About this programme
The Integrated Data Service (IDS) is a cross-government initiative, which has been designed to transform the way de-identified data about our society and economy are made available for vital research and decision-making in the UK.
The service is open to analysts within government, the devolved administrations and external accredited researchers, allowing them to carry out analysis that addresses major societal challenges.
Currently operating in a beta phase, the IDS provides co-ordinated access to high-quality data – critical for increasing efficiency and improving public services.
The IDS aims to create better outcomes for all and is transforming how data inform important decisions taken at the highest level. Our vision is to bring together ready-to-use data to enable faster and wider collaborative analysis for the public good.
As a joined-up government service, this means that the IDS serves:
- the public, with evidence from the most recent data
- decision-makers, giving them instant access to the data they need to make critical decisions
- the future, providing improved answers to upcoming questions
- efficiencies, through faster statistics and reduced costs
- the data cycle, it is our de-identified data that will impact positively on us
Objectives
The objectives of the IDS are to:
- create better quality, more accessible, timely and complete outputs using the government’s own data
- unlock radical new opportunities to strengthen the insights for policymakers and the public through enhanced analysis and narrative on economic and social trends
- provide an ever-growing range, quality and complexity of linked data assets
- develop a multi-cloud platform to provide access to data that are secure, ethical and that adhere to legal controls
- ensure data are safeguarded and only accessed by accredited users, in accordance with data owners’ terms of use
- create a single gateway for data analysis, with a standard set of policies for users to apply and common tools to use
- produce more granular outputs by protected characteristics or geographical levels to support policymakers The IDS will also provide a cross-government platform, creating a more sustainable data ecosystem and offering:
- consistent data virtualisation
- continuous improvement
- innovation of systems, technology and processes This will improve the efficiency of data access and use across government and beyond.
Timeline
2022
- private beta
- initial beta
2023
- public beta (March)
2024
- live service
Further information
This programme will be evaluated in line with the ONS Evaluation Strategy.
Detailed information about this programme can be found on the ONS’s government major projects portfolio (GMPP) data page.
Read the accounting officer assessment for this programme.