Oxford Insights
The challenge
Given resource constraints, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) wanted to explore how they could more effectively use internal and external data to fulfil its unique role of providing accurate benefit entitlements to vulnerable people.
Our approach
Oxford Insights conducted a 10-week discovery alongside subject matter experts. We interviewed private sector experts and DWP stakeholders to create a gap analysis of DWP’s data practices and used this analysis to create detailed hypotheses of interventions DWP could take to improve in this area. We then rated these hypotheses against criteria agreed with DWP, so that they could be prioritised by considerations such as timescale, cost, and confidence of delivery. Finally, we used these ratings to create a Now/Next/Later roadmap demonstrating how DWP can move forward with our recommendations.
Our impact
DWP now has a list of prioritised interventions to consider taking forward, as well as potential next steps to take for each intervention. Oxford Insights was also able to develop positive relationships with stakeholders across the department and add to the existing work within DWP to make more effective use of data.
