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Governance: Data management

To what extent do relevant laws, regulations, policies, and guidance provide a comprehensive framework for consistent data management and publication?

Definitions and Identification

Data management refers to “The policies, procedures, and technical choices used to handle data through its entire lifecycle from data collection to storage, preservation, and use” (Open Data Handbook; full entry is available in multiple languages).

The value of government data for the public good—regardless of whether that’s published as open data—increases when appropriate protections have been embedded operationally throughout collection and sharing, when data quality has been assured, when relevant technical standards are used, when data comes with clear documentation, when data is more easily discoverable, and when user feedback is sought.

Governments may promote consistent and high quality approaches to data management through a variety of routes, including:

  • National data strategies;

  • Data management guidance;

  • Data management standards.

Data management frameworks contrast with data-sharing legislation or an open data policy. Data-sharing legislation and open data policies typically focus specifically on responsibilities related to making data available. Data management, however, applies to the data lifecycle comprehensively and focuses on creating the operational foundation required to address needs related to different stages of data.

For example, this may include specifying quality control processes and standards and interoperability requirements; laying out schedules for updates and maintenance to datasets and relevant digital public infrastructure; establishing the technical and human practices necessary to ensure data protection; etc.

However, please note that because data management applies to the various stages of the data lifecycle, in some cases, data management provisions may be located in multiple laws, policies, or guidelines.

Examples

  • Korea's Public Data Management Guidelines establish essential principles and standards that public institutions must adhere to for the effective management and provision of public data. These guidelines dictate standardized formats and methods for public data, as outlined in the Guidelines for standardizing databases for public institutions. Additionally, the guidelines ensure stable and high-quality public data by setting clear requirements for quality management at each stage, in accordance with the public data provision standard in Appendix 3 of the Public Data Management Guidelines.

  • In Uruguay public entities must adhere to Agency for Electronic Government and the Information and Knowledge Society (AGESIC) technical standards and the format and access provisions established in Law No. 19.179 when publishing data and associated metadata. In that sense. AGESIC has developed the Framework for Data Quality Management in Digital Government.

Look for the existence of government data management and/or publication guidelines and data standards policies. These may be found by searching the documentation of official open data catalogs, or through searching for recent government announcements on the topics.

Starting points

  • Sources:

    • The qualitative data from the Open Data Barometer may provide details of policies and strategies identified prior to 2017 generally, prior to 2019 for Latin America and the Caribbean; look for sheets with primary data on ODB context and impact and filter by question ID "ODB.2015.C3."

  • Search:

    • National standards for data management.

  • Consult:

    • Government officials working on data management;

    • Data users.

What to look for?

Look for evidence of:


Show/hide supporting questions

Existence

  • What is the nature of the framework?

    • No framework exists.
      Supporting questions: In the absence of a strong legal framework, are there alternative norms or customs that play this role in the country? If so, please explain.
    • A framework exists but lacks full force of law.
      Supporting questions: In the absence of a strong legal framework, are there alternative norms or customs that play this role in the country? If so, please explain. Please provide brief details.If there are draft laws or regulations not yet in force that would provide a more robust framework in the future, please provide brief details, including the date(s) of any relevant drafts. Please provide a URL(s) for where evidence can be found.
    • A framework exists and has the force of law.
      Supporting questions: Please provide brief details.Please provide a URL(s) for where evidence can be found.

  • Extent of existence:

  • How comprehensive, in terms of jurisdiction, is the coverage of the framework assessed for this question? (The framework covers one or more localities, but there are many other localities without such a framework, or with a framework of a lesser quality., The framework covers one or more localities and is representative of the kind of frameworks that can be found for all, or most, localities., The framework provides national coverage.)

    Supporting questions (conditional)

    If The framework covers one or more localities, but there are many other localities without such a framework, or with a framework of a lesser quality. or The framework covers one or more localities and is representative of the kind of frameworks that can be found for all, or most, localities.: Which locality or localities does this framework cover?

    If The framework covers one or more localities, but there are many other localities without such a framework, or with a framework of a lesser quality. or The framework covers one or more localities and is representative of the kind of frameworks that can be found for all, or most, localities.: Please explain your response.

    If The framework covers one or more localities, but there are many other localities without such a framework, or with a framework of a lesser quality. or The framework covers one or more localities and is representative of the kind of frameworks that can be found for all, or most, localities.: Please provide supporting URL(s) as necessary.

  • How comprehensive, in terms of parts of government, is this framework? (The framework covers only a limited part of government (e.g., only a single agency or a few agencies), and there are many parts of government without such frameworks., The framework covers, or is representative of frameworks covering, many agencies or parts of government, but there are some agencies or parts of government without such frameworks., The framework covers all or most of government.)

    Supporting questions (conditional)

    If The framework covers only a limited part of government (e.g., only a single agency or a few agencies), and there are many parts of government without such frameworks. or The framework covers, or is representative of frameworks covering, many agencies or parts of government, but there are some agencies or parts of government without such frameworks.: To which agency or agencies, or part(s) of government, does this framework apply?

    If The framework covers only a limited part of government (e.g., only a single agency or a few agencies), and there are many parts of government without such frameworks. or The framework covers, or is representative of frameworks covering, many agencies or parts of government, but there are some agencies or parts of government without such frameworks. or The framework covers all or most of government.: Please provide supporting URL(s) as necessary.

  • Existence summary:

  • Please summarize your answers to the preceding existence sub-questions, including the extent of existence. [Open Text] Drawing on the research you have conducted and the evidence you have gathered for this section, describe what you have found (or not found) when answering the existence sub-questions for this indicator.

    Supporting questions

    Please provide the URL(s) for the evidence that supports the summary provided.

Elements

  • Rights and responsibilities:

  • There are clearly documented processes for soliciting and integrating feedback from external users to improve data quality. (No, Partially, Yes)

    Supporting questions (conditional)

    If Partially: Please explain your “Partially” response.

    If Partially or Yes: Please indicate which section of the framework refers to this issue.

  • There are technical standards, including common data models, codelists, and identifiers, for management and publication of government data. (No, Partially, Yes)

    Supporting questions (conditional)

    If Partially: Please explain your “Partially” response.

    If Partially or Yes: Please indicate which section of the framework refers to this issue.

  • There are minimum standards for metadata when government data is catalogued or published. (No, Partially, Yes)

    Supporting questions (conditional)

    If Partially: Please explain your “Partially” response.

    If Partially or Yes: Please indicate which section of the framework refers to this issue.

  • There is a standardized process for publishing and updating published government data. (No, Partially, Yes)

    Supporting questions (conditional)

    If Partially: Please explain your “Partially” response.

    If Partially or Yes: Please indicate which section of the framework refers to this issue.

  • There are clearly documented quality control processes for government data. (No, Partially, Yes)

    Supporting questions (conditional)

    If Partially: Please explain your “Partially” response.

    If Partially or Yes: Please indicate which section of the framework refers to this issue.

  • Elements summary:

  • Please summarize your answers to the preceding element sub-questions. [Open Text] Drawing on the research you have conducted and the evidence you have gathered for this section, describe what you have found (or not found) when answering the element sub-questions for this indicator.

    Supporting questions

    Please provide the URL(s) for the evidence that supports the summary provided.

Maximizing the value of government data for the public good requires data to be quality controlled and made available for reuse in consistent, reliable ways.

The Open Data Barometer's 2017 Leaders Edition included an indicator (ODB.2015.C.MANAG) which asked the question, "To what extent is there a consistent (open) data management and publication approach?" This indicator is designed to provide broadly comparable data to the ODB indicator. It takes its guidance from the ODB's 0–10 scoring system, converting this into element checklist items that should yield similar scoring for similar situations.