Government Analysis Function > Articles, blogs, case studies: proud to be a government analyst

Articles, blogs, case studies: proud to be a government analyst

What does ‘good’ look like in government analysis?  Furthermore, what does ‘excellent’ look like?  What makes you proud to be a government analyst?

The work government analysts do is interesting, inspirational, and important.  There are 17,000 government analysts, working across the country and abroad, and from such a wide range of backgrounds, professional disciplines, and experiences.  There are so many reasons to be proud to be a government analyst, a few of them are captured in this 2022 Proud to be a government analyst video.

Our new “Proud to be a government analyst” communications campaign is designed to support and promote the new strategy for analysis in government 2025 to 2028.

This campaign pulls together articles, blogs, and case studies that show the diverse range of interesting and important analytical work that we do, with unique insight into what analysts feel proud of, and the impact that we have and most importantly what good analysis looks like.  It will also support the launch of the AF Strategy Hub a new platform to connect, share, and grow as a function.

Existing articles, blogs and case studies (ABC’s) detailing examples of proud government analysis can be explored below:

Here are some examples of articles to get you inspired:

Here are some examples of blogs to get you inspired:

Blogs and stories about leadership are available on our Leading with impact: Support for all leaders in analysis page.

Here are some examples of case studies to get you inspired.

  • The Government Research & Insights Database (GRID): Cabinet Office Digital, Cabinet Office – The Government Research & Insights Database (GRID) is a digital technology project that provides digital capability to cross-government data and analysis teams.  GRID now has over 2,000+ users and hosts 100+ dashboards. Find out how the team did it
  • Innovative Horizon Scanning Identifies the Science and Technology of the Future: Defence, Science & Technology Laboratory (Dstl) – Horizon scanning for emerging science and technology (S&T) is a critical but complex challenge for defence.  Read about Dstl’s work to address this issue, which won them an AiG Award in 2025
  • Launching ‘Explore Local Statistics Service’: Office for National Statistics (ONS) – Local-level statistics are essential for policy making, but they are often fragmented, inconsistently formatted, and difficult to access – especially for non-technical users. ONS created Explore Local Statistic Service, for which they won an AiG Award in 2025
  • The National Infrastructure Spatial Tool (NIST): Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) – A cross-government team has developed the national infrastructure spatial tool to support the 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy by assessing local infrastructure needs.  The work won the Geography in Government Award 2025
  • Making Working at HMRC Work for Everyone survey: HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) – Analysis of HMRC’s 2020 People Survey revealed that neurodivergent employees consistently reported more negative workplace experiences than other colleagues, including those with other disabilities.  The team from HMRC took action which won them an AiG Award in 2025
  • Performance analysis of UK businesses in high growth technology sectors: HMRC and Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) – Analysts adopted a supervised machine learning approach that could identify businesses within the priority technology sectors. DSIT is now able to report on performance of businesses in high growth technology sectors; without collaborative working across government this wouldn’t have been possible
  • Programme for Government (PfG) Wellbeing Framework: Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) – Historically, Northern Ireland’s Programme for Government (PfG) relied on performance indicators tied to specific policies or actions, which changed with each administration.  This led to inconsistent reporting, a lack of continuity, and limited public engagement. The team’s work won them an AiG Award in 2025, and also the 2025 Analysis Function People’s Choice Award
  • Understanding barriers for working parents: where are childcare deserts and oases?: Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) and Analysis in Government (AiG) Rising Star Award 2025: Rebecca Vincent, Ofsted – This important work by Ofsted into childcare won the AiG Award for Collaboration in 2025, with Rebecca achieving the Rising Star Award
  • Unlocking the potential of major projects’ data: – HM Treasury – The National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) in HM Treasury (HMT) supports the delivery of the UK government’s largest, most complex and innovative projects in government, a portfolio costing £834 billion.  Find out more by reading their case study
  • Health inequalities in health protection report – UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) Public Health Analysis Analysis and Intelligence Assessment

And other sources where you can find out about case studies of good quality analysis include:

 

Contribute to our “Proud to be a government analyst” campaign

We want real-life examples and stories from colleagues and teams working at different grades, levels of experience, roles, professions, locations across the entire Analysis Function.

Has a good article, blog, or case study already been published by your department, or elsewhere about your work?  Let us know about it and we’ll share it with the cross-government analysis community.

Here are some ways you can contribute your stories.  Any queries?  Contact us at Analysis.Function@ons.gov.uk.

Articles are more formal, structured, and objective.  Write a news article about something that has made you proud to be a government analyst and send it to us at Analysis.Function@ons.gov.uk.

Writing a good article

Here are some tips on writing a good article:

  • Lead with clarity: Start with a strong summary of the topic and why it matters to government or public service priorities
  • Keep it focused: The ideal length for an article is 600 to 1,200 words (or 2 to 4 pages in Word).  This range strikes the right balance between depth and readability for analytical audiences.  User behaviour insights suggest users typically read only 20–28% of a web page. This means the first few paragraphs are critical for conveying your key messages
  • Stick to the facts: Use evidence, data, and clear explanations. Make sure to spell out any acronyms and abbreviations so all your colleagues across government can fully understand what you did!

Blogs are more personal, reflective, and conversational than articles. They’re a great choice to convey your professional pride in your team or work you’ve been involved in yourself, and often get the most views on our website! Write a blog about something that has made you proud to be a government analyst and send it to us at Analysis.Function@ons.gov.uk.

Writing a good blog

Here are some top tips on writing an effective blog:

  1. Be authentic: Share your experience, challenges, and what you learned. Use “I” or “we” to make it relatable
  2. Make it engaging: Use a conversational tone, short paragraphs, and headings. Think of it as a chat with your peers across government
  3. Include a ‘takeaway’: End with a reflection or insight that others can learn from or be inspired by
  4. Read our blog about writing blogs for more useful tips on word counts, blog titles, use of language, blog structure and more

Case studies allow us to find out a bit more detail about a specific piece of work or project.  We’re very keen to build on our Analysis Function Case Study Database and showcase your work as examples of excellence in government analysis.  Submit your case study by completing our short form on SmartSurvey: Analysis Function Case Studies – Proud to be a government analyst.

Writing a good case study

Here are some top tips on writing a good case study:

  1. Tell the full story: Include the situation, actions taken, and the impact. Use real data and outcomes to show value where possible
  2. Highlight collaboration: Mention teams, departments, or cross-functional work that contributed to success
  3. Link to strategic aims: Align your case study with Analysis Function strategy and wider government priorities like innovation, impact, the missions, and people-centred analysis

 

How your stories support our objectives and priorities

Every government analyst has a role to play in achieving our strategic aims over the next three years.  Collecting, collating, and communicating your stories helps to support the objectives and priorities for a strategy for analysis in government 2025 to 2028.

 

Back to the Analysis in Government Strategy Hub

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