Gaia Marcus is Head of Data Strategy at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in the UK Government, responsible for delivering a National Data Strategy that will unlock the power of data in the UK economy and government, while building public confidence in its use.
Gaia has spent the majority of her career in the charity sector, specialising in Tech for Good, communities and data strategy. As Data Strategy Lead at Parkinson's UK, she delivered a roadmap for better delivering Parkinson's UK’s key aims – a cure and better services – whilst improving its data maturity, skills and culture. At Centrepoint, she delivered Centrepoint Helpline, the first ever national advice service for young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and the UK's first youth homelessness open data source – yhdatabank.com. In her role as Senior Researcher at the RSA, Gaia led research for the Connected Communities programme and the organisation’s social network analysis.
Gaia holds a BA in History (First Class Honours) from University College London, and an MA in Understanding and Securing Human Rights (with Distinction) from the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London.
Objectives.
•Ensure that academic expertise and research drive the framing of the UK National Data Strategy
•Dig deeper into key issues that government needs to better understand in designing the National Data Strategy – some ideas below, but keen to have dialogue on this
•Ensure that the National Data Strategy consultation itself reflects best practice in developing a strategy for such a broad topic at a national scale – e.g. learning from the two-phase public consultation process used to develop Brazil’s Internet Bill of Rights
