![\"\"](\"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/centre_cultural_value_100123.png\")
\u2018Making data work for public sector policy\u2019 is a project that brings together cultural sector partners, data specialists and policymakers to explore how better data can lead to better policy.<\/h3>\n\u2018Making data work for public sector policy\u2019 is a project that brings together cultural sector partners, data specialists and policymakers to explore how better data can lead to better policy.<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
The Centre for Cultural Value writes:<\/p>\n
The cultural sector makes a significant contribution to people\u2019s lives, to society and the economy \u2013 so why do we struggle to convey its impact?<\/p>\n
With an increasing interest in the value and contribution of the cultural sector, there is a recognition that its datasets are currently poorly aligned and not always fit-for-purpose. As such, the sector struggles to evidence the true value and impact of what it actually does.<\/p>\n
In this report,\u00a0\u2018Making Data Work: A scoping study to develop a mixed-methods evaluation framework for culture\u2019, we share findings from a national, interdisciplinary research project that aimed to tackle the crisis the cultural sector is currently facing in harnessing and evaluating its data.<\/p>\n
Undertaken over a course of 15 months (from January 2021 to March 2022), this study was led by the Centre for Cultural Value, funded by the\u00a0Economic and Social Research Council<\/a>\u00a0(ESRC) through\u00a0UK Research and Innovation<\/a>\u00a0(UKRI). The research team comprised researchers from arts management, cultural policy, psychology and quantitative sociology, working closely with industry experts from\u00a0The Audience Agency<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0MyCake<\/a>.<\/p>\n We set out to explore the tensions, challenges and incompatibilities of data collection, assessing the abundance of evaluation methods currently being used in the cultural sector.<\/p>\n At the heart of our research, we observed different and divergent protocols for data collection, collation, storage, analysis and impact evaluation across the cultural sector. These varied and excessive approaches to data management have led to a chaotic and sporadic landscape for cultural evaluation, making it harder to demonstrate impact at the level of national policy.<\/p>\n Our research sought to untangle these incompatibilities and to make a case for a more\u00a0standardised data approach\u00a0in the arts.<\/p>\n Within our research, we also focused on the\u00a0variety of voices and perspectives\u00a0evident within the cultural sector. We considered the role of creative practitioners and the part artists, audiences and communities play in data collection. We also identified opportunities for funders, sector bodies and policymakers, exploring how they might be able to improve cultural data practices.<\/p>\n Through this project, the research team aimed to shape and inform the policymaking process, offering\u00a0alternative, multidimensional approaches\u00a0to understanding the cultural sector and its impact.<\/p>\n Our work also focused on a\u00a0specific locality\u00a0to explore how data and evaluation can help cultural organisations understand the value and meaning of the activities they undertake. Situated in the\u00a0Bradford cultural community, it offered an in-depth insight into practitioners\u2019 experiences and aspirations relating to data and evaluation and the challenges of capturing the impact of their work in appropriate ways. Some key themes emerged here:<\/p>\n There is substantial potential to build upon the cultural sector\u2019s strengths, data resources, and capacity to improve impact and communicate value.<\/p>\n Future development work could include:<\/p>\nWhat we wanted to achieve<\/h2>\n
Key findings<\/h2>\n
\n
\n
What next?<\/h2>\n
\n