The History of RAP

Pre-RAP - The promotion of open code

2017

A number of govt articles from this time promote open code, and what should and should not be published:

• Service Manual: Making source code open and reusable
• Open Source Guidance: When code should open or closed
• Open Source Guidance: Security considerations when coding in the open
• Central Digital and Data Office: Be open and use Open Source

Matt Upson wrote the original blog post on RAP (he has since regretted calling it 'RAP') and helped develop 'the first RAP'

Matt Upson and Matt Gregory: Transforming the process of producing official statistics

Ed Humpherson, Director General at OSR writes a blog about the first Ministry of Justice RAP, which took inspiration from the eesectors RAP exemplar.

Early history of RAP

2018

The Government Digital Service (GDS) Data Science team continued to develop RAP (@matthewgregory_gds, @duncangarmonsway_gds et al.) prior to it moving across to the ONS/Analytical Function. Matt Gregory put together the original RAP companion and even a "Massive Open Online Course" (MOOC).

• 2018 post on benefits of RAP
• RAP Companion
• Introduction to RAP course by the Govt Analysis Function
• ONS Data Science Campus - RAP journey training course
• Matthew Upson publishes his article Why Government needs sustainable software too on the Software Sustainability Institute's website.

2020

Flourishing of blog posts in 2020s, e.g. Rappers Delight

Coding in analysis and research survey (on RAP)

2021

Alex Newton (an incredibly passionate advocate for RAP, and Head of Reproducibility within ONS) publishes an article reflecting on the survey above and the benefits of RAP

RAP Squad (the team running this site!) founded in 2021 within NHS Digital - Connor Quinn and Helen Richardson

Office for Stats Regulation (OSR) publishes review endorsing RAP

RAP goes mainstream:

2022

Starting to formalise and bring together under central government (Govt Analysis function RAP page)

• Goldacre Review talks extensively about RAP
• Data Saves Lives talks about RAP
• Cross Govt RAP strategy is launched
• A good summary of the above by Jess Morley is here

2023

ONS publishes their RAP implementation plan, followed by other departments

The Health RAP Playbook (Alpha) is launched

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Last update: March 1, 2024

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