The new General Data Protection Regulation comes into force in May this year – presenting yet another challenge to the way authorities manage and share people's information.
The updated legislation will bring commonality to the way data is managed across Europe, and will still affect councils post-Brexit.
Once again, a quick backwards look confirms that local government has traditionally been at the leading edge of developments in both data protection and deploying new technology.
Back in 1984, a group of data protection officers set up a national group in advance of the first Data Protection Act, so that they could discuss and debate the implementation before it came into effect.
To do this, the group went about the task by using a single computer at a single location, networked to others so that council officers could discuss various aspects.
That was a year before Bill Gates released Windows, and seven full years before the world wide web.
Local government also has a track record of pioneering the use of data. I'm not talking simply about the data that it creates as a part of its service delivery – but any data that it can find that better enables the understanding of its communities and their needs.
It was councils, fire and police authorities acting together that funded the digitalisation of Ordnance Survey mapping, giving unprecedented access to overlaying information with geographical data.
Similarly, when no viable software existed to handle small area statistics, councils collaborated to fund and develop the software to analyse the decennial census.
Today, with personalisation of care services and a far deeper understanding of our communities needed to empower them and target what matters, data protection is as relevant to councils as it ever was.
iESE can help you navigate the landscape. With a depth of experience in customer information, data management and using technology to modernise services, we can help you prepare for the changes in May, and welcome the new regulations with confidence, rather than apprehension.
To speak to one of our team call 08434 878 025 or visit iese.org.uk.
Dr Andrew Larner is CEO of the national Improvement & Efficiency Social Enterprise (iESE), which supports public sector transformation.
Web: iese.org.uk Twitter: @ieseltd
