Creating engaging and compelling maps is only possible with reliable, accurate data. Whilst getting started may seem daunting, sourcing data is much easier than you may think. Whether it be enhancing your own data, using publicly available data or doing some research, there is a wealth of data out there ready to be tapped into. Here’s a guide of how to get started.
Own sources of data
The first place to look is at your own internal data. By using in-house data, you can be sure it meets your specific needs. Some potential sources and uses could include:
- Mapping the number of members of your association, how engagement varies across the country, or summarise results of surveys conducted.
- Looking at donations your charities receive and how this is allocated geographically, as well as highlighting specific locations where additional funds and resources are required.
- Plotting registrations, waiting list times and survival rates for certain diseases such as cancer across different health boards.
- Using employment figures, sales trends and store locations to see the impact your company has in a specific constituency, local authority or region.
The challenge with in-house data is often locating what’s available. It might be collated by a range of different departments within your organisation. We would recommend starting small. Don’t try to create a comprehensive dashboard on day one. Instead, incrementally increase the amount of data once you get more buy-in from internal stakeholders after they’ve seen how it is effectively being used.
Understanding how your organisation collects data is also important when starting out on a data based project. If looking to engage with MPs, it is best to map the data at a constituency level so you can present local, hyper relevant dashboards to the MP in question. Alternatively, if you are looking to engage with local authority stakeholders, then presenting data at either a lower or upper tier local authority level would lead to the most instructive conversations.
At Polimapper, our data team can help convert your data into the best geographical format for your engagement needs. If you would like to find out more about this, book in a free data consultation with our team.
Publicly Available Data
If you’re struggling to source internal data, there is a wealth of statistics available online which you can utilise for your advocacy needs. These include:
Office for National Statistics
The ONS is the UK’s largest independent producer of official statistics. They are responsible for collecting and publishing statistics related to the economy, population and society at national, regions and local levels.
Their ‘local statistics’ section which allows you to explore 70 indicators, including household income, participation in further education and life satisfaction is particularly useful.
They are also responsible for conducting the census in England and Wales every 10 years. The most recent census (2021) provides a wealth of demographic information, including age, gender, employment and health data which can be utilised in either stand alone map projects, or add context and enrich other data sources. Helpfully, census data is published at local authority and constituency level.
Government Departments
Gov.uk has a range of research and statistics published by various government departments. Each department, from Health and Social Care to Transport has its own ‘Research and Statistics’ section on their page, where you can explore the latest statistics, both published and upcoming.
The NHS
Healthcare is the policy area where publicly available data is at its most plentiful. As well as the Department for Health and Social Care, NHS Digital issues a raft of new statistical releases each week, mostly at Integrated Care Board (ICB) or Sub-ICB level.
The NHS Fingertips Database from the Office for Health and Improvement & Dispairites published a wealth of data relating to public health in England. Their ‘Health Trends’ is an excellent starting point for exploring this data.
House of Commons Library
The House of Commons Library is a research and information service based in the UK Parliament, whose work aims to help MPs scrutinise legislation, prepare for debates, develop policies and support their constituents.
In their ‘Local data’ section they produce a wide range of statistics at a constituency level, which makes it particularly useful for MP engagement.
Freedom of Information Requests
Where the information you’re looking for isn’t in the public domain, but is likely to be held by a public body then a freedom of information request is a great way to fill in gaps. It can, however, be a time and resource heavy method of collating data.
To obtain countrywide data, an FOI will typically involve writing to local authorities (of which there are 317 in England alone, though it may not be necessary to contact all of them) or ICBs (of which there are 42 in England). Submitting an FOI request will involve either sending an email to a designated email account or, increasingly, filling in a form. The increasing use of forms does nothing to shorten the process because each one has to be filled in separately.
The success of an FOI is also dependent on careful framing of questions to ensure the organisation provides the required information. And in only asking a proportionate amount such that you’re not met with the response that it would be too expensive to provide the information. Public authorities are only obligated to spend 20 hours retrieving your data for free, after which they will charge for the work, which on a larger scale, will add significant costs to your research project.
Once you start receiving responses to your FOI, you will need to collate the information while chasing up any stragglers who are yet to respond. When all of the data has been collated – usually 2-3 months after submission – you can begin analysing it and drawing some conclusions and key findings to highlight and communicate to stakeholders.
At Polimapper, we have conducted these requests on behalf of our clients to help simplify the process for them. To learn more about this process, you can read our BVRLA case study here.
Why use local data?
Engaging with stakeholders using hyper-relevant data creates a compelling narrative. As we’ve highlighted, there is a wealth of data available to support your messaging and communication efforts. Our ‘Starting out with Geo-Advocacy’ guide explains why using localised data in lobbying is most effective.
If you’re considering a data collection project and need further guidance, contact us to arrange a free data consultation. During the consultation, our experts will explain how you can use your data or publicly available data to create constituency profiles to use in meetings with MPs, at events in parliament, or on your website for stakeholder engagement purposes.
As part of a data consultation we will:
- Draw on our experience to research public sources to find relevant data
- Discuss and review your own sources of data to see what might be suitable to adapt by constituency
- Explain how we can convert data from postcodes and other geographies to create constituency level data