Government Operational Research Service
Analysis that matters
Saul Thorne
23rd November 2005
Contents of this presentation
1. Background
2. What is GORS?
3. What is working for GORS like?
4. Summary
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Contents of this presentation
1. Background
2. What is GORS?
3. What is working for GORS like?
4. 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
1. Background
2. What is GORS?
3. What is working for GORS like?
4. 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
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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
1. Background
2. What is GORS?
3. What is working for GORS like?
4. 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
Social Capital
Intuitive Links
Fear of Crime
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Investigating the links between social capital and fear
of crime
Citizenship Survey
British Crime Survey
Social Capital
Fear of Crime
Predict using
Demographic variables
Link models
Predict using
Demographic variables
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Investigating the links between social capital and fear
of crime
Social Capital
?
Actual Links
Fear of Crime
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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
1. Background
2. What is GORS?
3. What is working for GORS like?
4. 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
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