Civic Data Cooperative Project

This project responds directly to strategic ambitions outlined in the UK Government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan (2025), which highlights the need to reduce regional inequalities and support the rollout of AI across the country. This focus was reinforced by the Prime Minister’s “Turbocharge AI” speech (2025), announcing the creation of over 1,000 AI-related jobs in the Liverpool City Region and further underlining the strategic importance of AI readiness at a local level.

Project focus

The project focuses on ensuring that organisations and citizens in Liverpool City Region, as with citizens nationwide, are prepared for the increased adoption and integration of AI technologies in their public services. Previous research, such as Jöhnk, Weißert, & Wyrtki (2021), has emphasised that organisational AI readiness depends critically on the security, accessibility, and reliability of data. Building on this, our project aims to identify the sociotechnical challenges to data use and digitalisation in the region, investigating AI literacy, data competence, skills, and organisational readiness.

The core aims of this project are:

  • to advance understanding of sociotechnical barriers to effective data use within Liverpool City Region, by studying individual and organisational practices, with a view toward future AI deployment
  • to assess attitudes to data use and AI in the professional capacity of public sector workers in Liverpool City Region
  • to provide recommendations to regional policymakers based on the findings, to optimise AI integration strategies at the City Region level.

Specifically, the project will:

  • Conduct a series of creative workshops with local public sector organisations to explore barriers to effective AI implementation by exploring data issues.
  • Collect qualitative data through group activities, using innovative participatory methods (e.g., LEGO modelling of data and AI issues), to visualise challenges and opportunities in AI implementation.
  • Deliver reports on findings.

Workshops

Workshops ran from June to July 2025 and involved participants from a cross-section of local authorities from which willing participants can be sourced. Participants engaged in creative tasks, building models to represent their organisations’ data ecosystems, challenges, and opportunities. This method has been effectively used in previous studies (e.g., Coles-Kemp, Jenson, & Heath, 2020; Heath, Hall & Coles-Kemp, 2018) including by the research team (Hardy, 2024; McClure, 2024) to highlight data issues through participatory design.

Each workshop explored key analytical concepts, particularly AI knowledge, data issues, and capability. Participants will map data processes, identify barriers to data use, visualise risk and trust issues, and reflect on their digital skills and attitudes toward AI integration.

Podcast: AI & us: the future in our hands

AI and Us cover featuring Stephen McGannThis six-episode series explores how artificial intelligence is already shaping everyday life – and how it could help build a better future for all.

Presented by actor, science communicator and proud Liverpudlian Stephen McGann, the series travels across the Liverpool City Region to meet the people using AI to improve healthcare, civic engagement, social care, mental health, housing, music and sport.

From NHS innovations to live music venues and care homes, the series asks: how can we make sure AI works for people, not against them?

Listen to the 'AI & us' podcasts here.

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