SOAR: Semi-Automated Output Assessment and Review

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) Secure Research Service (SRS) is one of the UK’s largest TREs, potentially providing 5,000+ accredited researchers access to 140+ de-identified, unpublished datasets, supporting 800+ projects that serve the public good.

The demand for disclosure control and checking of research outputs at the ONS SRS is consistently high, requiring a skilled team to ensure that sensitive information is not accidentally disclosed. Currently, all researcher outputs must be manually reviewed by two independent checkers before release.

SOAR will evaluate the feasibility of integrating a semi-automated output-checking tool developed by TREvolution into this workflow, enhancing the ONS SRS’ disclosure control capabilities. The aim is to explore how semi-automated output checking could improve efficiency while maintaining robust security and compliance standards. 

By integrating a semi-automated output-checking tool into the ONS SRS disclosure control workflow, SOAR will support the testing and adoption of a key TREvolution capability to enhance the efficiency and scalability of TRE operations in the UK.

By the end of the project, SOAR will provide valuable insights into:

• The feasibility of enabling researchers to access the semi-automated tool remotely to assess its usability and accessibility.
• The effectiveness of semi-automated output-checking in identifying statistical disclosure risks compared to existing manual output-checking practices.
• The potential for operationalising and embedding the tool into business-as-usual (BAU) TRE processes to improve efficiency and scalability.

Project information

Lead organisation: Office for National Statistics
Project duration: 14 months
Funding provided: £46,760
Primary contact email: srs.customer.support@ons.gov.uk

Relevant links

• Office for National Statistics