This 4-page Executive Summary highlights key lessons learned by organizations in Montreal that are exploring and developing alternative models of data governance that are tailored to their needs and goals.  This new guide for the analysis and explorations of best practices in data governance explores several categories of data governance mechanisms:  informed consent; anonymization; risk assessment; data quality; standardization and interoperability; access management; compliance monitoring; and auditability of decisions.

Three guiding principles are proposed for data governance in the public interest:

  • Responsible: realizing value from data in a responsible and ethical manner
  • Effective: managing data effectively and consistently
  • Accountable: assessing compliance and impact on an ongoing basis.

Identified barriers to participation in data partnerships include: the role of data culture within the organization; the degree of adherence to the data-sharing initiative; a lack of organizational capacity; and data production costs.  The importance of securing third-party support was highlighted (eg. legal experts, government initiatives, public funds) in response to the complexity of issues and technical requirements.

Published By: Sarah Gagnon-Turcotte, Miranda Sculthorp and Steven Coutts, with the support of Synapse C and the Montréal Urban Innovation Lab, as well as colleagues at Open North.

Publication Date: February, 2021

Click here to view: Digital Data Partnerships: Building the Foundations For Collaborative Data Governance in the Public Interest – Executive Summary

Click here to view the full 96-page report:  Digital Data Partnerships Report