Users
Who can use LG Inform
Who can log on to LG Inform?
Anyone can view the public section of the site which allows users to view public data and public reports. Councils and fire and rescue services can also choose to register with LG Inform which will enable them to access additional functionality such as create their own custom reports and personalise their user profile. To access the full version of LG Inform users will need to register with their corporate e-mail address. There is a register button on the homepage of the LG Inform site through which you can register to use the site.
Will you need to be an expert to use Inform?
No. LG Inform has been developed so that a range of differently skilled users can access the data. There will be functions for experienced performance managers, but functionality has also been developed so that less frequent users can easily access data. For example, viewing simple reports showing local performance against a regional comparison group or similar type organisation.
Why is LG Inform being open to the public?
A driving principle behind the development of LG Inform has been to provide a service that enables councils and fire and rescue services to assess their own performance against the rest of the sector whilst at the same time increasing transparency with the public. Granting public access to already published information in a single place in a more readily useable form is a key milestone towards this vision.
The reason we undertook a phased launch to the public was to provide authorities with an opportunity to create their own reports adding local context to better explain to the public the circumstances and decisions that the authority is operating within.
Additionally, one of the key features we have developed with this version is the ability for authorities to take the outputs created in LG Inform and add them directly to their own websites. This is new functionality for many and will take a little while to test and deploy but the expectation is that members of the public could access bespoke reports directly from the council rather than having to access a generic national tool.
Is all LG Inform data subject to FOI requests, and do you restrict access during time of political turbulence and purdah?
LG Inform will contain published data that is already available to the public so no additional restrictions will be required. Councils storing data within LG Inform, in ‘private' areas, will still have to respond to FOI requests as normal.
Won't the public be able to see confidential information?
No. Councils will be able to manage the service so the public can only access the reports they decide should be available. However, we believe most data used will be public/subject to Freedom of Information as normal.
If I leave council employment can I still access LG Inform as a private individual and or concerned member of the public?
Private individuals will have access to published data and any reports authorities have chosen to share with the public, however, private individuals will not have access to the report building tools at this stage.
What data is automatically added to it and what do we have to input?
Most of the data is published already, and the LGA will automatically add the most up-to-date information. For metrics within LG Inform where there is no national collection (for example, workforce sickness absence) authorities can choose to input their locally collected data manually. A key objective of LG Inform is to have ‘machine to machine' data upload processes.
Will I lose access if my council leaves LGA membership?
The LG Inform application will be freely available to all councils.