Data requirements for assessing housing problems
2.38 In determining the key problems to be addressed through the LHS, data will have to be collected, maintained, combined and questioned. But data gaps will exist, information ages (and at different speeds) and data protection and copyright issues may exist.
2.39 As evidence is pieced together on how the housing system is operating, and what problems it is experiencing or likely to experience in the near future, it is very likely that the whole picture will not be available, for example key data could be unavailable. Even when data is not a fundamental constraint, there will be a need to exercise judgement in terms of what the evidence gathered means, and what problems it is highlighting. More detailed guidance is within the Local Housing System Analysis Good Practice Guide on how to identify imbalances in a housing system.
2.40 Given that all data becomes out of date eventually, LHS will need to build on explicit approaches to maintaining relevant information over time. Good practice will involve local authorities identifying what data it feels it is critical to have available, and an ordered approach to its acquisition and maintenance. An example of local authority corporate information practice
2.41 Building a comprehensive information framework could take several years, with, for example, stock condition information collected first, household data next and so on. Information that the CIH/LGA publication includes as important.
2.42 The data required for a LHS will be both quantitative and qualitative:
Qualitative data adds meaning and can aid interpretation of quantitative data. They are complementary and, in combination, these two types of data can be used to uncover root causes of problems within housing systems. Good LHS will have frameworks for regularly collecting quantitative data and for balancing that data with qualitative evidence;
Good practice examples of how data might be combined to look at specific housing problems and issues are within Rural Partnership for Change : Report of the National Steering Group;
In some cases data will have to be collected because it does not exist in any readily accessible form. This may require primary data collection (e.g. survey work) to be undertaken. Alternatively, it may require reviewing the way in which information internal to the authority is held;
Examples of data collected for other purposes which may be relevant and will not necessarily entail major primary data collection exercises are given below.
2.43 Information should be held in a way appropriate for analysis. Quantitative data, particularly where it is specific to a particular place (houses for example have unique post codes) should wherever possible be held in computer based geographical information systems (GIS). This will allow the analysis of different data sets for specific areas. Further information on GIS can be obtained from Communities Scotland Neighbourhood Intelligence Unit.
