We are delighted to announce the 2021 Analysis in Government Awards are now open for nominations. These awards are the perfect opportunity to recognise, celebrate and reward the exceptional work being undertaken across the Analysis Function. There are six different award categories, so make sure you nominate a team or individual that has made a real difference and celebrate those people who deserve an award for their achievements.

Nominations will be open from 4 October until midnight on 12 November.

You’ll find everything you need to nominate right here on this launch page, including information on each of the categories, what the judging panel will be looking for and some tips on writing a winning entry. You can also read about previous winners and find inspiration on the Analysis in Government Awards 2020 article.

Award categories

Collaboration

Do you know an individual or team who has collaborated between teams, departments, other professions, external organisations or researchers to deliver a piece of analysis or analytical project or know of others that have? Then why not submit a nomination form for this category?

A winning entry will demonstrate:

• Collaboration which improved data and methods
• Ways of working which enabled effective collaboration
• Collaboration which enhanced the insight and understanding of the findings
• Successful collaboration with stakeholders such as other analytical professions, other teams in your department, other government departments, organisations outside government, topic and method experts, policy professionals, producers of related analysis, international organisations and researchers

Innovative Methods

This award recognises innovative methods or techniques of analysis.  Have your colleagues or team used methods which led to new insight, answered complex questions, or improved efficiency? Nominate them to ensure their work is recognised and rewarded.

A winning entry will demonstrate:

• Innovative analytical methods and techniques used
• Methods which led to new insight, answered complex questions, or improved efficiency
• The strengths and limitations of the methods used were considered, and communicated effectively to users
• Feedback from peer reviewers and experts was invited and acted upon to refine the methods

Communication

This award celebrates those who have successfully used clear communications to present analysis, considering needs of the audience. This could be an example of public-facing or internal communication within teams, departments or across professions. Do you know someone who has demonstrated the story of data analysis using commentary, visualisations, interactives or social media?  If so, then submit a nomination for the communication award.

A winning entry will demonstrate:

• Use of innovative methods of communicating and disseminating analysis
• Analysis presented clearly and explained meaningfully for all users
• The needs of different types of users and potential users were considered when determining how the analysis would be communicated

Impact

Has your colleague or team’s outstanding analysis helped influence a policy decision? Has it met an identified knowledge gap? This award will recognise analysis which has been impactful through use, influenced decision-making and/or has contributed to public debate in this award category. 

A winning entry will demonstrate:

• A demonstrable link between the analysis and impact; for example, is there evidence to show that the analysis influenced a policy decision?
• The nature and significance of the impact from the users’ point of view; actual delivered impact will be considered more effective than anticipated or future potential impact
• The nominee is pro-active in ensuring the analysis has impact
• New analysis developed to meet an identified knowledge or information gap

Inclusion

This award recognises an outstanding contribution in making the Analysis Function a more inclusive Function, reflective of the citizens we serve. Nominate an individual or team who consistently act as a role model to champion the development of colleagues from different backgrounds, someone who uses their own experiences to bring unique viewpoints to their teams, departments and/or the Function. Celebrate those who have built an inclusive culture by nominating them for this award.

A winning entry will demonstrate:

• Acting as a role model and championing the development of colleagues from different backgrounds and with different thought processes and experiences to bring unique viewpoints across their team, department and/or the Analysis Function
• Building an inclusive culture by challenging inequalities, barriers and bias to reflect the experiences of everyone
• Evidence of real impact due to interventions or actions

New category for 2021: The Sir Ian Diamond Excellence Award 2021

New for 2021, we want to recognise an individual that has displayed excellence in championing or promoting the Analysis Function. An outstanding colleague who actively highlights analysis across government, developing our people, inspiring analysts, or delivering better outcomes for the citizen. 

A winning entry will demonstrate:

• The promotion of analytical development across teams or departments, ensuring that learning is captured and shared, helping focus on good practice and making lasting change
• Strong influencing skills and actively inspiring the next generation of analysts by undertaking related professional outreach to promote the range of opportunities within the Analysis Function
• Exceeded expectations and made a special or unique contribution when resolving a particular problem or situation to make a long-lasting change
• The championing of analysis within the public sector and the role analysts can play in the design and delivery of public policy to better outcomes for citizens

Tips for writing a great nomination

Use Plain English by writing in short, clear sentences and using everyday words without acronyms and unnecessary jargon. Remember that the judges may not be familiar with your topic area, so use simple language.

Use the STAR method by explaining the Situation, Task, Action and Result of your work. In particular, judges really want you to showcase the impact of the nominee’s work.

Be clear on the criteria and address each point of the award you are nominating for. These can be found in the nomination form.

Include any appropriate links to your work to demonstrate any outputs you may want to showcase.

Keep within the word count of 1,000 words.

When will the winners be announced?

Nominations will be considered by our judging panel following the closing date on 12 November. The six highest scoring nominations will then be passed to an expert judging panel to decide on two highly commended nominations, one runner-up and one winner in each of the four categories. These winners will be announced at an exclusive awards ceremony in December.

If you are part of the Analysis Function and you would like to join the judging panel, email the team at Analysis.Function@ons.gov.uk.

Your Holiness, Esteemed Faith Leaders, Scientists and Minister.

It is an honour to receive this Appeal.

And I look forward to hearing today from so many inspiring faith leaders from across the world.

Daniele [Guadagnolo] and Federica [Gasbarro] have spoken with great passion, and their energy and sense of urgency echoes so clearly the sentiment I heard throughout the Youth4Climate event in Milan last week.

The climate crisis we face is grave. And entirely of our own making.

A crisis built by human hands.

And it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the challenge.

By the injustice of the situation, where the poorest are suffering the most, having contributed the least to climate change.

But today shows us how we can, and will, turn the tide.

Doing so requires us all to play our part.

Every country and every part of society, mounting a global effort led by those most human qualities, reason and morality. The head and the heart.

Through science we understand the damage we are inflicting on our planet, and its people.

Through morality we comprehend our responsibility to restore the planet and nature.

The Hindu tradition, into which I was born, teaches that nature is divine, and that we must promote the welfare of all living beings.

Religions around the world contain similar teachings.

So we need our youth to continue to call for change, with the passion we have heard today.

We need scientists, with their academic authority, to amplify further their voices in the public debate, and faith leaders to use their moral leadership to make the case for action.

This Appeal does just that, with immense clarity and power.

Forty faith leaders have come together, and working with scientists, have created a powerful call to action for the world.

I thank you for the months of hard work that have gone into this Appeal.

For the commitments you have made to take action.

And for the strength of your message to governments at COP26.

Our priorities are shared.

I too am committed to keeping the 1.5 degree limit alive, to following the science, driving action in vital areas like power and deforestation, and to delivering for developing nations, including vitally on finance, as justice requires.

This Appeal is a powerful call in support of these efforts.

And I commit to working with you all to spread its message to Ministers, world leaders, and all at COP26, in Glasgow where the world will decide the future of our planet and its people.

And I request you to do the same.

Please spread the message of this Appeal far and wide.

As individuals and collectively, you have a very powerful set of voices.

I am very well aware of the scale and the gravity of the task ahead in Glasgow.

But the strength of purpose I have witnessed here today gives me great hope for our collective future.

So I thank all of you for your work, His Holiness and his team for hosting this gathering, and the Hon. Luigi Di Maio and Italy, our partners for COP – and partners in this initiative, thank you.

Honourable Chair, Director General, Excellencies, distinguished delegates,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of Group B. We would like to thank you and vice-chairs for continued leadership. We would equally like to thank the Director-General and the Secretariat.

Group B wants the General Assembly, this organisation’s highest governing body, to be forward looking, to steer the work of its subsidiary bodies and, where possible, to resolve stalemates.

It is undoubtable that intellectual property, an intrinsic part of innovation and creativity ecosystems, continues to drive our global economic, social and cultural development. This is supported by evidence. This year’s Global Innovation Index provides a timely reminder of the important role of the IP [intellectual property] system in supporting solutions.

We are glad to be part of an organisation that is working to support a well-functioning and balanced global IP framework that has underpinned the drive for and dissemination of innovation. This includes through enabling voluntary IP licensing and technology transfer initiatives on mutually agreed terms, providing support for grassroots innovators and encouraging collaboration between public sector, industry and academia. We must make sure that, going forward, the IP system remains fit-for-purpose and provides incentives for human ingenuity that can benefit all.

We support the recommended Covid-19 package, which will strengthen the leadership and convening power of WIPO to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic. Moreover, we are grateful for how WIPO has continued to adapt and provide its IP services throughout the pandemic, giving applicants clarity, while pursuing digital transformation. We support updates to the PCT, Madrid and Hague systems to make it easier for applicants to file their IP rights electronically. We expect that building user-friendly tools for customers remains a priority at WIPO and that this organization will use lessons from this pandemic to be even more adaptive in the future.

We are very pleased that the new vision of the Director General, expressed so eloquently this morning, to be brought into reality by next biennium’s program of work and budget, cuts to the very core of what we expect from WIPO, focusing on how all individuals, communities and businesses can benefit from IP. We applaud the Director General’s internal leadership, engaging WIPO staff in the process of defining strategies and priorities, as well as continuing collaborating with other organisations such as WHO and WTO. We continue to support him and his team to deliver on the organization’s medium-term strategic plan.

Chair, innovation and creativity know no boundaries. Group B members see a strong role for this organisation in current and future global challenges and opportunities; for example climate change, food security, artificial intelligence and other frontier technologies, inclusive innovation and creativity. We are committed to supporting WIPO as it enables economies and societies to respond to these issues. We recognize the important role of WIPO services, for example WIPO Green and WIPO Re:Search, for bringing together innovators and those who use innovations for the benefit of all.

Chair, as stated, Group B wants the General Assembly to be forward looking. We are committed to work with the Director General and Member States to enable the 2022 WIPO Assemblies to be a key forum of the innovation and creativity debate. This, we believe, will be a core element of making IP more relevant to the public at large, thereby developing and cementing the role of the international IP framework in driving innovative and creative economies across the globe.

In closing, Chair, let me thank you again personally for your leadership and assure you of our constructive engagement by Group B delegations.

Thank you, Chair.

When I hear about the many wonderful ways in which data-driven innovation is rapidly changing health and care, I am reminded of a Futurism exhibition I saw at the Tate Modern many years ago. This early 20th century art movement captured the breathless energy of the modern age, embracing technology, speed and ‘the new’, in a spirit of liberation from the constraints of the past.

I, too, share that sense of excitement about the potential that data and technology bring. But as we move towards this bright new future, it is important that we don’t lose sight of what is important to the people whose data is enabling these advancements, and that opportunities are always balanced against risks and harms.

Successful data initiatives are underpinned by a commitment to transparency and an active understanding of what matters most to people. Professionals and the public want to be informed, involved, and to understand what choices people have. When these conditions are not met, we see situations such as the recent delay and reset of the General Practice Data for Planning and Research programme.

These fundamentals are so important that in December 2020 Dame Fiona Caldicott enshrined them in a new Caldicott Principle:

Principle 8: Inform patients and service users about how their confidential information is used

A range of steps should be taken to ensure no surprises for patients and service users, so they can have clear expectations about how and why their confidential information is used, and what choices they have about this. These steps will vary depending on the use: as a minimum, this should include providing accessible, relevant and appropriate information – in some cases, greater engagement will be required.

As ‘the new principle on the block’ it is well timed and adds clarity to the guidance that I have been offering to Government, and others, about their plans for data use.

In my recent response to the Government’s draft data strategy for health and care, for example, I emphasised the importance of using clear, unambiguous language and being open with people about who might access data about them and why. I also advised that acknowledging potential risks is as important as selling the many benefits. People know that generally there are risks associated with data use, so these need to be addressed for any specific use and context, alongside saying what is being done to mitigate them.

Principle 8 also informs the advice I gave to the Government about its Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, about which I have significant concerns. The Bill imposes a duty on Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) to disclose information to police, and other specified authorities, for the purposes of the duty to collaborate to prevent and reduce serious violence in their local areas. The duty states that they can do so without breaching any obligation of confidence. Whilst tackling serious violence is important, it is essential that the risks and harms that this new duty pose to patient confidentiality, and thereby public trust, are engaged with and addressed.

People need to trust that they can share information in confidence with those responsible for their care without worrying how it will be used, by the police or others. And health professionals need to trust that that confidential information they routinely collect as part of care will not be used in ways that could negatively impact care, or which may be at odds with their professional and ethical duties and obligations to their patients.

If people feel that their information may be used in unexpected ways, for purposes they may not support, this greatly undermines the fundamental relationship of trust. The effect may be to deter patients from seeking treatment, or, when seeking treatment, to only disclose partial or false details, thereby denying clinicians the information they need to deliver safe and effective care. Incomplete and inadequate health and care records are to the detriment of both the safe care of individuals now, and of system wide planning, research, and innovation for the future.

Decisions about data use require not only expert data protection knowledge regarding what’s lawful, but practical and professional wisdom and experience to consider what would be ethical and right, balancing potential benefits against the avoidance of future harms. As the momentum for data-driven technology rapidly builds, and as the opportunities for linking data evolve across government and society, it is vital that those seeking to harness the power of data proceed with both optimism and caution: never losing sight of why the duty of confidence is so important within health and care.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has today published responses to 2 Government consultations: Reforming competition and consumer policy and A new pro-competition regime for digital markets.

The CMA’s responses welcome the reforms proposed by the government and the CMA stands ready to offer the government assistance and support as they are taken forward.

Enforcing competition and consumer protection laws

The proposals from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) include granting the CMA the power to determine whether consumer protection law has been broken and to take appropriate action, including fines. This brings its consumer protection law powers in line with existing competition powers.

The proposals will also allow the CMA itself to secure an end to a firm’s unlawful trading practices and, where appropriate, to order refunds for people who have been left out of pocket by illegal practices. At present, the CMA can only achieve this by first bringing court proceedings or if suitable undertakings are voluntarily provided by the firm.

BEIS also plans to improve protection for consumers who buy goods and services online, for example by expressly banning the commissioning of fake reviews, and by strengthening the law on misleading subscriptions – such as those that trap people by masquerading as “free” or as a “special offer”. Tackling these issues will help consumers shop with confidence, which is particularly important given recent increases in online shopping.

Alongside the recommendations made by BEIS, the CMA is clear that large digital platforms should take greater responsibility for monitoring and removing content and banning sellers that breach consumer law on their sites. The CMA is also asking the government to amend existing consumer laws to make them clearer and more efficient to apply in relation to tech giants and other consumer markets.

While these proposals will allow the CMA to tackle consumer law breaches with more impact, the CMA also suggests the resourcing of trading standards services should be considered to ensure the public bodies which share responsibility for protecting consumers operate effectively.

In relation to the CMA’s role in applying competition laws, the CMA strongly welcomes the government’s proposals – including enhanced investigative and enforcement powers – with a view to enhancing the effectiveness of CMA investigations. Many of these proposals are in line with the CMA’s own calls for reform to improve the effectiveness of the competition regime, including higher penalties for non-compliance with the CMA’s information requests.

Planned changes to the CMA’s merger jurisdiction thresholds will help it to review potentially harmful mergers where powerful firms are looking to buy emerging competitors or leverage their strong position into other markets.

Digital markets

The CMA sees the government’s proposal to provide the DMU – which is currently operating within the CMA in non-statutory “shadow” form – with the necessary powers to tackle problems in digital markets as a major, positive step towards better protecting consumers and supporting businesses. This is consistent with legislative changes under discussion, or recently introduced, in other major economies.

Some powerful digital firms are showing signs of entrenched market power, which is leading to a worse deal for consumers and businesses across the UK. This significant market power is likely to result in reduced competition, and less innovation and growth in the UK economy. The CMA, and other leading international competition authorities, consider existing competition tools insufficient to address these challenges.

The proposals outlined by the government will help tackle these issues by enabling the DMU to implement codes of conduct for digital firms which, if broken, can result in meaningful remedies and, if appropriate, big penalties.

The proposals would also give the DMU powers to intervene in the market to boost competition in the long run, as well as new powers to scrutinise – and, if necessary, block – mergers involving the most powerful digital firms.

Andrea Coscelli, Chief Executive of the CMA, said:

This is a significant milestone on the road to helping the CMA make markets work better for consumers and businesses. These changes will enable us to take swifter, stronger action against companies which break the law and to tackle tech giants whose market power is a threat, using DMU powers. The CMA will be able to respond more quickly and effectively to the many concerns raised with us about poor outcomes for consumers and small businesses in a number of UK markets.

Firms that refuse to refund their customers – as has been the case with a number of holiday companies during the pandemic – could also face legal orders and hefty fines.

We look forward to working with the government to progress these recommendations.