As rapid digital transformation changes all aspects of daily life, citizens expect their governments to provide better services and policies that deliver on the promises of the digital age. Advances in technology and data-driven approaches can radically change the way governments and citizens interact. Through a strategic use of data, governments can create conditions for improving the quality of public services, increasing the effectiveness of public spending and safeguarding ethical and privacy considerations. A data-driven public sector requires governance mechanisms that favour efficient data handling but also preserve public trust when using data to deliver outcomes.

The rise of data and digital technologies are rapidly transforming economies and societies, with enormous implications for governments’ daily operations. Twenty-first century governments must keep pace with the growing expectations of their citizens, manage increasing pressure on their budgets and react to new policy challenges. Any failure to adapt to this new and changing environment could expose them to damaging risks and a consequent diminishing of public trust.

This chapter provides an overview of the importance of digital government approaches to efforts to transform countries in general before focusing on the evolving understanding of the use of data in the public sector. The chapter concludes by outlining the structure of the report and identifies the anticipated impact and opportunities that will follow.

This chapter presents how OECD countries are moving towards the definition and implementation of holistic public sector data governance practices at the national level. It discusses the main trends and challenges observed in relation to data governance and proposes a public sector data governance framework drawing upon OECD best practices. The chapter then applies the model to provide a brief overview of data governance practices across OECD member and partner countries.

This chapter explores the way in which the public sector can recognise data as a strategic asset and apply it in pursuit of public value. It begins by presenting the government data value cycle before discussing how data might be valued as an asset and different approaches that can be taken to understanding public value. The chapter then focuses on the practical ways in which data might be applied to generate public value in three areas: “anticipation and planning”, “delivery”, and “evaluation and monitoring”.

This chapter starts by explaining the determinants of trust to better identify the key areas that contribute to institutional trust building. It then explores the potential of using data to build trust, including adopting ethical approaches, protecting the privacy of data, securing transparency and mitigating risks. The chapter will then provide examples of countries that have successfully implemented good practices, and concludes with a list of data ethics guidelines that could help civil servants manage the use of data in an ethical way.

Data driven public sector policies represent a paradigm shift for administrations with regard to the management and ethical use of data, resulting in the need for a comprehensive policy approach to create public value based on data assets. This chapter presents key findings and policy recommendations for public administrations to support the successful implementation of data driven public sector policies.