Ester Bellavia, Good Practice Standards Lead at PEDRI shares the evolution of the PEDRI Good Practice Standards for public engagement in data for research and statistics.

Co-creating good practice standards is not like making a lemon cake — there is no single recipe for perfection. And as a Sicilian, I can tell you, I know a thing or two about that…

Instead, it is a bit like hosting a dinner party where everyone brings a dish. You know people will bring food, but you don’t really know what will end up on the table. You may even think to yourself: What if someone starts a food fight? What if guests don’t like the party? What if no one shows up?

Our journey to crafting the PEDRI Good Practice Standards has been a bit like this, involving discovery, collaboration, and, yes, occasional disagreements (although no food fights). But that is what makes it exciting and rewarding!

So, what is next after months of drafting, workshops, and a survey consultation that felt like asking 139 people for feedback on your dinner party? Let’s break it down.

There might not be one perfect recipe for creating Good Practice Standards, but there is for a Sicilian lemon cake!

Digesting the feedback (with a pinch of salt!)

The PEDRI Good Practice Standards are a set of seven guiding principles, created alongside professionals and public, on how to do good public involvement and engagement in data for research and statistics:

  1. Equity, diversity and inclusion – Ensure representation of people from different backgrounds.
  2. Data literacy and training – Empower the public to understand and contribute.
  3. Two-way communication – Enable everyone to have open, honest and clear conversations.
  4. Transparency – Project information is freely accessible for discussions with the public.
  5. Mutual benefit – There is benefit to everyone involved.
  6. Effective involvement and engagement – There are clear tasks, purpose and impacts that are not tokenistic.
  7. Creating a culture of involvement and engagement – Public involvement and engagement is embedded into ways of working.

These Standards are the culmination of two years of work led by the PEDRI Good Practice Standards Working Group which includes representatives from PEDRI partner organisations.

Since my last update, the group members have been working hard to integrate the feedback from the 2023 survey consultation and workshops in 2023 and 2024 into the draft standards, along with one final public consultation in 2024.

With these insights in hand, the group fully embraced working together online, managing the challenge through shared folders, colour coded spreadsheets, multiple document edits with version control, and lively discussions on every detail as we grappled with one key question: how do we make these standards not just good, but truly useful?

We needed a flexible framework that balances the unique needs of our diverse data research community while maintaining a strong commitment to good public involvement and engagement practices.

The development of the PEDRI Good Practice Standards has taken over two years of collaborative working to get to this stage

What has changed?

The latest version of the Standards, now available in a downloadable format, reflects significant updates shaped by the invaluable feedback we received. From refining the language used to improving their structure and expanding practical examples, this version is far more accessible and comprehensive than the initial draft.

These improvements would not have been possible without the contributions of the data and statistics community, including public members, who generously dedicated their time and shared their insights. Their recognition of the value of this work has been instrumental in bringing these standards to life. To them, we extend our deepest thanks and appreciation.

Westley Igbo from DARE UK, a PEDRI partner, has been involved in our Good Practice Standards Working Group

What’s next for the Good Practice Standards?

With the latest version of the Standards now publicly available (alongside lots of other useful resources), we are already looking ahead. Here is what is on the horizon:

  • Empowering the community: Developing tools and resources to help the data research community use the Standards effectively.
  • Learning through practice: Evaluating how the Standards are used in the real-world and refining them as needed.
  • Driving change: Launching outreach initiatives to ensure these Standards become living tools that make a real impact.

And, of course, we will continue engaging closely with the public. This is not a ‘one-and-done’ project, but an ongoing journey.

Samaira Khan and Anna Woolman from PEDRI discussed the development of the PEDRI Good Practice Standards at a recent Health Data Research UK, a PEDRI partner, Public Involvement and Engagement event

What’s it all for?

Picture a research world where diverse public voices are not just heard but celebrated. A place where trust in how data is used in research is the norm and transparency in the data research process is the name of the game. It is ambitious, sure, but with the Standards we have the roadmap to get there.

Stay tuned for new resources relating to this work. And remember: every bit of feedback, no matter how small, gets us closer to turning ‘good’ into ‘great’.

We would love to hear from you (contact@pedri.org.uk) because the journey does not end here.

A special thank you to the working group members Rachel Edwards, Shayda Kashef, Samaira Khan, Westley Igbo, Jan Speechley, Piotr Teodorowski and Doreen Tembo for your hard work and dedication. We also extend our gratitude to Alasdair Forrest, Dale Kirkwood and Elizabeth Nelson for their valuable contributions.

Learn more about PEDRI