Digital StrategyTheme 3: An Informed Organistation
Our operational and research data is a valuable University asset and will be managed and promoted to ensure that we use it in the most effective way possible and that our staff and students understand its power and the importance of making ‘informed decisions’.
Our Data Strategy lays out the development of our data principles and governance framework in support of this Digital Strategy and wider organisation strategy.
We will facilitate the effective use of operational data by establishing an appropriate data infrastructure in which there will be single source data effectively maintained and securely managed to ensure fit for purpose.
Our research data will also be recorded and maintained to meet the requirements of both Trusted Research and Open Data.
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3.1: Data Strategy
Our approach to the acquisition, storage and use of data is guided by our Data Strategy.
The data strategy sets out our vision to become a data-enabled university by adhering to a set of data principles and implementing a governance framework to assure those principles.
We will achieve this by:
- implementing the Data Governance Framework and adopting the principles as critical components to achieving our analytical aspirations;
- creating competitive edge through data modelling, visualisation and planning tools;
- ensuring confident use of the data to provide a more agile and informed approach to decision making;
- ensuring data is the right quality for its intended use, with proportionate and understood levels of quality.
3.2: Data Principles
Data is a valued university asset. We will adhere to “Golden Source” principles, holding each data point once but using it in many ways.
We will achieve this by:
- implementing a Data Governance Structure;
- rationalising data sources, documenting common data definitions through use of Data Glossaries and Data Lineage;
- increasing our capabilities in data architecture and conceptual data modelling, clearly defining data extraction and reporting parameters;
- ensuring data enhances the experience of staff and students through ethical management and having clearly defined purposes in support of the university’s strategic aims;
- treating data as a critical resource central to our success, and valued in the same way as other assets; such as people, Intellectual Property rights, buildings or money.
3.3: Operational Data Management
The operational management of our data will ensure that it is secure, accessible, reliable and current.
We will achieve this by:
- managing our data taking account of value and risk; from identification of need, creation or collection, storage, sharing, protection, and use;
- making it everyone’s responsibility to ensure we manage and use our data effectively;
- ensuring data is standardised with clear ownership and process to make it comparable and linkable;
- ensuring data is secured, subject to risk management and used in line with our Information Security Policy and in compliance with our Ethical Use of Data principles.
3.4: Useable Information
Our staff have access to the information that they need, in a useful format and in a timely manner. They are equipped with the data skills to develop, present, and understand the data needed to inform their roles.
We will achieve this by:
- providing a repository of easily accessible standard reports, dashboards and visualisations;
- ensuring our people have the skills and tools necessary to read, work with, analyse, and use data to support hypotheses or aid decision making;
- ensuring people have access to the data that they need to perform their role effectively;
- regularly reviewing existing or developing additional data sources to meet identified need;
- developing a common language to underpin productive discussions about data.