Introducing the ODI Sustainable Data Access Workbook

We created the Sustainable Data Access Workbook to support organisations that steward data to make better decisions about their revenue models. It is in the beta stage, and has been created as part of our Innovate UK-funded project 'R&D: Sustainable data access'.

What is the Sustainable Data Access Workbook?

• The Sustainable Data Access Workbook is a practical set of activities for organisations to undertake to make more informed decisions about their current and future revenue models.
• The workbook is particularly useful for data institutions – organisations that steward data on behalf of others, often towards public, educational or charitable aims.
• Organisations that steward data require sustainable sources of revenue to underpin their core activities.

How to use the workbook

• The workbook contains six canvases which seek to practically support organisations to reflect on and evaluate their current situation, imagine a new path forward and decide on the next steps needed to bring it to life.
• It has been designed to help organisations to make better decisions about their revenue models. The workbook helps you to reflect on and evaluate the current state of your organisation, before encouraging you to think through alternatives. We have also created an example version of the workbook using a fictional organisation.
• This workbook can be particularly useful for organisations who are in a state of change. Whether that means coming to the end of some grant funding, building your first revenue strategy, or wanting to evolve and expand your organisation, this workbook can help you to plan for the transition.

Why we developed the workbook

• Access to data is a crucial enabler for innovation. Organisations looking to collect, maintain and share data will need to identify and adopt a business model that sustains these activities.
• In 2020, we conducted research into the sustainability of data institutions. Our research and engagement with data institutions helped us identify organisations’ needs for guidance and support around financial sustainability, and led us to develop this workbook.

Feedback

The workbook is still in a beta stage, and we welcome feedback from organisations who have used the workbook. In particular, we'd be grateful to hear feedback on these areas:

• What was the context you used the workbook in?
• What worked?
• What didn’t?
• Is there anything missing?
• Did you like the design, content and format?

Please send all feedback to [email protected]

Use the Sustainable Data Access Workbook