Government Operational Research Service Analysis that matters

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Government Operational Research ServiceAnalysis
that matters

• Saul Thorne
• 23rd November 2005

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Contents of this presentation

• Background
• What is GORS?
• What is working for GORS like?
• Summary

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Contents of this presentation

• Background
• What is GORS?
• What is working for GORS like?
• Summary

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A brief history of Saul

• BSc Mathematics from Cardiff University
• Sandwich year working for HM Customs Excise in
  an OR team
• MSc Management Science Operational Research
  from Warwick University
• Joined GORS June 2005, working for the Home Office

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Contents of this presentation

• Background
• What is GORS?
• What is working for GORS like?
• Summary

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What is GORS and what does it do?

• GORS is an umbrella body for Operational Research
  specialists from a range of different government
  departments.
• GORS recruits and supports OR analysts across
  Government and promotes the benefits of analysis
  in general and OR in particular within Government
• OR in government involves using analysis and
  modelling to try to improve decision making and
  policy making across government
• As a result, most of the work that GORS does has
  a strong ethical basis

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GORS consists of seventeen different government
departments
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GORS staff work in a range of locations
Liverpool Manchester
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Staff in GORS have good career prospects

• GORS is the biggest employer of OR staff in the
  UK
• Currently around 350 members
• Recruit around 50 per year
• Moves to OR groups in other government
  departments are common
• Career progression in most departments is fluid
  and based on competency

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Within each department, OR staff perform a range
of functions

• For example, in the Home Office
• Forecasting the prison population
• Predicting the effects of crime-reduction
  interventions
• Examining what behaviour leads to re-offending
• Modelling the Criminal Justice System
• Forecasting demand for passports and work permits

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Contents of this presentation

• Background
• What is GORS?
• What is working for GORS like?
• Summary

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Since joining, my work has been varied and
interesting

• Investigating the links between social capital
  and fear of crime
• Building an application to estimate police
  restructuring costs
• These projects used a range of different skills

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Investigating the links between social capital
and fear of crime
British Crime Survey
Citizenship Survey
Fear of Crime
Social Capital
Intuitive Links
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Investigating the links between social capital
and fear of crime
British Crime Survey
Citizenship Survey
Fear of Crime
Social Capital
Predict using Demographic variables
Predict using Demographic variables
Link models
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Investigating the links between social capital
and fear of crime
?
Fear of Crime
Social Capital
Actual Links
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Building an application that estimates police
force restructuring costs
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These projects represent very different ways of
working

• 1. Investigating the links between social
  capital and fear of crime
• We have data but what can we do with it?
• Exploratory
• No clear start and finish to the project
• 2. Building an application to estimate police
  restructuring costs
• The client needs a tool but lacks the expertise
  and resources to build it
• High-level project
• Strict deadlines

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Contents of this presentation

• Background
• What is GORS?
• What is working for GORS like?
• Summary

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To summarise

• GORS staff work in a range of departments,
  locations and positions
• GORS recruits have good career prospects with
  opportunities for movement between departments
• Work for GORS is varied, interesting and
  challenging
• Strong emphasis is placed on training and
  personal development
• The other GORS members that I have worked with
  are very supportive and sociable

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Or visit our website for more details
www.operational-research.gov.uk