In November, we brought together Stream’s Advisory Group 2 (Technical) which comprises subject matter experts from 16 water companies and other industry stakeholders. Co-chaired by Icebreaker One and Anglian Water, this group advises and supports the project partners as they commence work on Stream’s Implementation Phase.
November’s AG2 meeting was aimed at:
- Updating members on the status of pillars BAU activities
- Discussing inputs for the bid
- Reflecting on Open October and looking forward to Open Data March 2025
Date: 25th November 2024 10:45-12:15 BST
Location: online
Co-chairs:
Lucy Chambers, IB1
Wes Thomas, Anglian Water
Secretariat support: Icebreaker One
Summary:
- It was noted that the Clean Up UK’s Rivers, Lakes and Seas use case has been prioritized, with discovery to begin in January
- For this use case a focus on data standardisation and creating guidance around standards was discussed, to move towards greater levels of trust in the data produced by citizen science
- Members were updated on the EIR State of Play and it was noted that:
- A schema, triage documentation and standard values have been agreed
- A data sharing agreement draft is ready to share with member legal teams
- Supply and waste boundaries strategy change updates were provided and it was noted that all Stream members will be asked to publish NAV free boundaries and then NAV layers will be requested to have the most up to date data
- An Icebreaker question was put to members:
- How do we demonstrate that STREAM is not yet BAU and merits further innovation funding by showcasing collaboration, adaptability, and scalable solutions that deliver long-term value for household customers through proven, risk-tolerant approaches?
- It was noted that the innovative nature of Stream itself needs to be emphasized. Creating a visual was discussed, to show Stream is laying a trail of initiatives that are becoming BAU but that the project is still in a transformational phase
- It was noted that describing the BAU team as BAU could be considered counter-productive, and the name ‘change leaders’ was proposed for the team
- It was noted that data governance is still innovation – good data governance is not solved yet and good data governance drives innovation
- How do we demonstrate that STREAM is not yet BAU and merits further innovation funding by showcasing collaboration, adaptability, and scalable solutions that deliver long-term value for household customers through proven, risk-tolerant approaches?
- Members were asked for their thoughts and inputs on the Catalyst Bid, with two questions posed:
- 1. How do you propose to deliver the project in an innovative way
- It was noted that referencing Open October and the Hackathon could be beneficial to demonstrate the importance of Stream in bringing water companies together to push for innovation, adding weight to the statement that Stream will continue to innovate in this way, especially with Open Data Day planned for March
- It was noted that there is a need to ensure that the activities and themes of days such as Open October and Open Data Day build on each other and don’t repeat themselves
- The importance of mentioning how Stream data could contribute more broadly into government data schemes and improved data standards was discussed
- 2. What is the entry’s potential for scaling up and/or wider implementation in the sector, and what are your plans to realise this potential?
- International standards were discussed, with the idea to assess whether there is an organisation interested in international water data
- 1. How do you propose to deliver the project in an innovative way
The next meeting will take place on the 20th January 2025.
Formal records, including attendees, are maintained by the secretariat, and are confidential to the Advisory Group members.