satisfaction.
2. Prioritize Data That Matters
Building stakeholder
To avoid being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of data at their fingertips, agencies should focus efforts on their most critical datasets first. Different data types can include both structured data such as constituent profiles and citizen service requests, as well as unstructured data, including emails, documents, PDFs, and images. However, it’s estimated that as little as 5% of agency datasets drive 95% of results by delivering insights, minimizing risk, and improving performance. By prioritizing critical data and understanding how each data element fits into the goals established during step one, government agencies can simplify the governance process and accelerate time-to-value. 3. Build Stakeholder Engagement Across Three Tiers Successful data governance requires engagement from stakeholders at all levels of the organization: tactical, operational, and strategic. Each group has different perspectives, needs, and success metrics, necessitating a tailored approach to engagement. • Tactical Level: Data analysts, scientists, engineers, and stewards need key performance indicators (KPIs) that measure improvements in data access, completeness, and curation. • Operational Level: Program and data management leads focus on data quality, error reduction, and process efficiency. • Strategic Level: Executives and directors value KPIs that demonstrate return on investment, process enablement, and constituent
engagement involves creating meaningful KPIs that link across organizational levels, telling a comprehensive story of how data
governance supports agency objectives. For example, a story line could look like this: “We’ve identified the 12 critical demographic markers that potentially qualify a citizen as a candidate for our program and aligned on key definitions and rules for each evaluation data point. We’ve also acquired third-party data to ensure that we have access to accurate demographic data to complete our master constituent data records. As a result, we have identified 35% more underserved citizens out of our total population, increased program participation by 25%, and increased funding 25% to match participation levels.” 4. Celebrate and Reinforce Success An effective data governance initiative will help clear the path for success by removing friction from stakeholder processes and help them deliver on desired outcomes. By making it easy for teams to contribute to the governance process, regularly communicating value, and celebrating successes, agencies can help ensure that stakeholders stay engaged with the program. Agencies can help to drive stakeholder support for data governance initiatives by employing a robust approach to communications and training: • Personalized Onboarding and Training: Programs that include tailored governance
onboarding, newsletters, and leadership endorsements gain better traction. • Self-Service Solutions: Providing platform training videos, data integrity dashboards, and progress scorecards increases visibility and participation. • Regular Communications: Data governance ambassadors should frequently share insights, report issues, and highlight the impact of governance efforts. Conclusion Embracing a methodical, results- driven approach to data governance enables government agencies to transform their operations and enhance citizen services. By aligning data governance with agency goals, prioritizing critical datasets, building stakeholder engagement across all levels, and celebrating and reinforcing success, agencies can unlock the full potential of their data. This strategic focus not only improves decision-making and operational efficiency but also fosters a culture of trust and collaboration. Ultimately, effective data governance is not just a technical necessity but a pivotal driver for modernizing government functions and achieving mission- critical objectives.
Florida Technology Magazine – 2024 Fall Edition – 43
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