GeoPlace endorses the transformational power of address and street data

f change, but sharing data is a huge challenge in itself.

A new report from GeoPlace "Everything happens somewhere" - Address and street data: a common standard for digital transformation" provides scalable examples demonstrating how address and street data, already freely available and held within every local authority in Great Britain, can be used by councils today to save and deliver better services tomorrow.

Address and street data are the identifiers of places and where people are. They provide a common identifier to link data from a diverse range of systems and services to relate them to the same place, property, person, business or service. Bringing data together in this way saves money as it avoids duplication and provides linkages fast and efficiently, enabling âwhere' to be utilised in a range of policy areas.

The report explains the transformational power of address and street data in a wide range of services ranging from social care, to council tax, waste management, troubled families, fraud and welfare reform by examining its role in:

1. Harnessing standardised data

2. Providing a platform for interoperability

3. Reducing fragmentation

4. Using data to make savings

5. Service redesign and transformation

6. Bringing public services together

In introducing the report, Claire Holloway Head of Corporate Governance at the LGA said: "This report makes a compelling case for the wider use and sharing of data and should be a must read for anyone who wants to transform their services, make savings, and provide better citizen services".

Jason Kitcat, independent advisor to local and national government on digital transformation and former Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council says "The examples in this report show how much more could be achieved if wider use of the fruits of GeoPlace's work became embedded in all that public services do. This report makes a special contribution by not just setting out the case for digital transformation, but by giving real examples of how it can be done."

Steve Brandwood, Head of Engagement at GeoPlace will be presenting the report at the GeoPlace annual conference which takes place on 28^th April at the Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre in Westminster. Other speakers at the event include the Rt Hon Matthew Hancock MP, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General and Nigel Clifford, Chief Executive Officer of Ordnance Survey.

Information about the annual conference is available here.

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NOTES

GeoPlace is a public sector limited liability partnership between the Local Government Association (LGA) and Ordnance Survey. GeoPlace was set up in 2011 by government in recognition of the national value of address and street data and works in collaboration with its partners in local government and Ordnance Survey.