Authoritative Citizen Information

 
 

The Authoritative Citizen Information (ACI) project was a large-scale data transformation across DWP Digital with the goal of simplifying and standardising data collection, storage and distribution. The project was commissioned by the Director of DWP Digital with the aim of completely reshaping data architecture. The goals were to

Background

  • “How come we don’t have one set of information for our citizens?”

  • “Why do our citizens have multiple names and addresses?”

DWP wanted ‘big data’ - instead they had ‘lots of data’, collected from citizens multiple times in conflicting ways. It was quicker for teams to request data from the citizen repeatedly as opposed to use data the department already held.

The ACI project would standardise how data would be collected, stored and shared which would result in a better user experience for citizens, speed up product development, assist operations teams and save significant amounts of money for the taxpayer.

Findings

User research was conducted to understand the needs of DWP users and to identify any potential challenges with the ACI project. It involved speaking directly with citizens, DWP product teams, architects, operations staff and senior leadership. Our goal was to determine a clear data architecture strategy and data lifecycle.

  • There is no such thing as universally authoritative data.

    • Authority of data is in the eye of the user. Citizens can have multiple authoritative addresses which are used for different reasons.

  • The true value is providing context on how and why data is collecting and allowing users to self-serve that data.

    • Our team needed to determine metadata standards which would enable data sharing and easy integration moving API integration time from 9 months to 2 weeks.

  • The migration to micro-service architecture would be the key to success for scalable accessible data.

Conclusion

The Authoritative Citizen Information (ACI) project was a success. The project resulted in a new data architecture pattern that is simpler, more standardized, and more accessible. The new data architecture has yet to be implemented but has been designed to improve the user experience for citizens, speed up product development, and save significant amounts of money for the taxpayer.

Here are some of the key lessons learned from the project:

  • User research is essential for understanding the needs of users and for designing and developing effective solutions.

  • A standardized data architecture can improve the user experience, speed up product development, and save money.

  • Metadata standards are essential for enabling data sharing and easy integration.

  • A migration to micro-service architecture can be a key to success for scalable and accessible data.

The ACI project is a valuable example of how user research and data architecture can be used to improve the user experience, speed up product development, and save money. The project has set a precedent for future data transformation projects at DWP Digital and other government agencies.