Public Sector Data: Best Public Sector Datasets & Databases

What is Public Sector Data?

The public sector is the part of an economy that is controlled by the state. This term is very broad and so is the information that is included in a public sector dataset. This data can range from personal data about people involved in the public sector to security data which is often collected for intelligence purposes. Public sector data is normally used by governments to highlight key areas of the public sector as well as areas for improvement. Public sector data is information about the government and enterprises on how they utilize public funds prudently. Public sector services include healthcare, education, electricity, and other related public service providers. In the public sector, there are three levels of government: national or federal, regional, and local government. Public sector data can tell a user about people within these levels, including contact information, job descriptions, key officials, technical and operational procedures. Public sector data can be used to identify problems and improve public services.  

How is Public Sector Data collected?

As public sector data is related to the work of governments, generally a huge amount of data is generated by the different activities which involve the public sector. This raw data then has to be analyzed and processed to form a public sector dataset.

Data can be collected from the everyday activities of the public sector and governments such as pension management, tax collection, national health systems and traffic data recording. As technology and record management systems have grown and improved, it has become increasingly easy to collect, manage and process public sector data efficiently.

Public sector data is collected through many sources. The primary source of this data is the government itself. However, other controlled and owned government enterprises issue data. Online websites, the Census, and the World Bank offer credible information. Since this is in the public domain, data providers can collect, analyze, and organize this data into accurate datasets. Data providers also have ways to clean and update data to prevent obsolete data.

What are the typical attributes of Public Sector Data?

Typically a public dataset will provide information about a different service provided by the public sector. It will tell you the name of the service, a summary of the services it provides as well as a synopsis of the purpose of this service.

Public sector data has the following more detailed attributes:

• Service attributes: this refers to what type of government service is in use, level of government, statistical effectiveness, and approaches used.
• Financial attributes: this refers to the budget of the institutions and how they utilize it. Transparency and accountability are also included here.
• Contact information attributes: this refers to the personal information of the people in charge of the public sector, government officials, and their salaries and income.

What is Public Sector Data used for?

Public sector data is used by the government and investors. The government can use this data as a benchmark to improve better decision-making, policymaking, utilization of funds, transparency, and quality of service. Because the public sector is far behind the private sector, the government needs this data to support public sector industries. Investors can also use this data to gain insights about how government works and create business partnerships and opportunities.

Public sector data is primarily used by governments for three main reasons. They use this information to:

• Analyze the public sector - by having detailed information about the workings of the pubic sector, governments can highlight areas that are working efficently and areas that could benefit from restructuring or reorganization to make them more productive.
• Improve the public sector - having analyzed the public sector, big data can then be used to improve the workings of it. It can highlight where better services can be provided by personalizing them or by making them more efficient.
• Have internal transparency - transparency in business and governments is esepcially important these days. By using public sector data, governments can prove their transparency and other entities, such as research firms or inquiries, can use conduct detailed investigations into the way the public sector is being run and supported by the government.

How can a user assess the quality of Public Sector Data?

A high quality public sector dataset will provide a comprehensive and regularly updated overview of the different services provided by the public sector. Historical public sector records may be equally important so you can see how these services have developed and been improved over time. Before buying any public sector datasets make sure to ask for a data sample and read the data provider’s reviews to make sure the data provided matches your needs. For users to assess the quality of public sector data, it is important to know that the data is relevant, reliable, and accurate. Since this is about the public sector, information is mostly based on the government. To ensure the data is accurate, see to it that the data is error-free and contains no duplicates. Another quality assurance measure is to check if the data is up-to-date and updated frequently.

Where can I buy Public Sector Data?

Data providers and vendors listed on Datarade sell Public Sector Data products and samples. Popular Public Sector Data products and datasets available on our platform are Public Sector Lobbying Tool UK - by Oscar Research (manage campaigns to national representatives) by Oscar Research, SIC Code Email List | SIC Codes 01 to 100 by Infotanks Media by Infotanks Media, and macroVS2: GDP Growth Policy Volatility Signal by BCMStrategy Inc..

How can I get Public Sector Data?

You can get Public Sector Data via a range of delivery methods - the right one for you depends on your use case. For example, historical Public Sector Data is usually available to download in bulk and delivered using an S3 bucket. On the other hand, if your use case is time-critical, you can buy real-time Public Sector Data APIs, feeds and streams to download the most up-to-date intelligence.

What are the most common use cases for Public Sector Data?

The top use cases for Public Sector Data are Account-Based Marketing (ABM), B2B Marketing, and Government Marketing.