When can I carry out local data matching and how long will it take?
If you have decided to undertake any type of local data matching you will need to decide when it will take place. Local data matching can be helpful when undertaken either before or after the national data match step, or indeed at both stages.
Your decision around the timing of any local data matching may depend on:
when the data can be provided to you and when you plan to use it, for example the most up to date student data is likely to be available at the beginning of the academic year
how recent the data is; local data will be most accurate and useful for data matching if it has been recently updated
the size of the data set and whether you are carrying out a partial or full register match; this may have an impact on the amount of time you have to analyse the results before allocation of properties to canvass routes
the format in which the data is held and whether it will need to be processed before you can use it
Carrying out local data matching before the national data match step may allow you more time to analyse your local data matching results.
Alternatively, carrying out checks of data that is regularly updated locally, such as council tax data, after the national data match step and as close as practicable to making your decision on the allocation of properties to canvass routes may improve the quality of your data match results, enabling you to allocate more properties to the most appropriate route.
Checking empty and void properties as part of local data matching
Local data matching could include a check of the information you hold on empty or void properties. If you are going to compare empty and void properties against local data sources such as council tax records, your plan should reflect this and make provision for when and how you will carry it out.
Empty and void properties are not exempt from the annual canvass but they are automatically excluded from the national data match step. This is because there are no individual elector details to match against DWP records.
If your local data matching can’t confirm properties as empty or void, they will need to be canvassed via Route 2 – the unmatched property route. If you are able to confirm that properties remain empty or void, they can be allocated to Route 1 – the matched property route.
It is important to remember that once a property has been assigned to a route, you must take all the necessary steps before closing the chase cycle. You cannot use local data to close a chase cycle.