Part of SDE operational readiness report, Q4 2025/26
Methodology
The 12 SDE operational readiness reviews were delivered with a consistent approach. Evidence presented by each SDE was considered by the review team with a 'maturity' (see Figure 1) assigned for each element.
3 major theme areas were explored:
(A) Stakeholder management and relationships
SDEs were asked to provide evidence of local, regional, and other ‘supply-side’ stakeholder engagement and coverage. This needed to include data providers, clinicians, academic institutions, patients and public, SDE Network peers and any other stakeholder relationships they were actively fostering.
(B) SDE operations
SDEs were asked to demonstrate and provide evidence of current live platform capabilities and highlight any additions being planned, as well as their ability to scale to meet increasing demand. As part of this, the end-to-end user journey (see Figure 5) served as a reference to guide end-to-end service discussions, including local implementation, live status and adherence to common SDE Network standards.
(C) Business development and opportunity management
SDEs were asked to provide evidence of their business development approach and marketing strategy, and how this does, or is planned to, increase demand for services. SDEs were also asked to demonstrate their current pipeline by size and type of project, their approach to prioritisation, and to show how their underlying ways of working can be scaled to increase and meet demand.
Operational readiness review design: outcomes and themes
The process was designed to:
- assure that all funded SDEs are functioning in alignment with national expectations and that there is consistency where required
- assure that SDEs can provide a smooth experience for researchers through the user journey
- provide insight to guide future decisions on funding, convergence, and strategic investment, based on clear evidence of capability and progress
- provide clarity on where each SDE is in terms of maturity and readiness for Health Data Research Service (HDRS), so we can support targeted development efforts
These outcomes help to shape the next phase of the SDE Network by identifying strengths to build on, gaps to address, and areas to learn from. Further information about SDE maturity and operational patterns can be found in Appendix 1.
Last edited: 5 June 2026 1:23 pm