Programme
From 10-12 May 2021, the Festival programme was jam-packed with sessions to help attendees make better use of data to transform their impact. They learned from panels, workshops, and discussions that included charity data journeys, data through a DEI (Diversity, Equality and Inclusion) lens and funder data use, plus chances to take part in technical how-to sessions, and to join spaces to network with other data folk in the social sector.
To take a look at what was on the programme, click the date to view the different days of the conference, or use the ‘tag’ circles under each event to see all events under that theme, including:
- Communicating data
- Data about the sector
- Data analysis
- Data and DEI (Diversity, Equality and Inclusion)
- Data foundations
- Data journey
- Data sharing
- Data strategy
- Datasets
- Developing a data community
- Grantmaking
09:00 – 09:30
Networking
Join the networking area on HopIn to meet others in the sector, learn about how different charities use data, get help with your challenges and share your top tips. You’ll be automatically connected with other attendees, to spark conversation, learn from each other and build your network.
09:30 – 9:35
Welcome
Giselle will introduce the day, giving attendees the information they need to navigate through the day. Join us for an ‘orientation’ so you can make the most of the Festival. Giselle is a festival host and Executive Director at DataKind UK.
Giselle Cory
09:35 – 10:10
KEYNOTE: Data sharing and stewardship in the social sector
It’s really common for the data an organisation, a community, or individual people need to support its decision making to be captured and held by someone else. When many organisations or people would benefit from access to the same data, it’s common for intermediaries to be created to steward this data for that set of stakeholders, and some of these become well-loved public institutions such as the Office for National Statistics. The increasing availability of, and desire to, use data to support decision making means we need more of these organisations, which we call data institutions. There is a strong role for non-profits and funders to play as data institutions, in order to fulfil their public good purposes. Jeni, Vice President and Chief Strategy Adviser of the Open Data Institute, will talk about what that might look like and some of the challenges that need to be addressed to ensure that data institutions can work in and for the social sector.
Jeni Tennison
10:10 – 10:30
In-sights into data at Moorfields Eye Hospital
Alex Karet of Softwire will ask how Softwire and Moorfields Eye Hospital give medical researchers access to millions of patient scans without compromising patient confidentiality.
They will discuss how they combine these anonymised images with relevant clinical data, explaining their work producing a state-of-the-art research platform. They will highlight how this platform allows researchers to explore the available dataset without granting access to any identifiable patient records. They will mention their work balancing accessibility of the data with the information governance concerns working with personally identifiable health data. They will also explain how this helps produce datasets for HDRUK and the future of health data research in the UK.
Alex Karat
Datasets
Data analysis
Data journey
Presentation
10:35 – 11:30
I am me: equalities data for everyone
Do you collect equalities data about your members, service users, beneficiaries, staff, or volunteers? It may be required by funders, through contracts, as part of recruitment processes, or to identify need or gaps in service provision. But how do we ensure that this isn’t just a tick box exercise? How can we capture the identities of the real people we interact with? This session will challenge participants to think about why and how we collect equalities data. Through thought-provoking interactive exercises and game play, participants will consider the importance of self-identification and how to allow space for intersectional data to emerge. Delivered by facilitators working on equalities issues that truly aim at including everyone, this workshop helps ‘I am me’ to be captured as a reality, and avoids the sterility of tick boxes.
Christine Goodall
Bonnie Chiu
Data and DEI (Diversity, Equality and Inclusion)
Workshop
10:35 – 11:30
Analysing grant data to shape funder responses to crisis at London Funders
The London Community Response is a collaboration of 67 funders. By May 2021 they will have completed five waves of Covid funding, from crisis response to renewal, and distributed around £55m to community organisations in London. London Funders used the data from this to interrogate who the funding is reaching, in particular whether it supported smaller, ‘led-by’ organisations. Working alongside funders and equity partners, they developed tools to monitor and understand how well they were achieving this throughout. The data was used to shape how the London Community Response is designed and delivered. London Funders hope this will inspire change to wider funder approaches.
Geraldine Blake
Grace Perry
Data journey
Data and DEI (Diversity, Equality and Inclusion)
Grantmaking
Data analysis
10:35 – 11:30
Setting up a place-based data group: lessons learned and how you can try your own
How do I set up a local data for good use group? This session begins with three short presentations from local data for good groups across the UK (West Midlands Open Data Forum, Sheffield Data for Good, and current plans for the North East) to show how they went about setting up, the challenges they faced, and what has gone well. There will then be a structured, practical workshop for attendees to plan how they might set up something in their own area, who they might want to approach, and what they’re going to do next to make it happen.
Tom French
Tom Watson
Pauline Roche
Data community
Workshop
10:35 – 11:30
Secure Anonymised Information Linkage Databank (SAIL) ‘public data, for public good’
Containing billions of person-based records, from the last quarter of a century or more, SAIL Databank is a rich and trusted population data resource based within Swansea University Medical School whose influence stretches globally. SAIL Databank is accredited to the highest international standards and exists to improve lives by providing researchers with secure, linkable and anonymised data that can be accessed and analysed from anywhere in the world – public data, for public good.
Recently voted in DataIQ’s 100 most influential people in data, Professor David Ford will speak about the pioneering work that he others undertook to establish a privacy-protecting repository for de-identified population data that could be unlocked for society’s benefit. Professor Ford’s presentation will cover the vast array of different data types entrusted to SAIL Databank since those early beginnings, including health, housing, education and other administrative data, and underline the strict governance processes that keeps the data secure but also helps to facilitate and support world-changing research.
Professor David Ford
Datasets
Data sharing
Presentation
11:30 – 11:45
Morning break
Join the networking area on HopIn to meet others in the sector, learn about how different charities use data, get help with your challenges and share your top tips. You’ll be automatically connected with other attendees, to spark conversation, learn from each other and build your network.
11:45 – 12:25
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion – A data driven journey from emh
Emh Group is a large social housing and care organisation based in the East Midlands of England with properties also in Yorkshire, the West Midlands and the South West, with 1,100 employees and circa 20,000 homes and commercial properties. Diversity is one of their core values. In 2019 they agreed an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy to ensure equality, diversity and inclusion becomes part of the DNA of the business. One of their first steps was to understand the existing data they held on equality, diversity and inclusion, assess its quality and come up with a plan to improve it. They asked Data Orchard to help them with this work.
In this session we will share our process and learning from the data analysis project, and a year on, what happened and what’s changed at emh. Data themes will include: merging internal datasets, exploring the external data landscape, changing culture and language (and categories) for equality and diversity characteristics, pay gap analysis and data literacy.
Kathryn Eyre
Sian Basker
Data and DEI (Diversity, Equality and Inclusion)
Data journey
Presentation
11:45 – 12:25
Lambeth and Southwark’s Urban Health Index
This talk will cover the how, why, and what’s next for the recently developed Urban Health Index, from Impact on Urban Health (part of Guy’s & St Thomas’ Foundation).
Impact on Urban Health partnered with the Social Progress Imperative, founders of the Social Progress Index (SPI), to develop a Lambeth & Southwark specific Urban Health Index. The Index looks beyond economic indicators to understand the other important characteristics of neighbourhoods that shape health and wellbeing.
By layering data relating to different social and environmental indicators, we hope to build a better picture of the circumstances of people living in urban areas and how their environment impacts their health.
The Urban Health Index provides information on 68 neighbourhoods in Lambeth and Southwark and includes the most recent publicly available data. We capture data on 42 indicators relating to basic human needs, foundations of wellbeing and opportunity, viewable as an interactive scorecard for different neighbourhoods.
Alessandra Denotti
Anna Tarkington
Data analysis
Datasets
Presentation
11:45 – 12:25
The data journey at Christians Against Poverty
Hear from Christians Against Poverty (CAP), a national debt counselling charity who have been on some big journeys using internal data to make data-based decisions, improve operational efficiency, and inform their growth strategy. They’ve also had a good time using this data to get leadership on board, and seen some big changes as a result. They’re now exploring designing a management information dashboards and, by the time of the event, they hope to share their initial learning about writing a data strategy. Join Martin Cowles, Senior Project Manager in the Research, Development and Innovation department, to hear about CAP’s data journey!
Martin Cowles
Data journey
Data strategy
Presentation
11:45 – 12:25
How to use data to tell a good story
How does data translate into publicity and journalism? There are always good stories in data, and this session is about how to bring them out. Freelance journalist David Ainsworth will talk both about how you can use data to tell the story of your own charity, and how data can be used to change perceptions of the voluntary sector as a whole.
David Ainsworth
Communicating data
Presentation
12:30 – 12:55
Using data for quality, performance and assurance at Change Grow Live
Change Grow Live talk about their work as the biggest drug and alcohol service provider in England. Using data to make a difference has helped the organisation grow from a tiny volunteer-led group to supporting over 100,000 people every year. Key to this is a data strategy that has transformed how the organisation uses data, having an impact on service users, those on the first line, and leaders. They moved from Excel-style reporting to use of a data visualisation tool which continues to form an essential part of organisation’s response to the challenges of Covid-19.
Jeff Crouch
Data journey
Data analysis
Presentation
Tools
12:30 – 12:55
How to use more data visualisation in your charity
Whether it was Covid-19 charts, or US election maps, in 2020 the public became more familiar than ever with data in visual form. But sadly, too few in the social sector use this mix of design and statistics effectively. This session will focus on how they should be using data visualisation to aid decision-making and communication, and how to do it well.
Oliver is the Evaluation Manager at Imperial Health Charity, an NHS charity supporting patients and staff at five London hospitals through grants, arts and volunteering.
Oliver Carrington
How-to
Communicating data
Presentation
12:30 – 12:55
Using Data at Teach First
Teach First is a charity set up to address educational inequality. Teach First has been in operation for 19 years and over that time helped train and develop over 15,000 school teachers and leaders serving disadvantaged communities. In this session they will talk about Teach First’s journey of using data to inform both strategic and operational decision making. They will discuss their current approach including how they have used data in our shift to virtual delivery during the pandemic and future plans. Join Jonathan Tan, Head of Data and Performance and Daria Kuznetsova, Executive Director, to learn about their journey so far – including some of the challenges faced (plenty!) and how they have overcome them.
Jonathan Tan
Daria Kuznetsova
Data journey
Data analysis
Presentation
12:30 – 12:55
The approach to data at Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
Josh Cockcroft at Esmée Fairbairn Foundation will talk us through internal data use, including what data they collect and why – and their ambitions for the future. They’ll also talk about their work with social investment data, as well as the Foundation’s approach to supporting grantees data needs.
Josh Cockcroft
Data analysis
Data journey
Grantmaking
Presentation
12:55 – 13:35
Lunch
Join the networking area on HopIn to meet others in the sector, learn about how different charities use data, get help with your challenges and share your top tips. You’ll be automatically connected with other attendees, to spark conversation, learn from each other and build your network.
13:35 – 14:35
What is Data Science?
Data science is where maths, statistics, and computer science meet. It’s a broad church, but the end game is always the same: to get insight from data. DataKind UK has years of experience supporting social change organisations to use and value data science. This talk will introduce you to the basics of data science and what you might use it for in your organisation, as well as some key first approaches and ways to get started in order to find out more about your clients or beneficiaries, evaluate your services, or improve operational efficiency. For some organisations, data science can be transformative in how services are run, and the impact they have.
Giselle Cory
Dulcie Vousden
Data analysis
Data foundations
Presentation
13:35 – 14:35
Data and the board: challenges and opportunities of driving data transformation as a charity trustee
Having data-confident trustees can be so pivotal in making data a part of decision-making, particularly for smaller charities. Yet this skill set is rarely prioritised in trustee recruitment. This session will look at these questions:
- What are some of the challenges to successful data-savvy trusteeships?
- What are some of the top tips for trustees who want to lead data transformation?
- How can I get a trustee with expertise in data?
If you are interested in super-charging your board with data skills, this session is for you.
Janet Thorne
Duncan Ross
Joseph Dudley
John Fitzgerald
Communicating data
Data foundations
Data strategy
Panel Discussion
13:35 – 14:35 & 14:45 – 15:45 & 15:55 – 16:55
Running a Virtual Data Expedition (3 sessions in one series)
What does a data process look like, and where do I begin? Join this Data Expedition, an intensive, action-learning workshop that teaches a way of working with data from ‘start to finish’: from identifying a question you have, to finding and using data to try to answer it, to telling a story with it. It will build confidence working with data, and help participants use data to better inform what they do.
Sam Milsom
Mor Rubinstein
Data community
Workshop
Train the trainer
14:40 – 15:20
From Paper to Power Suite – Taking off on a digital and data journey at London’s Air Ambulance
To use data, you need to collect data. For London’s Air Ambulance helipad daily operations, that meant moving from equipment and vehicle checklists on paper, to data-driven digital checklists built in Microsoft’s Power Apps. LAA’s move to Microsoft’s dataverse and ‘no-code’ tools is designed not only to save team time, but also to build data on checklist completions and issues – leading to reporting and insights to help patient care. In this workshop, LAA will discuss technical benefits and shortcomings of the Microsoft suite (especially for non-experts), and the sociotechnical issues and human factors involved in integrating the existing processes of specialist teams of clinicians, pilots, and fire crew with digital tools and data innovation.
Christine Henry
Data journey
Data analysis
Tools
Presentation
14:40 – 15:20
How to use the Arts & Culture Benchmark to inform your work
This workshop is for arts and culture organisations who want to compare and contrast their current business model to those of their peers in order to find new opportunities for income development and cost management. We will also look at how we could redefine financial ‘success’ in the future to more thoroughly encompass ideas of financial resilience, balance, and health.
David Johnson
Sarah Thelwall
How-to
Workshop
14:40 – 15:20
Leveraging data insights to better support users
Creating an actionable feedback loop with your service users doesn’t have to be complicated. In this session, charity Carefree will show you how to use no code tools to join up live user feedback with your operations and track the impact of the improvements you make. No Code tools featured will include: Front App, Herald HQ, Linear and Databox. Carefree is a multi-award winning digital charity that leverages easy to use, flexible technology to match unpaid carers referred by social sector organisations with gifted short breaks.
Charlotte Newman
Iz Flieh
Data journey
Tools
How-to
15:20 – 15:35
Afternoon break
Join the networking area on HopIn to meet others in the sector, learn about how different charities use data, get help with your challenges and share your top tips. You’ll be automatically connected with other attendees, to spark conversation, learn from each other and build your network.
15:35 – 16:30
How to CRM
CRM systems should make life easier but all too often they are a source of gripes and complications. In this practical session, you’ll explore a potential DIY solution for people interested in a lightweight CRM. The Good Ship will share the CRM template they built in Airtable, and provide examples of other organisations who have used it, and how they’ve done so. Participants can then make a copy and start using the CRM for themselves. They can then work out a quick action plan of how they could adapt it for their organisations and how they would get others on board.
Tom Watson
Tom French
How-to
Workshop
Tools
15:35 – 16:30
Decolonising data: principles for improving the ownership, diversity and accessibility of data
Gather will facilitate a panel discussion of experts from across the geospatial, international development, and open data discipline to discuss the challenges, failures, and pathways to success for decolonising data. This will include conversations around how to ensure equitable access, ownership, and use of data by local stakeholders and decision makers, and representative datasets that surface under-represented groups. The session will be chaired by Raheema Abdirizaq, with panelists Rudo Kemper, Dr Azzam Abuhabib and Carmen Leon-Himmelstine.
Raheema Abdirizaq
Data and DEI (Diversity, Equality and Inclusion)
Panel Discussion
15:35 – 16:30
Community mapping in Tanzania: a local solution towards SDG monitoring
Crowd2Map is a volunteer project that for five years has been mapping rural Tanzania into OpenStreetMap in order to support community development and better protect girls from FGM (female genital mutilation). Our Digital Champion network is now mapping access to water and health facilities at a village level. This workshop will outline the lessons learnt so far, share how they developed their methodology, and conclude with a practical mapping session.
Janet Chapman
Rhobi Samwelly
Workshop
Data journey
16:35 – 17:05
Fireside chat – emerging themes, compelling questions
To close the day, we will have a fireside chat, with 2 or 3 attendees. We will reflect on some of the themes, insights and questions that have come up during the day, pulling out particular topics that struck a chord or felt common across different discussions. This will be hosted by Giselle Cory, Executive Director at DataKind UK.
Giselle Cory
09:00 – 09:30
Networking
Join the networking area on HopIn to meet others in the sector, learn about how different charities use data, get help with your challenges and share your top tips. You’ll be automatically connected with other attendees, to spark conversation, learn from each other and build your network.
09:30 – 09:35
Welcome
Giselle will introduce the day, giving attendees the information they need to navigate through the day. Join us for an ‘orientation’ so you can make the most of the Festival. Giselle is a festival host and Executive Director at DataKind UK.
Giselle Cory
09:35 – 10:30
KEYNOTE: Connect the dots between data and your mission
Creating an organisation that is guided by data is about connecting what you do back to your mission. Taking lessons from across sectors, this opening keynote will help set the tone for how you cut through the noise and focus on the things that really matter to your organisation. It will help you get clarity on what to prioritise, the journey to take that is right for your organisation and beneficiaries, what good looks like and outcomes you are trying to achieve. Having this clarity can help avoid missteps or spending money on things that don’t add value.
Jason Foster
Data foundations
Data strategy
Presentation
10:35 – 11:15
Undertaking a CRM transformation to improve data quality and insights at Teach First
Teach First is in the process of upgrading our CRM and undertaking a large scale business transformation, reviewing all processes, and most importantly data. As one of the first adopters of Salesforce, their data structure is not fit for purpose and limits the insights the organisation is able to generate. This session will cover Teach First’s experience in transforming its Salesforce, challenges faced and emerging lessons for any organisations in the process or about to undertake a similar transformation.
Jonathan Tan
John Meadows
Data journey
Panel Discussion
Tools
10:35 – 11:15
Data Maturity, The State of The Sector
In 2019 Data Orchard launched the world’s first online data maturity assessment for the not-for-profit sector. With over 600 validated users from every size, shape, and type of organisation; the tool’s designers can now start to share what the data tells us about the state of the sector’s data maturity. This session will reflect on: the strengths and weaknesses of the sector in relation to the seven key themes: Uses, Data, Analysis, Leadership, Culture, Tools, and Skills; surprises and curiosities in the findings; how the not-for-profit sector compares with the public and private sector; the impact the tool has had for those organisations that have used it so far; and future development plans.
Sian Basker
Data about the sector
Data journey
Presentation
10:35 – 11:15
Reframing data – developing community custodianship for social change
This roundtable will be a forum for sharing community custodianship methods and examples. Data is mostly viewed as a resource that is collected, analysed, and acted upon by organisations and institutions. In community settings it is used to understand need, target resource, and measure success. Yet most find data intangible and exclusive, creating an environment of surveyors and those that are surveyed. Reframing our relationship with data so communities are integral to the process of data design, collection and analysis offers the chance to demystify and reveal data not only as a performative process, but one which through support can enable communities to become active participants rather than passive subjects.
Julian Tait
Data and DEI (Diversity, Equality and Inclusion)
Panel Discussion
10:35 – 11:15
How to use Google Colab notebooks for collaborative coding
How can Colab Notebooks help you get started with advanced data analysis? This session provides an introduction to what Colab Notebooks are, and how to import, manipulate, and analyse data, using a 360Giving dataset as an example. Colab Notebooks are a free, interactive programming environment provided by Google, and use the Python programming language. You don’t need to be an expert programmer to join the session, but some experience of Python or other programming languages is needed.
David Kane
How-to
Tools
Presentation
11:15 – 11:30
Morning break
Join the networking area on HopIn to meet others in the sector, learn about how different charities use data, get help with your challenges and share your top tips. You’ll be automatically connected with other attendees, to spark conversation, learn from each other and build your network.
11:30 – 12:10
What is the value of local place-based giving?
The local, place-based giving movement is growing. London’s Giving works with place-based giving schemes across the Capital, and believe there is something unique about the value they bring to communities. They’ve looked at what data best demonstrates this value: over the past three years, schemes have raised nearly £10m, over £550,000 of in-kind income, and over £1m in volunteer time. But it can be harder to measure their contribution to ‘place’ beyond financial metrics, particularly the value of the trust and relationships they bring. They reflect on using data and metrics to measure and demonstrate value; talk about what’s worked and the obstacles with using data; and showcase examples from London’s Giving network.
Helen Mathie
Grantmaking
Presentation
11:30 – 12:10
Learning and adapting: How Street League uses data to improve decision-making
Charities have adapted and responded at pace to the challenges and changes caused by the covid pandemic. This means that leaders have had to take decisions under pressure and with limited information or certainty. Street League is a youth employment charity that changed the way it operated overnight. From the outset of the pandemic they changed its data collection and reporting procedures to ensure accurate and timely information was available to take decisions. This session will describe what they did, what they learned, and how they’re putting this at the heart of the organisation and its business plans going forward.
Lindsey Macdonald
Data journey
Presentation
11:30 – 12:10
A Journey Into The Unknown: Transforming data & insight practice at Turn2us through the pandemic
As recently as January 2020, Turn2us collected and stored large volumes of data from its programmes and digital tools, without carrying out analysis or gaining insights. When the pandemic hit, the small insights team acted quickly to understand how people and communities were being affected both financially and in terms of wellbeing. But moving fast didn’t necessarily build the best foundations for the future. Our journey to digital maturity hasn’t been a straightforward, but we’ve learned a lot of valuable lessons along the way – both to improve our work and build a robust data culture. Join this session for an honest and engaging look back over the last year and look forward to what’s next.
Jo Kerr
12:15 – 12:40
Economic evaluation in the social sector: Is there value in putting a price on everything?
What is the difference between traditional measures of a charity’s impact and looking at it through an economic lens? When is it useful to do so? Is it right for your organisation? In this session Pro Bono Economics will talk you through their framework for measuring the economic impact of charities, and highlight some of the key things they have learned in 11 years of supporting social sector organisations to do it in practice. They’ll also provide some thoughts on how the approach could evolve in the years ahead.
Jon Franklin
Data about the sector
Data foundations
Presentation
12:15 – 12:40
British Red Cross on Open source: why it matters in the social sector
What is open source and why it is important in the social sector? Mike will demonstrate British Red Cross’s adoption of a suite of open source tools, which analyse and publish data in the public domain under open source licenses. He’ll show the benefits this brought to the charity, including helping to secure grants and receive analytical contributions – and to the broader community, such as improving access to data, insights, and resources. You’ll take away pragmatic steps to adopt an open source model in an organisation while addressing common barriers such as personal data and security concerns. Open source tools and dashboards including the Vulnerability Index and Resilience Index will be explored.
Mike Page
Data journey
Data sharing
Presentation
12:15 – 12:40
How to use geospatial data
This session aims to inspire attendees to make use of their own, and externally held, geospatial data and equip them with the knowledge to do so. Based on a broad range of real life examples of nonprofit use of geospatial data that range in complexity, the type or format of data, tools used, and eventual visual output, attendees can follow along with each stage and leave the session inspired to map their own data.
James Bowles
How-to
Communicating data
Data analysis
Workshop
12:15 – 12:40
Charitable practice needs better use of evidence: Making the case
What works? The era of secular philanthropy began almost two hundred years ago but we are still not very capable of answering that question. Can we rethink what we do, and how we learn, to find out what works?
Josh Cockcroft
Grantmaking
Presentation
12:40 – 13:35
Lunch
Join the networking area on HopIn to meet others in the sector, learn about how different charities use data, get help with your challenges and share your top tips. You’ll be automatically connected with other attendees, to spark conversation, learn from each other and build your network.
13:35-14:20
The Data Collective: Learnings from developing a community for people using data in the social sector
Earlier this year, Catalyst funded a pilot to develop a community for people using data in the social sector. As part of the pilot, there has been a dedicated user research strand. In this talk, the community organisers will explore what they found out, from talking to a broad range of people from across the social sector about their data needs, but also about how they may wish to work with others in the community.
Giselle Cory
Data community
Presentation
13:35-14:05
How the Government Digital Service is using Google Data Studio to get data out the door
Google Data Studio allows us to connect to data, build a presentation and more importantly share to make sure it gets into the hands of those who need it, when they need it. This session will look at the pros and cons, the good, the bad and the downright tricky elements of using Google Data Studio. It is aimed at those who are using or might want to start using this (free to use) tool, and are curious about getting started. Ian will use the example of Government web traffic (using dummy data) to demonstrate.
Ian Ansell
Tools
Presentation
13:20 – 14:50
How to do impact reporting for small organisations
Developing an impact report for the first time can feel like a daunting and time-consuming project, especially for a smaller organisation with limited comms capacity. With a bit of guidance and a useful template, this session will give small charities a jump-start by creating a bite-sized one or two-page impact report that can be easily updated and adapted to fit a website, social media, or funder report. They may even find this is all they need to get their message out to the public and key stakeholders!
Antonia Orr
Leah Selinger
Data foundations
Workshop
How-to
14:25 – 15:05
Using data at the Peabody Housing Association
Peabody’s Resident Wellbeing Project was set up in May 2020 in response to the Covid-19 outbreak and subsequent national lockdown. Peabody identified their most vulnerable residents and developed a plan to provide an immediate response to their needs during lockdown. The project has a series of deliverables which support Peabody residents in need. It began with a few very important pieces of data about each resident, and led to providing services via a well-architected and quickly designed data flow; locally based groups providing assistance with food; employment; advice regarding sources of help including government programmes; and even an app to facilitate a befriending programme.
Lea Gorgulu Webb
Marcia Gay
Lucy Madigan
Data journey
Presentation
14:25 – 15:05
Measuring what matters: 5 types of data
Charities have lots of options to collect data but with limited budgets they have to make tough choices. How do they navigate this, and make sure their data is being used to answer useful questions? This session will focus on how NPC have classified the different types of data charities might use to measure performance and understand the effect of their work. We will discuss how these types of data link to an organisation’s theories of change, and how the framework can help any charity think through it’s options systematically.
Rosie McLeod
Data foundations
Presentation
14:25 – 14:50
Helping learners succeed: Improving University Success Through Predictive Modeling
According to a report by the National Student Clearinghouse, nearly half of all students entering college are at risk of leaving without earning a degree. John Jay College, located in New York City, inquired how existing student data and machine learning techniques could be combined to address challenges surrounding graduation completion rates. John Jay looked to DataKind to help answer these questions and develop a tool to support their efforts to improve graduation rates. Sponsored by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, with additional support from the Robin Hood Foundation, the DataKind team analyzed more than ten years of historical student data, identifying features associated with at risk students. The predictive model and insights were used to design effective interventions to reduce dropout, as well as a novel software application that allowed the John Jay administration to identify students at risk of drop out, so that the students can receive proactive outreach and support from the college. In its first year, the tool analyzed roughly 1,114 advanced credit students to identify students who were most at risk of stop-out or drop-out. Through targeted and strategic interventions, John Jay has already helped more than 800 of those students graduate over one year, or approximately 73%, compared to a projected graduation rate of 54% over two years for similar students without the tool and interventions. In support of this work, John Jay College received $800,000 for emergency grants and extra staff.
Afua Bruce
Data journey
Data analysis
Presentation
15:05 – 15:20
Afternoon break
Join the networking area on HopIn to meet others in the sector, learn about how different charities use data, get help with your challenges and share your top tips. You’ll be automatically connected with other attendees, to spark conversation, learn from each other and build your network.
15:05 – 16:35
Shaping a more data wise London
What’s the first word that springs to mind when you think of data? ‘Scary’ or ‘zzz’ were responses when we started our data literacy programme for small charities and community organisations in London. Many organisations also told us they used their data for impact reporting. But what about using data to adapt or create new activities and services for local people that need them? How do you start to ask questions of the data you have? Or compare it with complex and seemingly impenetrable external data sources? Datawise London aims to give charities and community organisations the knowledge and skills they need to better use data to shape service-delivery and influence change. In this session you’ll gain insights from the workshops, tools and techniques we’ve created or adapted to motivate small organisations to develop their data capability. Starting with our replicable entry-level interactive workshop, Data Essentials. You’ll also hear from two local charities on their data development journeys and experiences of taking part in our 8-month cohort of community organisations seeking to better use data to shape their future.
Alice Linell
Kate White
Sorrel Parsons
Data journey
Data foundations
Train the trainer
15:20 – 16:15
Data Strategy
When you’re faced with an ever-changing landscape, it’s vital to have a clear vision of what your organisation needs to do for success. Data can contribute significantly to this – and the key to getting this right is a Data Strategy that gives a shared vision for everyone. It defines both short and long term goals, prioritises what’s important to you, and helps demonstrate strong leadership and commitment to data management. Yet many organisations don’t have one. Why is that? What’s stopping them? It can feel really daunting when you’re not quite sure what it’s all about. In this talk, Effini share the principles of what a Data Strategy is, how it can help you, and small practical steps to take.
Jo Watts
Data strategy
Presentation
15:20 – 16:15
Building place-based data indices: How can we support places to use data to address the challenges they face?
This session asks ‘How can we support places to use data to address the challenges they face?’ Power to Change will chair the panel to Change with three speakers. The Centre for Thriving Places will present their Thriving Places Index, a framework measuring the local conditions for wellbeing, and whether those conditions are being delivered fairly and sustainably. The Social Economy Data Lab will present their work using credit and debit card transaction data to track the impact of Covid-19 on high streets. And Onward will present their work developing the Social Fabric Index, identifying not only the places which demand the greatest attention, but also the communities whose strength offers lessons.
Stephen Miller
Liz Zeidler
James Blagden
Kirsten Mulcahy
Data and DEI (Diversity, Equality and Inclusion)
Datasets
Panel Discussion
15:20 – 16:15
How to use GrantNav
Learn how to use GrantNav, 360Giving’s free search-engine for grants data, to answer your questions about grant giving in the UK. GrantNav, their flagship online tool, lets you explore, download and analyse data for £billions worth of UK grants – and it’s recently been improved and updated. In this session, 360Giving will explore and analyse UK grants data on GrantNav. You’ll leave the session understanding how GrantNav can help answer your questions and how to get the most from the new version. The session is for existing and completely new users to GrantNav, whether you’re a funder, researcher, charity fundraiser, or anyone wanting to explore UK grants data.
Katherine Duerden
Grantmaking
Datasets
How-to
Workshop
16:20 – 16:50
Fireside chat – emerging themes, compelling questions
To close the day, we will have a fireside chat, with 2 or 3 attendees. We will reflect on some of the themes, insights and questions that have come up during the day, pulling out particular topics that struck a chord or felt common across different discussions. This will be hosted by Lindsey Macdonald, Street League.
Lindsey Macdonald
09:00 – 09:30
Networking
Join the networking area on HopIn to meet others in the sector, learn about how different charities use data, get help with your challenges and share your top tips. You’ll be automatically connected with other attendees, to spark conversation, learn from each other and build your network.
09:30 – 09:35
Welcome
Giselle will introduce the day, giving attendees the information they need to navigate through the day. Join us for an ‘orientation’ so you can make the most of the Festival. Giselle is a festival host and Executive Director at DataKind UK.
Giselle Cory
09:35 – 10:10
KEYNOTE: People Shaping Data
Who gets to structure, analyse and benefit from data is just another articulation of who has power, status and recognition in society. People and communities deserve to be able to shape and have a say in how information that concerns them is collected, and charities have a hugely important role in reshaping data both data use and data discourse, to make sure everyone is counted and included in a fair and representative way.
Rachel Coldicutt
Data and DEI (Diversity, Equality and Inclusion)
Data foundations
Presentation
10:10 – 10:30
The Data Lab’s Data 4 Good Story – A ‘Can Do’ Approach.
Alex Hutchinson from The Data Lab will share what they do to support better use of data in the sector
Presentation
10:35 – 11:15
Why we need satellite accounts for the voluntary sector
This session will consider the case for the ONS producing a “third sector satellite account” – helping us get a better handle of the contribution of the sector to GDP.
Anoushka Kenley
Data about the sector
Presentation
10:35 – 11:00
Data in Service Design at Parkinson’s UK
A look at how we’ve been using data at Parkinson’s UK to help re-design our information and support services. Parkinson’s Connect is a service transformation project to design and develop an end-to-end service pathway that meets the information and support needs of the ever-growing number of people with Parkinson’s and their friends, family and carers. In this presentation we will talk through how we have used qualitative and quantitative data as part of a service design approach as we prepare to begin delivering the new service from September 2021. We will look at the successes and difficulties we have had using data in service design and explore our strategy for the future of data in service delivery at Parkinson’s UK.
Tom Henderson
Data journey
Presentation
10:35 – 11:00
The impact of COVID on the third sector and how to improve your organisation’s response
What has been the impact of COVID on the third sector? How do organisations need to adapt? What help is available to redesign strategy, processes, operations, data collection and analysis? In this session The Charities Aid Foundation will discuss the impact COVID has had on the third sector and Pro Bono Operational Research will talk you through the types of support available to help you build back better. Come prepared to discuss key challenges you have encountered over this last year with our PBOR experts.
10:35 – 10:40 Welcome and Introduction to OR (Jane Parkin)
10:40 – 10:50 The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on charities (Kate Hammond) and poll questions
10:50 – 10:55 PBOR Case Study – Home-start (Jane Parkin)
10:55 – 11:00 Pro Bono OR Scheme (Amy Hughes)
11:00 – 11:15 Discussion (Ashleigh Monks)
Amy Hughes
Jane Parkin
Ashleigh Monks
Kate Hammond
Data journey
Grantmaking
Panel Discussion
11:15 – 11:30
Morning break
Join the networking area on HopIn to meet others in the sector, learn about how different charities use data, get help with your challenges and share your top tips. You’ll be automatically connected with other attendees, to spark conversation, learn from each other and build your network.
11:30 – 12:10
Count me in – the collection of diversity monitoring data and its use for action
The collection of data about individuals’ identity characteristics (such as gender, race, and social background) is a rapidly evolving area of work. For social change organisations, the design of diversity monitoring questions needs to align with reporting requirements, but also ensure that staff and service users can, as far as possible, describe themselves in ways that reflect how they identify. This session will encourage participants to think critically about the collection of diversity monitoring data, increase their knowledge of the topic, and boost their confidence to engage with diversity monitoring data in their own organisations.
Kevin Guyan
Data and DEI (Diversity, Equality and Inclusion)
Presentation
11:30 – 12:10
From novices to data-driven: Charity Digital’s journey
Charity Digital has been on a data journey this past year. Although the journey is still very much ongoing, they’ve matured from an organisation who rarely used data, to one that is now data-driven. They’ll take attendees through the stages of their data journey, and how each stage has helped to inform their data strategy. While they still have more to learn, they have lots to offer in their key takeaways and learnings so far!
Jonathan Chevallier
Data journey
Presentation
11:30 – 11:55
Using data beyond impact assessment
Monitoring and Evaluation is critical to the sector and we need to keep learning on doing it better. However, we should also think about using data for other uses. Examples are using machine learning to power a knowledge sharing platform via text messages, and using data to improve decision making on funding. These are two examples that Claire will talk about, form their experiences at WeFarm and St Guy’s and Thomas’ Foundation.
Claire Benard
Data journey
Presentation
11:55 – 13:25
How to use – Tableau
Tableau is one of the leading tools for building interactive dashboards. This is a practical workshop aimed at those who have no/little experience in Tableau. Starting with some fake service user data held in spreadsheets we will work through building an interactive dashboard that looks to answer some key questions for a social change organisation. The aim is by presenting the data in an engaging and easy to read format the organisation can more easily gain insights leading to making data driven decisions.
If you ever find yourself producing the same graphs over and over again in Excel for reports, then this workshop could be for you.
If you plan to follow along (which is definitely encouraged) please download the Tableau Public programme before the workshop (https://public.tableau.com/en-us/s/download). If it is possible, a 2 screen/device set up is optimal (one screen to watch the workshop and another to follow on your own Tableau programme) but it is definitely not a necessity!
Aileen McDonald
How-to
Workshop
Tools
Communicating data
Data analysis
12:15 – 12:40
Combining data using GIS (geographic information system mapping) for behaviour change insights at Sustrans
This session will provide an overview of how the Hands Up Scotland Survey (HUSS) and other data sources such as accident data, the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, and traffic data are analysed and combined in GIS to provide detailed insights into where and how to deploy behaviour change interventions. The HUSS data set on children in Scotland’s travel-to-school habits has been collected by Sustrans for 12 years and is now an Official Statistic of the Scottish Government.
Cecilia Oram
Data journey
Data analysis
Presentation
12:15 – 12:40
How we used our data (both internally and externally, for good) during COVID at Citizens Advice
In this session, Citizens Advice discuss how they built a consolidated dashboard and set up regular data discussions to help their service tackle the COVID crisis internally. They’ll talk about what they learnt from this process, and from their work using social media influencing with their news and comms teams to help their external stakeholders and the government understand the ever-changing concerns of people during the pandemic.
Sarah Chang
Mankeet Nirankari
Data journey
Data analysis
Communicating data
Presentation
12:15 – 12:40
Measuring the impact of using data for good at the Data for Children Collaborative with UNICEF
How does the Data for Children Collaborative with UNICEF measure its impact? Measuring and demonstrating impact of Data for Good projects can be a challenge. We will talk through how we address this challenge in the Data for Children Collaborative with UNICEF. The project is a unique partnership between UNICEF, The Scottish Government and the University of Edinburgh which aims to use responsible innovative data science techniques to improve children’s lives.
Fraser Macdonald
Presentation
Data analysis
12:40 – 13:35
Lunch
Join the networking area on HopIn to meet others in the sector, learn about how different charities use data, get help with your challenges and share your top tips. You’ll be automatically connected with other attendees, to spark conversation, learn from each other and build your network.
12:40 – 13:20
Networking for grantmakers
Do you work in a grantmaking organisation, and want to use data to meet, connect with, and learn from others in the same boat? 360Giving supports a wide variety of funders to publish their grants data, and to use data to make more informed and effective decisions. They invite funders to share knowledge and lessons learned on common, data-related challenges. Attendees will leave the session better connected to individuals from other funding organisations, and with ideas to enhance how they work with data.
If you are interested in joining the Networking for grantmakers session, please complete the form here.
Dirk Slater
David Kane
Katherine Duerden
Grantmaking
13:35 – 14:20
What role does data science have in the social sector?
Drawing from DataKind UK’s nine years of experience supporting social change organisations to use data science, you’ll hear real-life case studies from charities, local government, and social enterprises across the UK. You’ll gain insight into how organisations like yours can use data science to improve their operations, understand their clients better, evaluate their services, and increase their impact. You’ll also hear about some of the tools and resources that DataKind UK use to help organisations frame their data challenges, scope projects and assess data ethics.
Giselle Cory
Dulcie Vousden
Presentation
Data analysis
Data strategy
13:35 – 14:10
Data ethics: beyond compliance
In this session, Sue will present a short overview of the relevant legal and policy landscape on data storage sharing and use, and some tips on where to start with good ethical foundations. They’ll also be time for discussion and questions. Sue is a Research Fellow at the Open Data Institute specialising in digital ethics, with a background in property and her research explores how emerging technologies disrupt established regulatory norms.
Sue Chadwick
Presentation
Data sharing
Data and DEI (Diversity, Equality and Inclusion)
14:25 – 15:05
Data Journey at Working Families
Working Families directly advise 2,000-3,000 parents each year, via free phone and email helpline for working parents/carers, most of them in some way disadvantaged by income level, BAME background, profound caring responsibilities, etc.
But… there is a limit to how many people we can help as a charity.
This talk explores why we adapted to a new digital platform, and our digital data journey to this point
Jane van Zyl
Elliott Stenson
Data journey
Data analysis
Presentation
14:25 – 15:05
Minimum input to maximum output: a case study from Inter Care
This session will look at how to present output data of charitable organisations for fundraising purposes. We’ll showcase a project done with charity Inter Care, carried out with the support of the Royal Statistical Society’s pro bono initiative, Statisticians for Society.
Phil Riley
Dr Camille Szmaragd Harrison
Dr Rob Mastrodomenico
Presentation
Data journey
14:25 – 15:05
5 top tips for charities to make better use of their data without big budgets
Christina will talk through the 5 biggest changes that any organisation can make – without spending money – to make better use of their data and develop a data culture. She’ll focus on ‘big impact-small cost’ initiatives that can help you to develop an organisation where your people use data, not guesswork, to make decisions.
Christina is Director, Data & Analytics at NEST and was previously Director, Data and Insight at the National Trust.
Christina Finlay
Presentation
Data foundations
Data strategy
15:05 – 15:20
Afternoon break
Join the networking area on HopIn to meet others in the sector, learn about how different charities use data, get help with your challenges and share your top tips. You’ll be automatically connected with other attendees, to spark conversation, learn from each other and build your network.
15:20 – 16:15
The Cloud: where Data Enthusiasts Find their Superpowers to Change the World
In this session, we’ll dive into some of the key services and capabilities available through the Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit and how you can leverage them to amplify the impact of your social good endeavors. We’ll see examples of technology solutions where Microsoft Philanthropies is partnering with nonprofit and humanitarian organizations to help address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. We’ll discuss how to enable easier collaboration across nonprofit organizations and tools to help you innovate with social impact in mind.
Michael Tjalve
Presentation
Tools
15:20 – 16:15
How to use Understanding Society data to examine how the pandemic is affecting and changing society
Harnessing large-scale data well is becoming more critical to the work and impact of organisations. Understanding Society offers unrivalled data collected across adults, children, and families on a wide range of issues from social cohesion, volunteering, and charitable giving to health, poverty, and work. This session will provide an overview of how to make the most of this resource, including use of data collected during the pandemic. It will explore potential uses through case studies, and drill into the data to profile the extent to which particular disadvantaged groups are represented in the study.
Catherine McDonald
Piotr Marzec
Raj Patel
How-to
Datasets
Presentation
15:20 – 16:15
Collecting better data about a place so that it feels more relevant to people that live there
Data collection about place is led by administrative organisations. But that often means it’s collected for a named geography that people don’t necessarily identify with. The data collected may not truly represent that area, and so create data-informed decisions that don’t feel relevant to people. This session will start a (structured) conversation to see if people have experiences or ideas for how data about places can be made more relevant to local people. For example, you might begin thinking about co-producing non-administrative, geographical boundaries that are meaningful for the people that live there, and considering what data sets could be best used for that place.
Tom French
Tom Watson
Data and DEI (Diversity, Equality and Inclusion)
Workshop
15:20 – 16:15
Data For Communities – train the trainer session
For beginners, the world of data can be overwhelming, yet there is a wealth of information available to help people understand their communities and empower them to contribute to, or challenge, policies and decisions about where they live. Data For Communities is a spreadsheet-free workshop that is light, informal, and fun. It introduces people to what data is, and what it can and can’t do. Originally designed for local counsellors, it’s since been developed and delivered to journalists, charity workers, and community activists. This ‘train the trainer session’ will take you through the workshop, share its methodology, and give you some tools and tips to adapt the workshop for your own purpose.
Sam Milsom
Train the trainer
Presentation
15:25 – 16:55
How to use – Excel
Are you looking to increase your confidence in using Excel, and get quick insights from your data to answer organisational questions? This workshop will cover data layout, sorting, filtering and basic data manipulation. We’ll also look at basic formulas, making charts, and tips for designing your spreadsheets to make them easy to follow.
If it is possible a 2 screen/device set up is optimal (one screen to watch the workshop and another to follow on your own Excel) but it is definitely not a necessity!
Aileen McDonald
How-to
Workshop
Tools
Communicating data
Data analysis
16:20 – 17:00
Fireside chat – emerging themes, compelling questions
To close the day, we will have a fireside chat, with 2 or 3 attendees. We will reflect on some of the themes, insights and questions that have come up during the day, pulling out particular topics that struck a chord or felt common across different discussions. This will be hosted by Kate White, Superhighways and Pauline Roche, RnR Organisation.
Pauline Roche
Kate White