Data Ethics and Governance – origins, progress and priorities

Date: Monday 28 November 2022, 2.00PM
Location: RSS, London
Royal Statistical Society, 12 Errol Street, London EC1Y 8LX
Section Group Meeting


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This half day workshop reviews progress made both in the UK and other countries in developing a better understanding of what is meant by an ethical approach to data ethics and governance.  What do these concepts mean?  To whom and what do they apply?  How are they operationalised?  How and based on what evidence can we obtain a sense of the impact of the concepts?  Critically, are the principles, regulations, and the tools we have to apply them, sufficient as we enter an era where data are ubiquitous.
 
The workshop includes contributions from those who have worked at the international level to promote sound principles and good statistical practice regarding the use of data for research and policy.  It will cover an overview of developments in data governance, particularly for access to and analysis of personal data, and a review of the issues that data scientists and statisticians now face, helping to set priorities for the future.

Following the individual contributions, panellists will be invited to reflect on the current plethora of statutory and advisory bodies, both in the UK and internationally, that have an interest in data ethics and governance.  Will they provide the framework we need for effective control of the ways in which data are being and will be used for research and policy?  Does AI pose issues not covered by existing principles and practice?  Should the emphasis of efforts turn to proliferation and literacy issues, while the revision of the principles becomes less of a priority?
 
 
Programme
 
14.00 – 14.15 Peter Elias ‘Privacy, human rights, and data ethics: how did we get here?’
 
14.15 – 14.35  Hallgrimur Snorrason ‘The UN Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics – Experience of Thirty Years.’
 
14.35 – 14.55  Denise Lievesley ‘The role of ethical principles in guiding practice’
 
15.00 – 15.20  Walter Radermacher ‘Promoting ethics in statistics as an increasingly important task – The ISI Advisory Board on Ethics’
 
15.20 – 15.40  John Pullinger ‘Forging a new social contract for data’
 
15.45 – 16.15  Tea break
 
16.15 – 16.35  Felix Ritchie ‘Frameworks, principles and accreditation: how structures have changed data governance’
 
16.35 – 16.55  Stephen Penneck ‘Governance and trust: where do we go from here?’
 
17.00 – 17.30  Panel discussion
 
17.30 – 17.45  Future plans
 
 
Contributors will include:
 
Peter Elias – privacy, human rights and data ethics: how did we get here?
 
Denise Lievesley & Hallgrimur Snorrason – UN Fundamental Principles and ISI Declaration on Professional Ethics
 
Felix Ritchie & Stephen Penneck – the origin of the ‘5 Safes’ framework and future challenges in effective data governance
 
Walter Radermacher & John Pullinger – International progress on data ethics and governance

Panel members include:
 
Natalie Banner ,Director of Ethics, Genomics England
Andrew Garrett, Executive VP, ICON plc
Carly Kind, Director, Ada Lovelace Institute
 
Peter Elias for RSS Data Ethics & Governance Section

Joint meeting with History of Statistics Section
 
Free to RSS Fellows
£20 for non-Fellows