Dr Shaibal Roy and Claire Tew explain how local government can reap previously untapped benefits from dark data analytics

Austerity has forced authorities to prioritise the services they offer and to target the groups who can benefit most from the allocation of diminishing resources. All that has to be done alongside reducing overall demand and signposting where self-service options and third party support can be used before a council has to intervene. To do this effectively and to make the right strategic and evidence-based decisions requires information and insights.