International workshop on government administrative data for policy-relevant research

Opportunities to use administrative data – regularly collected by government organizations – for research purposes have flourished in recent decades. Increased access to administrative records presents a number of advantages for research that addresses policy-relevant questions about socioeconomic disadvantage, and forges closer collaborations between research and government organizations. However, there is an enormous untapped potential in administrative data. Challenges that prevent wide and effective use of administrative data relate to existing regulatory frameworks, perceived risks by data custodians, and underdeveloped methodological and infrastructure capacities.

The Life Course Centre, Stanford Center for Poverty and Inequality, and Children’s Data Network are pleased to co-host an international workshop on government administrative data for research purposes. The workshop is designed for researchers who have experience or are interested in using government administrative data for research purposes. The key objectives of the workshop are:

• Increasing awareness on the opportunities, bounds, innovations and future directions of using government administrative data to solve policy-relevant questions across countries
  Identifying competences and capacity required to enable government administrative data to be used more widely and effectively
  Identifying strategies concerning communication and partnerships with government agencies, and sharing experiences on how to address them
  This first-of-its-kind workshop will bring together authoritative international figures in the field to engage with workshop participants on discussions about relevant themes around government administrative data access and use.