Data quality policy
Definition
Data quality policy is a policy with regard to data quality.
Abbreviation
DQP
Purpose
The purpose of a data quality policy is giving direction to decisions and measures that affect data quality.
Life cycle
| Phase | Activity |
|---|---|
| Plan | * To develop and document de DQP. * To establish the DQP by management. |
| Do | * To communicate the DQP available to all stakeholders. |
| Check | * To monitor the DQP. * To periodically evaluate the DQP. |
| Act | * To adjust the DQP by management. |
Characteristics and requirements
| Characteristic | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Consistency | The DQP Is consistent with data governance policy and strategic objectives |
| Appropriateness | The DQP fits the purpose and context of the organisation. |
| Currency and completeness | The DQP Is up to date and complete. |
| Clarity | The DQP Is described both clearly and comprehensibly. |
| Availability | The DQP Is available to all stakeholders. |
Relations
| Data quality policy | is child of | policy |
| Data quality policy | is an element of a | data quality management system |
| Data quality policy | provides a framework for setting | data quality objectives (KPI’s) |
| Data quality policy | can be input for a | data suppliers |
| Data quality policy | takes into account | stakeholder analysis |
| Data quality policy | is input for the procedure to establish | critical data elements |
| Data quality policy | is guided by | awareness of data quality |
Content
A data quality policy contains the following subjects:
- Importance of data quality
- Purpose of the data quality policy
- Scope of the data quality policy
- Relationship with the strategic objectives of the organisation
- Applicable laws and regulations and company decisions
- Critical data and dimensions of data quality that have priority
- Policy statements about areas that contribute to data quality such as people, processes, IT, agreements, and documentation.
- Roles and responsibilities about data quality
- Procedure to monitor the policy
- Procedure to evaluate and adjust the policy
Additional content
- Historical context
- Roadmap for implementation
- References
- Definitions of terms
- Document version
- Management that established the latest version of the policy
Examples
The next sections show fragments of some data quality policies.
Fragment 1: Braintree District Council
It is vital that the systems used to collect, store, and calculate performance information:
- are accurate and
- any faults or errors are identified.
All systems need to be checked and tested regularly
Fragment 2: Isle of Wight – NHS Trust
It is acknowledged that on occasions, data quality issues such as errors or omissions will be identified. It is imperative that where this is the case, they are reported to the relevant Information Asset Owner, who will be responsible for identifying trends in data quality issues and taking steps to amend processes to reduce any margin for error.
Fragment 3: NHS Leeds
All staff
- should be aware of the importance of good data quality and their own contribution to achieving it, and
- should receive appropriate training to data quality aspects of their work.
Teams should have comprehensive procedures in place for identifying and correcting data errors, such that information is accurate and reliable at time of use.
Fragment 4: Imperial College London
All data should be subject to internal and external audits if deemed necessary.
Fragment 5: Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)
The CCG recognises that reliable information is fundamental in supporting the CCG to achieve its goals. The CCG recognises that all the decisions, whether clinical, managerial, or financial need to be based on information which is of the highest quality.
References
DAMA (2017). DAMA-DMBOK. Data Management Body of Knowledge. 2nd Edition. Technics PublicationsLlc. August 2017. Chapter 13.6.1 Data quality policy.
Data Quality Policy. YouTube video DAMA-nL
Data quality policy - Braintree District Council
Data quality policy - Imperial College London
Data quality policy - Isle of Wight NHS Trust
Data quality policy – Nothern Island Fire & Rescue Service
Data quality policy - Rackcdn.com
Data quality policy - WA HealthCCG Data quality policy 2017-18 - Cambridgeshire and …
How to create a data quality policy - Data quality pro. (2018, May 6). Data Quality Pro. https://www.dataqualitypro.com/blog/how-to-create-a-data-quality-policy
ISO 9000:2015.
ISO 9001:2015.