"Invest in and share experiences building core data registers, learning from the French National Address Database experience”; “develop initiatives to bring basic data literacy into primary and secondary education”; and “commission research into algorithmic transparency and accountability” are among the recommendations listed in a report published in July by the joint French-UK Data Taskforce.
This joint taskforce was initiated in 2015 “to look further into the issue of data revolution, how it can foster economic growth and how the two countries could cooperate”, the report states. Henri Verdier, Chief Data Officer of the French Government, and Sir Nigel Shadbolt, Principal of Jesus College, Oxford, and Open Data Institute co-founder, chair the taskforce. The report was handed over to the two governments.
“The report represents an opportunity for the UK and France to deepen connections, and to open up new ways of collaborating and sharing experience. Data can be a common language and common resource. The recommendations in this report bring together the best of both countries’ experiences with data”, said the report states.
Improve data literacy and skills in our societies, as a priority
The recommendations are classified into four main categories:
- Support data-drive innovation. “To realise the benefits of data we need to foster data innovation”, the taskforce writes in the report
- Build robust data infrastructures because “the strategic importance of data as essential infrastructure for our economies is not widely understood”.
- Improve data literacy and skills in our societies. “We need a better basic understanding of data, its opportunities and limitations, across our societies - as well as increased data science skills”.
- Strengthen citizens’ confidence and empowerment. “A collapse in trust of organisations collecting and using data, including our personal data, is a real risk that could prevent us realising the full economic and societal opportunities on offer”.
“This report comes at an important time. Both the UK and France are looking to strengthen their data foundations and to drive greater impact from use of data - in government, across industry, and in the third sector”, according to its authors.
Actions, resulting from these recommendations, will be presented by the two governments in September.