intaining sector-critical data tools, data collections, and learning venues, D2I provided the technical team for the SSD project, as well as convening the user research phases of the work, and supporting the steering group. D2I has been a crucial support venue for data-focused collaboration in the sector, and was recognised by name in the recent MacAlister review of children’s social care, with the review recommending that DfE “should work closely with Data to Insight”. The SSD will rely on D2I for its short-term future support in 2024-25, while DfE considers the project outputs and the recommendations in our separate “Future Support Plan” report. SSD and related work should also consider D2I a key partner for helping make best use of standard datasets, as well as for supporting LA analysts and the wider sector data community in working together on shared approaches to common challenges. D2I is a small, low-cost team, hosted by one LA, and led by a board of volunteer directors representing other LAs, regional networks, and other sector leaders. To ensure full accessibility of its offer to every LA, it currently draws most of its funding from competitive central government opportunities. As part of furthering the good work done on recent data innovation projects, DfE should seek a sustainable funding approach for national sector-led data collaboration, including D2I, which can effectively support the existing value in the sector. 7.6. Other local government use cases This is a non-comprehensive, indicative list of example use cases for the SSD once implemented, to help stakeholders understand the value of the approach and its potential to support cross-sector goals. Though we’ve split this between LA-centric and DfE-centric use cases, in most cases, anything improving da