Continuous Improvement

As outlined in the Data Governance Policy, the actions below describe how the Data Governance Committee will support departments and units in advancing their data management and governance practices. While each department is responsible for developing procedures tailored to its specific functions, these coordinated actions are designed to strengthen institutional data protection, improve data quality, and promote accountability in managing university data assets. 

Information and outcomes generated through this process may be incorporated into the Administrative Program Review and other institutional assessment activities to demonstrate continuous improvement and adherence to data governance standards.

 

1. Policy Implementation and Compliance Reporting 

Data Stewards and Managers must regularly report on the status of policy and standard implementation, identify challenges, and propose corrective actions within their areas.

Action:

a) A Data Steward or Manager conducts a quick check at any point in time to protect university data assets they manage. 

b) Each year, a Data Governance and Sensitive Data Inventory is performed to document basic information within the department or unit such as the data owners, types of sensitive information, storage, access, location, and recovery.  This exercise might be best done as a group exercise.

2. Ongoing Evaluation

 As a best practice, Data Stewards and Managers are expected to conduct periodic departmental or unit assessments to evaluate effectiveness and identify gaps in their functional area.

The DGC will ask departments to complete compliance checklists or scorecards aligned with institutional standards (e.g., data access, retention, and quality controls).  

Action:

a) A Data Steward or Manager assesses their department or unit using the Data Governance Assessment every other year to identify gaps in data governance, show progress in their functional area, and alignment with institutional data governance policies and standards.  This exercise might be best done as a group exercise.

b) Departments and units are also encouraged to conduct periodic internal audits on their own or, when appropriate, engage qualified third-party auditors to evaluate the effectiveness of their data governance practices. These reviews help identify strengths, address weaknesses, and ensure ongoing alignment with university policies and data governance standards.

 

3. Documentation and Transparency

 Data Stewards are expected to maintain up-to-date documentation (e.g., data definitions, quality rules, metadata) and ensure accessibility through tools like a data catalog or data repository.

Action:

Data Stewards and Managers build and maintain data dictionaries and metadata specific to their data.  Here are some resources on how to document data definitions and enhance data quality.

https://data.library.arizona.edu/data-management/best-practices/data-documentation-readme-metadata

https://groups.niso.org/higherlogic/ws/public/download/17446/Understanding%20Metadata.pdf

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/computer-science/document-metadata

 

4. Participation in Training and Governance Activities

Stewards and Managers must complete all required data governance training specific to their roles, additional training applicable to their functional areas, and including Data Security and Privacy and FERPA, and participate in committee initiatives, working groups, quality reviews, or audits.

Action:

HR, IT, and other relevant departments provide a list of data stewards and managers at the end of the academic year annually to DGC who have not completed their required training and a brief description of work HR has already done to increase compliance.  DGC includes this information in a report to PEC.

 

5. Monitoring and Review

 The DGC will coordinate spot audits, peer reviews, and feedback loops with stakeholders to assess adherence and make recommendations.

Action:

a) The DGC may independently conduct or coordinate audits to assess institutional compliance and promote consistency across units. 

b) At the end of each academic year, the DGC will facilitate a comprehensive review and discussion about continuous improvement.  This review may include, but not limited to:

  • A summary of data governance activities and accomplishments.
  • An assessment of progress made within departments and units. 
  • Identification of institutional and departmental areas for improvement. 
  • Guidance for integration into the Administrative Program Review process. 
  • The preparation of an annual report summarizing findings, recommendations, and outcomes to be submitted to PEC.

Through these activities, the DGC ensures that data governance remains a living process that evolves to strengthen accountability, data quality, and institutional effectiveness.