L'inspection générale des finances et la science des données. Quelles méthodes pour quels usages ?

Decision-makers are showing a growing interest for data-driven decision making. At the same time, the administration has access to vast amounts of data, infrastructures and skilled human resources to leverage them. These recent developments allow inspectorates, such as the General Inspectorate of Finances (IGF), to strengthen their evaluation and advisory missions through specific studies using already available data. The IGF uses this data to quantify its observations and strengthen its analyses. Unlike the official statistics system, however, it neither produces data nor monitors it over time. One example is a study conducted by the IGF's data science team about the insurability of municipalities' real estate assets. It demonstrates how combining data from the National Institute of Geographic and Forestry Information (IGN) and the Directorate General of Public Finances (DGFiP) with data science techniques can provide highly detailed insights to address policy questions submitted to the IGF . Although demand for tailored studies is increasing and other inspectorates have been replicating the model of a data science dedicated hub, this model needs to fulfil conditions relating both to the culture of quantitative analysis and the quality of the data. * Data scientist, inspection générale des finances.