Role-specific responsibilities

Project leads, data and analytical specialists, and senior leaders have specific responsibilities, in addition to considering the data ethics principles.

When making decisions on their project, project leads are responsible for collecting, storing, analysing, sharing or using data in line with the data ethics principles. They should ensure that they seek advice and guidance from data specialists and legal advisers on implementing these data principles.

Data and analytical specialists should apply this APP in their day-to-day decision making, including the following:

• Providing specialist advice on the application of data ethics principles to project leads, senior leaders and other colleagues. This might include being part of a data analytics working group, in accordance with the Data-driven technologies APP.
• Having oversight of processes being used by officers and staff.
• Ensuring that data is being used fairly and effectively, in line with their equality duties.

Senior leaders should ensure that the workforce implications associated with the data ethics APP – such as learning, awareness and resource considerations – are taken into account. Please refer to the Data-driven technologies APP.

Senior leaders should ensure that, where necessary, a data protection impact assessment (DPIA) is completed in relation to the processing of data. In addition, senior leaders should ensure that data processes that are being used within their force are ethical. Senior leaders should seek the advice of local independent data ethics advisory boards and their legal departments in order to achieve this.