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October 2020 - Information Technology

Three-quarters of public sector data leaders have had to cut their in-house data team due to Covid-19: A survey of data leaders in the UK has found that three-quarters (76%) working in the public sector have downsized their in-house data teams as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

The survey, on behalf of Big Data LDN, surveyed 250 of the UK’s most influential data leaders to find out more about their experiences throughout the Covid-19 crisis.

It also found that 60% of public sector data leaders are using more automation for business functions.

The research found that almost two-thirds of respondents (65%) in both private and public sectors have had to make use of the government's Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and furlough staff.

The research also looked at how technology has been used by firms during the pandemic. It found that more than three-quarters (76%) believe that changes due to the pandemic have resulted in making their use of AI models redundant. 

Also revealed by the survey was that Open Source is in demand, with almost half the respondents polled (46%) saying their business is planning to bring in more Open Source software. This compares to 30% who are planning to implement more proprietary software. 

More than half the data leaders surveyed (55%) said that data quality was a key focus for CDOs, an increase of 14 percentage points since last year when it was 41%. 

Also increasing from last year was the number of data leaders saying that accountability around key metrics is a top priority for their business, rising from 23% to 52% in the 2020 survey. 

The average spend on data driven activities has fallen by 22% year-on-year, according to the findings, to £1.8million,

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