Data analytics usage

The request was partially successful.

Data Justice Lab

Dear Gravesham Borough Council,

We are submitting the following Freedom of Information Request for documents relating to uses of data analytics, predictive analytics, or algorithmic automated systems used for risk assessment, scoring systems or automated decision making within the jurisdiction of your authority. This could include the use of these data systems in order to draw insights from large and integrated datasets, or to influence decisions about resources, funding or service delivery. This could include, but may not be limited to, uses of predictive analytics in child welfare, health care, adult social care, fraud detection, or policing.

Specifically, we are requesting:

· Any briefing notes, reports, evaluations, or summaries concerning uses of algorithmically driven data systems. Ideally this would include information about software, hardware, operations and types of data

· Any overviews about how system outputs are produced.

· Any training manuals or materials (e.g. slides, etc.) for staff about data collection, analysis, assessment and reporting as related to the use of the systems.

. Any impact assessments

· Any data visualisation outputs connected to the systems.

· Any promotional material, presentation material, or staff educational material related to the systems.

. Any contracts relating to the systems. We argue that the release of contracts does not compromise commercial sensitivity. The full argument is provided below.*

Also, please note we are not requesting datasets or any data about individuals.

Please let us know if any information requires clarifying.

We would like to receive electronic copies of this information.

All the very best,

Data Justice Lab

Please note that we are following the Information Commissioner’s guidance on the Freedom of Information Act which specifies that requests can be made by organisations and there is no need for a named individual (pages 9-10, sections 38-39).
Source: https://ico.org.uk/media/for-organisatio...

*Addressing the commercial sensitivity question:
a) Section 20 of the Department for Communities and Local Government’s ‘Local Government Transparency Code 2015’, which encourages greater transparency in the public interest, notes:

‘The Government has not seen any evidence that publishing details about contracts entered into by local authorities would prejudice procurement exercises or the interests of commercial organisations, or breach commercial confidentiality unless specific confidentiality clauses are included in contracts. Local authorities should expect to publish details of contracts newly entered into – commercial confidentiality should not, in itself, be a reason for local authorities to not follow the provisions of this Code’.

Source: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk... (page 9, section 20)

b) There is always the potential for a company in any area to act in bad faith, but this should not be a reason to deny access to information about how public money is spent.

c) Contract and tendering details are provided regularly by a range of government bodies in the public interest. For example, many police and fire services release contractual information through the Bluelight database ( https://www.blpd.gov.uk/foi/foi.aspx ).

d) There may be core aspects of the systems contracted that have competitive commercial value and we appreciate that such details will be redacted from any documents released. We argue that commercial interests will not be compromised by revealing other details that may be provided in contracts or related communications with contracted companies. Details that could be released include details about the existence of a system, it's purpose, the tasks being contracted, continued relationships, general descriptions, types of data being used, how this data is shared.

foi, Gravesham Borough Council

Dear Customer,

Thank you for contacting Gravesham Borough Council.
Please note that we have a Shared Information Governance Team between Gravesham Borough Council and Medway Council with effect from 1st April 2018. Your email has been forwarded on to the Shared Information Governance Team.
This is an automated response to acknowledge your email has been received. If this is an initial request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or Environmental Information Regulations 2004, you can expect to receive a response within 20 working days.
If your email relates to a current request for information, your email will be forwarded to the relevant case officer.
Should your email be because you are dissatisfied with the way we have processed your request the Council has an internal review process and your email will be forwarded to the Information Governance section for review, you should receive a response within 20 working days.
If you remain dissatisfied you have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioners' Office (ICO) www.ico.org.uk/concerns
Thank you

Everden, Darren, Gravesham Borough Council

1 Attachment

Dear Sir \ Madam,

 

Please find attached the response to your recent Freedom of Information
request.

 

Should you have any further enquiries about this request, please send all
correspondence to [1][email address].

 

Regards,

 

Darren Everden
Service Manager (IT Services)
Gravesham Borough Council
Tel. 01474 33 72 40
e-mail. [2][email address]
Gravesham Borough Council - Connecting with the Community
Please consider the environment before printing this email

 

 

GRAVESHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL

This Email, and any attachments, may contain Protected or Restricted information
and is intended solely for the individual to whom it is addressed. It may contain
sensitive or protectively marked material and should be handled accordingly.

Nothing in this email message amounts to a contractual or other legal commitment on
the part of Gravesham Borough Council. If this Email has been misdirected, please
notify the author immediately. If you are not the intended recipient you must not
disclose, distribute, copy, print or rely on any of the information contained in it
or attached, and all copies must be deleted immediately.

Whilst we take reasonable steps to try to identify any software viruses, any
attachments to this Email may nevertheless contain viruses which our anti-virus
software has failed to identify. You should therefore carry out your own anti-virus
checks before opening any documents. Gravesham Borough Council will not accept any
liability for damage caused by computer viruses emanating from any attachment or
other document supplied with this e-mail.

All Gravesham Borough Council and PSN traffic may be subject to recording and / or
monitoring in accordance with relevant legislation.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. blocked::mailto:[email address] mailto:[email address]
file:///tmp/blocked::mailto:[email address]