How to use data to connect with your community

After two inspiring days at DigiGov Expo, I came away energised by the incredible work happening across the public sector to positively change lives. It got me thinking about the bigger picture, the power of data and also where our own technology at Orlo fits into the wider data challenge.

Across the sessions, the message was consistent. Innovation comes from connecting data, not just collecting it. Public sector leaders highlighted that collaboration between teams and organisations is essential to building a shared understanding of community needs.

Councils gather huge amounts of data every day. Surveys, social media posts, service requests, consultations, webforms,  the list goes on. But too often, all of this sits in silos as different teams gather different data. 

The real power comes not from collecting data, but from connecting it. When data is joined up, it can give councils the insight they need to make better decisions, target resources more effectively, and build stronger relationships with their communities.

Here’s a look at what’s possible, why it’s difficult, and why connecting data matters.

Connected data isn’t just about efficiency. It’s about prevention and trust. Councils that connect operational and resident voice data can see problems earlier, be more efficient with their resources, and prove to their residents that they’re being heard. That leads to cost savings, stronger services, and more resilient communities.

A good example which shows the importance of connected data comes from budget consultations. Councils are asking residents where money should be spent, because in today’s financial climate, councils can’t afford to guess, and it’s absolutely vital that the data collected from that consultation is put to good use. If it’s not, the councils will just be guessing at what they think is most important to their residents.

If collecting data is step one, then connecting it is the step that really drives impact. Councils that get this right will not only save money but also rebuild trust and relationships with the communities they serve. 

Many councils want to connect their data but face real barriers. Legacy systems don’t talk to each other, and teams often guard their own datasets. Even where the will is there, differences in formats make joining information difficult. Governance and legal concerns also cause hesitation, with councils rightly worried about consent, privacy and compliance, as well as the requirement to make sure that every single statistic is accurate and up to date.

Many data teams are busy with crucial operational tasks, like creating a central ‘golden record’ to help run services. While this work is vital, it often leaves a gap. Councils still find it challenging to capture how residents truly feel about their services and policies. This means that important factors like sentiment, reputation, and trust remain disconnected from data-driven decisions, even though they are critical for effective decision making.

Resource is also a challenge, as councils are often being asked to do more with less. This is where a unified platform becomes vital. By bringing together all data, insights and communications into one place, teams will be able to pull data together quicker and share it more effectively.

Hackney Council:
Hackney Council has shown how data can be connected using Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRNs). By linking housing benefits, council tax, social care and tenancy data, they were able to flag the most vulnerable households in the borough. This meant targeted support could be offered at street or household level, ensuring interventions were smarter and more effective.

Barking and Dagenham:
Barking and Dagenham used analytics to improve outcomes in children’s social care and during the COVID-19 response. By linking datasets, they were able to spot risks earlier, target resources, and monitor whether interventions were working. It proved how data could move councils from being reactive to proactive.

Homelessness and early help:
Other councils have used historical and current data to predict future outcomes by joining education, health and benefit data to identify families most at risk of needing early help. While not without challenges, these initiatives show the potential for prevention, rather than waiting until problems escalate.

This is where Orlo makes a difference. Orlo is designed for the public sector and we understand the reputation and engagement side of the picture. 

By bringing together the voice of your community, consultations, sentiment, emotion, surveys, media mentions and campaign data into one place, our platform allows users to make smarter decisions, take preventative action and build trust with residents. 

We’re then able to build a clear and real-time view of what communities are thinking and feeling. And that data is extremely valuable.

Councils will be able to: 

• Spot issues before they escalate, with alerts when certain topics spike. 
• Understand the sentiment around key campaigns, from cost of living to housing or climate. 
• Share evidence of impact with leadership, linking engagement outcomes to corporate priorities.
• Close the loop with ‘you said, we did’ communications, showing residents their voices matter.

And crucially, Orlo’s data can be exported to integrate with existing data platforms, meaning it doesn’t replace the golden record work of IT teams but complements it.

To move from reacting to problems to proactively addressing them, councils can think about connecting data in four distinct layers:

1. Service data: This is the foundation; understanding who is using which services and where demand is highest.
2. Voice of the community data: This layer captures how residents feel, gathering insights from surveys, consultations, and social media channels.
3. Joined up insight: This is where the magic happens. By linking service data with voice data, you can uncover powerful connections, like seeing a spike in missed bin complaints directly linked to a surge in public frustration on social media.
4. Action and feedback: This final layer involves acting on these insights and then tracking whether your actions actually change outcomes and improve public sentiment.

By following this framework, councils can move from relying on anecdotes and reacting to issues, to making evidence-based decisions and anticipating resident needs.