Data Management Maturity

Assessment
SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Prepared by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer

INTRODUCTION

Supplementing the Data Maturity Advice Note and Step-by-Step Guide, OGCIO has developed a set of sample
questions that can be utilised by PSBs when undertaking their own self assessments. These questions are
designed to be generic and applicable to individuals at different grades within a PSB and with varying levels of
knowledge and experience about Data Management. They are suitable for use in a range of different
approaches and formats from interviews to questionnaires and workshops.

PSBs are free to use these questions for their own assessment, however, it is recommended that PSBs use
these sample questions as a guide to designing their own set of questions. The questions below are divided
into sections, as per DAMA-DMBoK knowledge areas.

BENCHMARKING

Questions are provided for each the 11 DAMA-DMBoK knowledge areas. These questions are a mix of open-
ended questions for qualitative feedback, and sentiment questions for quantitative feedback.

 Sentiment questions are used to get a sense of a PSB’s performance in a given area by asking to what
extent participants agree with a given statement. Possible answers to a sentiment questions should
scale from 1-5 from strongly disagree to strongly agree. There should also be an option for individuals
to answers that they don’t know.

1 2 3 4 5 NA
Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Don’t Know
Disagree Agree

 Open-ended questions and comment boxes attached to sentiment questions identify common issues,
gaps, opportunities, strengths and weaknesses that exist around data in a given area. Most
importantly, they provide valuable insight and allow the identification of improvements and
recommendations to processes and procedures in data management in a given area.

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BACKGROUND QUESTIONS

A PSB should ask background questions as part of its assessment in order to better to contextualise and inform
itself around the responses it receives from participants in the assessment. A PSB should decide on these
questions based on its needs and the level of anonymity desired for participants. Some useful questions could
be regarding the role of the individual responding and their level of engagement with data.

1 – DATA GOVERNANCE

Data Governance is the exercise of authority and control (planning, monitoring, and enforcement) over the
management of data assets. The Data Governance function guides all data management functions and ensures
data is managed properly, according to your organisations’ policies and best practices.

Data Management is the development, execution and supervision of planning, policies, programs and practices
that deliver, control, protect and enhance the value of data throughout their lifecycles.

Is there is a culture of
How do you rate Do you have a data
documenting how data is
performance in regards to governance strategy or
structured, collected,
Data Governance or Data programme that address
controlled, protected and
Management? the governance of data?
enhanced over its lifecycle?

Do specific roles exist for

Is training provided to staff
Are data policies and data management
in terms of data
procedures strictly activities, e.g. Data
management and
enforced? Steward, Data Owner,
governance?
Business Owner etc?

2 – DATA ARCHITECTURE

Data architecture is composed of models, policies, rules or standards that govern what data is collected, how it
is stored, arranged, integrated, and put to use in systems and policies in line with business needs.

An organisation’s data architecture is described by an integrated collection of master design documents of

varying levels of detail, including standards that govern how data is collected, stored, arranged, used and
removed. It also should describe the data flows through the organisation.

Do you have documentation

Is there knowledge and
that governs the how data is Does data align and serve its
expertise around the
collected, stored and organisational and business
concept of Data
processed across data needs?
Architecture?
systems?

Is there consistency in Is Data Architecture

Do you employ or utilise any
relation to data collection, considered when
data standards? If so, what
storage, processing and developing or undertaking
standards?
documentation? new projects?

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3 – DATA MODELLING & DESIGN

Data Modelling – Process of discovering, analysing, representing, and communicating data requirements in a
precise form called the data model. The process is iterative and may include a conceptual, logical and physical
model. Data models depict and enable an organisation to understand its data assets.

Data Modelling and design is a critical component of data management. It enables an organisation to discover
and document how its data fits together. The model will cover the relationships and data flows between
different data elements, both within an organisation and external to it. Models also document the way data is
stored and retrieved.

Are there data models in

Is data modelling frequently Is there a data catalogue or
place that depict and help
undertaken on data a data map that documents
the understanding of data
projects? your data assets?
assets?

Is training provided around

Is the data lifecycle mapped
data modelling and how to
or documented for systems
model data at a conceptual,
and services?
logical and physical level?

4 – DATA STORAGE & OPERATIONS

Data Storage - Includes the design, implementation of data storage in order to maximise the value of data. It
focusses on storage activities related to the data lifecycle, from initial implementation of a database
environment, through obtaining, backing up and disposal of data. It also includes monitoring and operations in
relation to data storage and ensuring databases perform as intended.

Is there a data storage

strategy or roadmap in place
Does the manner in which
Is there consistency around that lays out the
data is stored and managed
data storage? improvements and
maximise its value?
developments that should
take place around storage?

Are there a documented

Is data regularly monitored
processes, procedures in
Is there a data retention and backed up, with checks
place for the
policy in place? on backups to ensure that
operation/storage and
they are operational?
archival of data?

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5 – DATA SECURITY

Data Security - Planning, development, and execution of security policies and procedures to provide proper
authentication, authorisation, access, and auditing of data and information assets. It seeks to ensure that data
privacy and confidentiality are maintained, that data is not breached, and that data is accessed appropriately.

Is there a strong enough Is data security regularly

Are there data security
focus on data security with reviewed within with
policies, guidelines and
adequate security resources security reviews and audits
standards in place?
and policies in place? taking place?

Is there secure
Are data management
authentication and Is data access by staff
issues and risks recorded in
authorisation systems logged and audited on a
auditable logs and/or risk
(login) in place for accessing regular basis?
registers?
data?

6 – DATA INTEGRATION & INTEROPERABILITY

Processes related to the movement and consolidation of data within and between data stores and applications.

Data Integration consolidating and combining data residing in different sources into consistent forms, unified
views, systems, processes - either physical or virtual.

Data Interoperability is the ability for multiple systems to communicate. These systems may be both internal
and external to the organization.

What methods are used for

Is data available for reuse sharing data both within and Are their opportunities to
both internally and externally outside of the organisation reuse data internally for
(other PSBs)? (HTTPS, APIs, Batch File better outcomes?
Transfer, SFTP, email, etc.)?

Are there technical and non-

Is metadata, where
technical policies and Is data, where appropriate,
appropriate, made
procedures in place to made publicly available as
appropriate available via the
provide access to data (and Open Data?
Public Service Catalogue?
govern such access)?

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7 – DOCUMENT & CONTENT MANAGEMENT

Document and Content Management - Entails controlling the capture, storage, access, and use of data and
information stored outside relational databases. Its focus is on maintaining the integrity of and enabling access
to documents and other unstructured or semi-structured information such as word documents, spreadsheets,
videos, PDFs, images and the like. It also encompasses facilitating and enabling the sharing and transfer of
knowledge across the organisation.

Do you apply document and

Do you have a standard way
content management
of storing and retrieving
consistently to documents
documents?
(PDF, Word, Excel docs)?

Is there policies in place for Is there aqequate

the classification, retention knowledge transfer amongst
and archival/deletion of staff through its document
documents? and content management?

8 – DATA WAREHOUSING & BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE

Data Warehouse - Large store of data accumulated from a wide range of sources within an organisation - used
to guide management decisions. Data warehousing is a technology that aggregates structured data from one
or more sources so that it can be compared and analysed for greater business insight.

Business Intelligence – Type of data analysis aimed at understanding organisational activities and
opportunities. Such analysis is then used to make informed decisions and make improvements to business
operations. To undertake business intelligence, there is a toolset of technologies that enable querying, data
mining, statistical analysis, reporting, scenario modelling, data visualisation and dashboarding.

Is data shared internally

To what extent Is business Are there opportunities to
with other units or divisions
intelligence and analytics employ business
for data warehousing or
applied? intelligence more broadly?
business intelligence?

Which areas, divisions Do you make use of

within your organisation dashboarding to present up-
would benefit from the to-date information to
creation of a Data business owners and
Warehouses? decision makers?

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9 – METADATA

Metadata – Information that describes data. It includes information about technical and business processes,
data rules and constraints, and logical and physical data structures. It describes the data itself (e.g., databases,
data elements, data models), the concepts the data represents (e.g., business processes, application systems,
software code, technology infrastructure), and the connections (relationships) between the data and concepts.
Simple examples of Metadata include: the label on a can or jar; a library catalogue card with details of a book
and in many cases metadata might include a description, attributes, associated dates, allowed values etc.

Does you use metadata to

What types of metadata are Do you have a defined
produce reports on data
stored and what is their processes or standards by
holdings and business
primary purpose? which metadata is stored?
operations?

Is there a data catalogue

Is there awareness and
which records data held? Is
access across units in the
it documented, and if so,
organisation to metadata
where is this documentation
held by individual teams?
stored?

10 – DATA QUALITY

Data Quality – Data quality is critical to effective data management, enabling an organisation to use its data
to achieve strategic goals and for that data’s potential reuse in future. Key to these data operations is that the
data itself is reliable and trustworthy. Data Quality includes the planning and implementation of quality
management techniques to measure, assess, and improve the fitness of data for use within an organisation - to
assure it is fit for consumption and meets the needs of data consumers.

Do you ensure data quality

How are data quality issues Is there a programme in
through consistent
identified, tracked, place to improve data
processes and standards for
resolved? quality?
data collection and storage?

Are the 6 dimesions of data

Is there a clear
Are reports produced quality considered
understanding of the
outlining the level of data (Complete, Accuracate,
acceptable level of quality
quality? Consistent, Valid, Unique,
for data?
Integrity)?

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11 – REFERENCE & MASTER DATA

Reference & Master Data – ongoing reconciliation and maintenance of core critical shared data to enable
consistent use across systems of the most accurate, timely, and relevant version of truth about essential
business entities. Examples include a master hub with Customer, Employee or Supplier data – for use in multiple
systems

To what extent is Master

Is there opportunities for
Data Management (MDM)
MDM?
undertaken?

Do you collect the data Is there collaboration around

directly or indirectly from the gathering of the same
another PSB or internal data by different sections or
division? with other PSBs?

END