Dictionary Series: What do we mean when we talk about ‘good governance’ and how does this relate to data?
Working in a domain that has such high stakes around decisions that are made, given the impact on children directly, on service providers working with children or indeed on data and models, it is essential that all of our activities are directed by ‘good governance’.
By Alex Hutchison, Director at the Data for Children Collaborative
What exactly is governance and data governance?
Governance is the set of activities that are put in place to control outputs, outcomes and impact from an organisation as well as the associated accountability for these activities. In its simplest terms, I like to think of governance as ‘who is making decisions to ensure that we [insert organisation or your choice] are getting bang* for our buck, that we’re doing that in the right way – particularly with regards to risk and risk appetite – and it’s in line with what was intended’. As such, a primary element to governance is having appropriate boards/committees / groups in place, with agreed Terms of Reference. Those Terms of Reference set the tone for what those groups are in place to do, they set parameters for their accountability, and they set the periodicity and agenda for the meetings. Other elements of governance concern the policy framework, the financial reporting requirements and the key performance indicators for the organisation. These governance details can all be agreed by the primary board/committee/group (s) assembled to steer the organisation.
Over and above the set of activities that governs an organisation’s delivery of its strategy and operations, additional layers of governance need to apply specifically for data. This is due to the high-risk nature of data, and the impact that mishandled data can have on individuals, groups and the organisation itself. Data governance is the framework of policies and activities that an organisation puts in place specifically around data. Elements that might be captured in a data governance framework include items like; data management policies (storage, accessibility, usage, sharing, standards, retention), data protection impact assessments, legal documentation relating to the data, data ethics practices and data training. Data governance also looks at the roles and responsibilities around implementation of these policies.
*where, in our case, ‘bang’ is positive impact on organisations working with and supporting children
How do we set up a model under which we can conduct ‘good governance’?
Governance and data governance need to be well thought through when an organisation is established, and need to constantly evolve not only to reflect the changing nature of the organisation but also ever changing nature of data and technological landscapes. Take cybercrime for example, as a risk continues to change shape, organisations need to continue to be both reactive and proactive in protecting themselves from ongoing threats. Governance is dynamic rather than static.
Within the Data for Children Collaborative, we have found that having a strong set of core values and agreeing behavioural elements to how we work, has been critical to grounding all of our activity. When there are some more challenging decisions to be made, we tend to vocalise our values to make sure that we are being true to ourselves. I believe by living our values and our behaviours so transparently, our governance bodies have an emboldened collective sense of what we are working towards.
Once our governance bodies were established, we also took time to work with them all on creating a Theory of Change (read here for previous Dictionary entry on this topic). Could we have done our jobs without our Theory of Change? Probably. Would we have been able to be so clear in how our activities were contributing towards our vision and mission? Absolutely not. Would we be able to measure impact that is meaningful to the key organisations that we are seeking to serve? I struggle to think how complicated that would have been without our Theory of Change.
ENABLERS
Clarity
Organisational Governance - Setting Identifying a clear framework under which data is governed allows delivery teams and stakeholders alike to have confidence in the importance placed on good data practices.
Data Governance - Identifying a clear framework under which data is governed allows delivery teams and stakeholders alike to have confidence in the importance placed on good data practices.
Accountability
Organisational Governance - Have a clear indication of roles and responsibilities, across governance bodies, within the core team. We use a RACI matrix (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed) to establish a clear picture of how different groups relate across activities.
Data Governance - A data governance framework must identify key individuals and bodies who are accountable, responsible and can give advice about specific situations. Some compliance and legal aspects of data management can be complex and requires specialist expertise. Data ethics additionally may require specialist expertise or specific participatory methods to strengthen the project.
Motivation
Organisational Governance - In order to get the best out of anyone, it is important to understand their motivation for being in their role. This may be in relation to their board position, or may be in relation to their day-to-day operational delivery. Whatever that motivation is may be unique to them, but it’s key that it’s understood so that they are offering up the best of themselves into the task they have been asked to provide.
Data Governance - Tapping into the motivations around adhering to data governance regimes is critical. We’ve often mentioned before, that we do not want any of our Responsible Innovation framework to be seen as a burden or a box ticking exercise. As such, we make our tools as engaging, accessible and as useful as possible. We want our teams working with our data governance to be motivated to improve their data practices.
Transparency
Organisational Governance - Sticking your hand up when you’ve done something wrong is one of the most powerful ways to show that you respect the governance of your organisation. Governance is their to steer you – not to expect perfection. If you are unable to be honest with your board about activities then the whole thing is completely flawed.
Data Governance - Sticking your hand up when you’ve done something wrong from a data governance is as important as with organisational governance. Individuals, teams, boards and organisations need to learn from their mistakes. If there’s a governance gap that something has fallen through, then it needs to be rectified. Hiding issues will not support a culture that seeks to learn lessons.
Systematisation
Organisational Governance - Giving people some sense of order in terms of; how regularly boards meet, when they can expect the papers, how they expect the papers to look and the agenda to flow and consistency in presenting the content, are all factors that support governance boards in focussing on the core content that they are being asked to advise upon – rather than detracting by starting on an unsure footing.
Data Governance - For much the same reasons as with organisational governance, systematising as far as possible the process around your data governance framework will build confidence in those being asked to use it. Innovating and evolving the framework whilst it is live can be done incrementally.
What about barriers to ‘good governance’?
It was tempting to add a table to itemise some of the bad habits that I’ve witnessed over the many years and many scenarios under which I’ve seen governance and data governance in action. Ultimately, that table would show the antonyms for the above enablers; vagueness, unanswerability, apathy, concealment, and disorganisation. I would like to highlight that while motivation is an enabler it is also a potential pitfall. I think incentives can be a shroud of sorts, obscuring true motivation for being in any sort of governance role. Unpicking incentives, through authentic relationships and transparent processes, could be one key to unlocking the potential energy that good governance can bring to an organisation.