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Holger Kessler
Senior Stakeholder Manager Assets & Technology, Derby contact form+447760419433
The National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) is a revolutionary programme that brings together all the underground assets across England, Wales and Northern Ireland into a centralised database. It has the potential to transform subsurface management, as well as planning and development more broadly. And now with the Data (Use and Access) Act passing into law, asset owners will be compelled to share their data through the register.
Data, and in particular – data sharing, has been critical to the success of this programme, and it has set a precedent for future large-scale digital data-sharing and transformation programmes.
Since completing NUAR, AtkinsRéalis has been working closely with the Government Digital Service geospatial team (formerly Geospatial Commission) at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), to identify lessons learnt and consider how they can be used to inform new use cases.
AtkinsRéalis and the DSIT team have now launched a Playbook for Government-Led Infrastructure Data-Sharing Programmes, which derives 15 principles of success for future projects.
A data-driven future
NUAR is a large-scale data-sharing and digital transformation programme, combining different types of data, of varying quality, gathered from a huge range of public and private sector data owners.
Data is getting bigger, broader and more intelligent, and has an increasing role in project planning and execution across areas as diverse as domestic energy use and generation, personal health and environmental surveys. At the same time, the UK government has recognised that digitally-enabled change is necessary for progress.
The lessons learnt during NUAR will prove crucial for the government as it works towards its long-term vision of digitalisation, supporting the delivery of easier lives, faster growth, firmer foundations, smarter organisations and higher productivity.
Principles for success
The newly published Playbook highlights 15 principles for success, covering a wide range of suggestions to support future use-cases for large-scale digital data-sharing and transformation programmes.
Drawing on lessons learnt during NUAR, complemented by extensive global experience and reinforced by its unique multidisciplinary team, AtkinsRéalis contributed significantly to the Playbook, and had particular impact in the following areas:
Project management
Any big, government-led data sharing programme will be challenging, and managing this kind of project requires the skills of a consultancy such as AtkinsRéalis that has hands-on experience of complex programmes like NUAR.
Dai Baynes, Managing Consultant, AtkinsRéalis: “Fostering a one-team culture is critical for complex projects that often involve multiple work streams and numerous suppliers. When working at scale, clear channels of communication must be established with the client and supply chain to track progress, and it’s important to have regular programme and contract meetings to take a deep dive into delivery and performance.
“Large-scale programmes like NUAR really benefit from a flexible approach to contracts, which can mean moving away from the more prescriptive contract style clients are used to. This flexibility enables us to consistently create maximum value, while still meeting objectives.”
Stakeholder Engagement
Our experience means we understand that sustainable change is driven from the bottom up. At AtkinsRéalis, we employ a range of techniques that genuinely engage diverse stakeholder groups, creating a sense of empowerment, providing ownership, and ultimately achieving buy-in.
Teresa Gonzalez Rico, Associate Director, AtkinsRéalis: “Our team spearheaded conversations with asset owners from day one, understanding their needs and supporting them throughout their NUAR journey. A user-centred approach ensured a smooth experience, from initial talks with asset owner champions to helping GIS managers upload their data for the first time.
“Collaborating closely with DSIT and leading this engagement has been incredibly rewarding. The challenge has been worth every minute, with more than 300 asset owners now on the platform and actively using the NUAR service."
Cyber Security
At AtkinsRéalis, our pool of cyber-security experts, holistic approach and extensive experience across a wide range of highly-sensitive, data-sharing programmes means we have all bases covered.
Millie Coombes, Senior Cyber Security Consultant, AtkinsRéalis: “Given the type of data and the large and diverse user-base of NUAR, security has been a critical part of its development. Our pragmatic risk approach assessed threats to understand how best to protect the platform and its data while still maintaining accessibility and usability.
“A Secure by Design approach ensured a holistic view of security was adopted from the outset, considering the security of technology, as well as people and processes.”
A future-facing approach
By approaching future large-scale data-sharing and digital transformation programmes armed with knowledge gleaned from NUAR and the experience of ushering its success, AtkinsRéalis can support the UK government to realise its long-term vision of digitally-enabled change across public services.
As well as defining 15 key principles to support programmes of this scale and ambition, NUAR underlined the importance of fostering a collaborative and psychologically-safe environment where new ideas are mobilised and innovation is celebrated.
This future-facing approach creates new possibilities for huge, impactful projects that will drive the UK forward on the global stage, demonstrating that success can be achieved when data is done right.
Holger Kessler, Senior Stakeholder Manager at AtkinsRéalis: “NUAR has been a fantastic team effort and I’m delighted to see DSIT publish the lessons learnt, so that we can speed up future initiatives and avoid the obvious pitfalls of large government investments into digital transformation programmes.”
To find out more see the Playbook for Government-Led Infrastructure Data-Sharing Programmes
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