Newsletter, August 2015 No Images?  Click here
 

Hi there,

We hope you're well and enjoying the summer...well, the bits that could be considered summer at least! For anyone that's joined our mailing list or registered for the tools recently, please don't hesitate to get in touch should you need any more information. Either reply to this email, or join us on Twitter – we're @LGInform and @LGInformPlus.

Need hyperlocal data?

With people in the public sector placing more focus on how their authority is made up of diverse neighbourhoods, hyperlocal understanding can be considered key to addressing local issues. The private sector has realised this too, with 'hyperlocal' being the new buzzword between start-ups and entrepreneurs, a point evident in the recent rise of small food outlets and the smartphone apps that feature them.

But how to get hold of that insight? It's dotted all over the web, available to anyone that wishes to use it, you just need to do a little research. If you'd rather not, you needn't, as we've done all the legwork for you. Our dedicated data team have sourced a spectrum of useful statistics – or metric types – and it's used to power our tools, LG Inform and LG Inform Plus. And behind those tools sits our direct data feed (API), serving useful data to anyone that needs it, public or private sector.

We're adding more hyperlocal data in the coming months but would love to hear from anyone who'd be interested in adding custom data to be used in the tools. Tell us your thoughts on the consultation, but if you don't have access to Knowledge Hub then feel free to email us instead.

The needle in the haystack

With over 3,000 metric types between the tools at your disposal, it may occasionally seem like a task trying to find the indicator you're after, and we're often asked how to find them. With such a mass of metrics to sort through, we've put together a few tips on finding metric types that should help you pick the one you need.

Using those tips, you can find metric types by function, subject or by running a simple search. But if downloading lists is more your thing, we've provided that too – simply click the 'Downloads' tab when viewing small area metric types or large area metric types.

Click the 'Downloads' tab when viewing small area metric types or large area metric types.
 

Can't find the metric type you need? We’re always looking to improve the toolkit and would love to hear about useful datasets. If you know of one that you use often or would be a welcome addition, please don’t hesitate to let us know.

Training events

There's still a few spaces left on our ever popular training events, where you can learn what's available and how to use the tools, but also ask us any questions you may have. You'll hear about both LG Inform and LG Inform Plus, and the powerhouse behind the tools: our API.

Is your authority based in Nottinghamshire or Lincolnshire? We'd love to put on an LG Inform Plus event in your area but need a room that can hold 25 people and has good Wi-Fi. If that sounds like your base of operations, please do let us know!

A cat in hell's chance

An odd idiom to say the least but one that could ring true for some people. A couple of councils have been in touch recently asking for advice on how to release open data, and we'd be interested to hear from anyone else considering the same. Though many authorities will be familiar with releasing open data due to the Transparency Code, please get in touch if you're hoping to build on those efforts and make more savings.