proportionate enforcement and alignment with international standards to avoid fragmentation.
Participate in industry associations (techUK, Data & Marketing Association, Open Data Institute) and professional bodies (Royal Statistical Society) to shape unified positions. Track parliamentary inquiries, including the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s work on data governance, to anticipate future scrutiny. Maintain dialogue with the ICO and the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI) to inform policy evolution.
Data foundations and quality initiatives
The NDS emphasises high-quality, interoperable data. Conduct data maturity assessments covering metadata, lineage, master data management, and cataloguing. Invest in data governance platforms that provide discoverability, access control, and stewardship workflows. Align metadata standards with open data schemas (DCAT, Schema.org) to facilitate sharing and reuse.
Review data cleansing, deduplication, and enrichment processes to ensure accuracy and reliability. Establish data quality KPIs (completeness, consistency, timeliness) and assign data stewards across business domains. Implement data literacy programmes to build foundational skills among employees, combining training modules with communities of practice.
Data availability and sharing frameworks
Evaluate opportunities to participate in data trusts, sharing partnerships, and smart data initiatives. Develop decision frameworks to assess when to open data, share under controlled conditions, or retain proprietary. Consider legal bases, competitive sensitivities, and ethical implications. Draft template data sharing agreements incorporating access controls, purpose limitations, security obligations, and benefit-sharing terms.
For public sector collaborations, align with the Digital Economy Act gateways, Data Sharing Code of Practice, and frameworks such as the Integrated Data Service. Private sector partnerships should integrate privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) such as differential privacy, secure multiparty computation, and federated learning to enable insights without exposing raw data. Document governance arrangements, including steering committees, audit rights, and dispute resolution mechanisms.
Infrastructure and skills investments
The NDS calls for resilient digital infrastructure and advanced analytics capabilities. Assess cloud migration strategies, edge computing deployments, and data platform architectures. Prioritise investments in scalable storage, processing (data lakes, lakehouses), and APIs that support interoperability. Incorporate cybersecurity enhancements—zero trust architectures, encryption, intrusion detection—to safeguard expanded data flows.
Develop workforce plans to address data skills gaps. Create training pathways for data scientists, engineers, and analysts, complemented by upskilling programmes for business users. Partner with universities and apprenticeships aligned to the government’s skills agenda. Track diversity metrics within data teams to ensure inclusive capability building.
Responsible data use and ethics
Strengthen ethical governance structures. Establish data ethics committees with representation from legal, compliance, technology, and external advisors. Implement ethical impact assessments for AI and advanced analytics projects, evaluating fairness, accountability, transparency, and societal impact. Align with frameworks such as the CDEI’s AI assurance guidance and the Alan Turing Institute’s data ethics principles.
Enhance transparency for users: update privacy notices, provide algorithmic explainability, and create user control dashboards. Embed bias detection and mitigation techniques into machine learning pipelines. Maintain audit trails documenting model development, training data provenance, and monitoring results. Integrate ethical KPIs into performance management and executive reporting.
International data flows and compliance posture
Review cross-border data transfer mechanisms in light of the UK’s independent adequacy decisions and potential reforms following the NDS. Maintain standard contractual clauses (SCCs), Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs), and transfer impact assessments (TIAs) reflecting Schrems II obligations. Monitor UK-EU adequacy reviews, U.S.-UK data discussions, and emerging frameworks with Asia-Pacific partners.
Align export controls, localisation requirements, and data residency policies with global operations. Implement geo-fencing, regional data hubs, and encryption to manage jurisdictional constraints. Engage with trade associations advocating for interoperable privacy regimes to reduce compliance complexity.
Action plan and timeline
Create a roadmap linking NDS missions to internal initiatives:
- Q4 2020: Complete policy impact assessment, submit consultation feedback, and initiate data maturity evaluation.
- H1 2021: Launch data governance enhancements, establish ethics committee, and pilot data sharing partnerships using PETs.
- H2 2021: Expand data literacy programmes, implement cross-border transfer reviews, and align cloud infrastructure with resilience goals.
- 2022 and beyond: Monitor legislative updates, adapt privacy programmes to reforms, and scale innovation projects leveraging trusted data collaborations.
Track KPIs such as data catalogue coverage, partnership outcomes, ethical review throughput, and regulatory change readiness. Report progress to executive committees and boards to maintain sponsorship.
Leadership considerations
Senior leaders should treat the NDS as both a policy driver and strategic opportunity. Allocate funding for data governance transformations, foster cross-sector partnerships, and ensure representation in government-led forums. By building robust data foundations, responsible governance, and agile compliance functions, organisations can capitalise on the UK’s ambition to become a global data leader while managing regulatory and ethical risks.
Follow-up: The 2022 progress update established delivery missions, and the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill (No.2) continued through Parliament in 2023–2024 to implement the strategy’s legislative changes.
Sources
- UK National Data Strategy — Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport; Government policy paper outlining the UK's data strategy missions and pillars.
- National Data Strategy Consultation — Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport; Consultation materials seeking stakeholder input on the National Data Strategy proposals.