There's a lot of discussion about data maturity in local government at the moment.
Data strategies, governance frameworks, Microsoft Fabric, AI and modern data platforms. Many councils are investing in these areas, and rightly so.
But from speaking with data leaders, service teams and transformation professionals across local government, there's one thing that comes up time and time again:
having the right technology is only part of the picture.
The bigger challenge is often
having the right people in place to make it work.
Most councils know what they want to achieve. They want better insights, more informed decisions, improved services for residents and greater efficiency. The ambition is there, and so are many of the tools needed to support it.
What's often missing is the
skills, experience, and confidence to get the most out of them.
The Skills Gap Is Getting Harder to Ignore
The types of data roles councils need have changed considerably over the last few years.
It's no longer just about recruiting analysts. There's growing demand for Data Engineers, Data Architects, Data Business Analysts, Analytics Engineers, Data Governance Leads and Product Managers, alongside people with experience in AI and machine learning.
Finding the right people can be difficult, particularly when they need to understand both the technical side of the role and the realities of working in local government.
Someone might have excellent technical skills, but can they work with different departments, understand the pressures facing public services and explain complex information in a way that helps people make decisions?
That's an important part of the job.
Bringing in additional specialist support can help councils access skills and experience they might not have within their existing teams.
For example, a specialist might support a Microsoft Fabric migration, improve data quality, establish governance frameworks or help develop advanced analytics capabilities.
But it's important that the value goes beyond simply getting a project over the line. Sharing knowledge with existing teams and helping them build their own capabilities should be part of the process too.
Technology Won't Solve Everything
There's been significant investment in data platforms and cloud technologies across local government. But buying new technology doesn't automatically mean an organisation will use it effectively.
The councils making progress are those that recognise the
importance of developing their people alongside their systems.
That might mean providing training, creating opportunities for people to develop new skills or helping existing employees move into more specialist roles.
It also means getting people outside the data team involved.
Service teams need to understand the information available to them and feel confident using it. Data shouldn't just be something that analysts produce and send across the organisation. It needs to be part of everyday conversations and decision-making.
Without that, even the best technology can end up being underused.
What Are More Mature Councils Doing Differently?
From what we're seeing, councils making progress aren't necessarily the ones with the biggest technology budgets or the most complicated data platforms.
They're the ones putting time into how their people work with data.
They're focusing on:
- Getting the right people in: Attracting and retaining people with the skills and experience the organisation needs.
- Developing existing teams: Giving employees the opportunity to learn new skills and take on more responsibility.
- Bringing departments together: Making sure data teams understand the challenges facing service areas, and vice versa.
- Making data part of everyday work: Helping people feel comfortable using information to support decisions, rather than relying on specialist teams to do everything.
These things take time, particularly in organisations where teams are already stretched and budgets are under pressure. But they're just as important as the technology investments being made.
The Question We Should Be Asking
When councils review their data maturity, it's easy to focus on platforms, processes and governance.
But perhaps there's another question worth spending more time on:
Do we have the people, skills and confidence to turn our data into better outcomes for residents?
Because having access to better technology is one thing. Knowing how to use it, getting people on board and making it work across an organisation is something else entirely.
Local government doesn't just need better data systems.
It needs the people who can make them count.
Looking to strengthen your data capability?
Whether you're building a data team, bringing in specialist skills or developing the capabilities of your existing workforce, Eden Smith can help you find the right people to move your organisation forward.
Get in touch with
Jonathan to discuss your data and transformation challenges.
