Skip to main content

Data manual

A guide to working with data in government and the public sector

Join a data community

Find Slack channels, events and other ways to connect with data practitioners.

Data communities newsletter

A monthly newsletter produced by the Government Digital Service (GDS) for people who work in the public sector. Sign up to learn about cross-government collaboration, discover best practices and help shape the future of digital and data in the public sector.

Data management community

The Data Management Community is a cross-government network of data management practitioners. Members share best practice on data quality, metadata, data governance and data catalogues. The community also looks after the Data Asset Management Policy, which helps government departments improve data quality, accountability and the value of data. You can join via the knowledge hub, or contact hiba.jama@dsit.gov.uk.

Government data quality community

A community for anyone working in the public sector to connect with colleagues who work on, or have an interest in, data quality. Join virtual meetups covering a range of data quality themes, where you can share best practice and experiences and build capability and skills.

Data Sharing Network of Experts (DSNE)

The Data Sharing Network of Experts (DSNE) is a cross-government community for people who work on data sharing. It brings together specialists in data protection, information governance and management, security, privacy and policy.

Members share good practice, provide advice on complex data sharing issues and identify common barriers. They also help develop guidance, tools and frameworks for responsible data sharing. Join via the knowledge hub or contact DSNE@dsit.gov.uk.

Data science community

A place for data scientists to improve data science capability across government and to help digital and other analytical teams work effectively with data scientists. The community shares and discusses examples of ethical, fair and good practices in data science and AI.

AI community

With over 3,500 members from across government, the community connects colleagues, shares best practice and builds AI capability in the public sector. Learn from speakers inside and outside government on topics including AI ethics, security and emerging uses of AI technologies.

AI for GKIM community

This community explores how AI can help understand, manage and make better use of unstructured data in government departments. You must be a government knowledge and information management (GKIM) professional to join.

The community shares learnings from research projects, pilots and real-world use of AI across government. It helps members understand the opportunities and risks of AI. Members can also learn how to plan, implement and monitor AI tools for GKIM use. To become a member, join the AI for GKIM Knowledge Hub group using a government email address.

Data and AI ethics community

A community for public sector workers interested in the ethical use of data, AI and technology in government. Members share knowledge, discuss challenges and help shape policy and best practice. Events cover topics such as transparency, trust and fairness. Speakers from government, academia and industry share research, real-world projects and practical experience. Contact community_dataaiethics@dsit.gov.uk to join.

The AI and Data Ethics Journal Club

The AI and Data Ethics Journal Club is a cross-government learning community that explores the latest in data ethics, AI and new technologies. Members meet regularly to discuss a chosen paper, share insights and consider how new ideas can be used in the public sector. They discuss many topics, including responsible AI and the impact of technology on society. To join, contact benjamin.gilburt@dsit.gov.uk.

Data engineering community

This community is open to anyone working in central government with an interest in data and data engineering. It might be of interest if you’re designing data products and services, automating manual data processes, exploring new data engineering tools and techniques, producing data models or applying data standards and principles.

API data exchange community

A community for anyone in government or the public sector interested in APIs and interoperability. It's a space to share knowledge, explore common challenges and learn from real-world experience. Members help shape best practice and cross-government approaches. To join the community, email api-community@digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk.

Generative AI security community

A community for people working on cross-government security on generative AI, as well as those with an interest in the risks of AI. The community meets monthly to discuss risks, offer practical guidance and learn from expert speakers. Members contribute research, share best practice and support the responsible and secure use of AI in government. Contact x-gov-genai-security-group@digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk to join.

Other communities

Find more communities on GOV.UK.

Is this page useful? Give us feedback