Information and data stewardship
Information and data stewardship
Manage, organize and use information and data to inform decisions, and achieve and measure outcomes.
Why information and data stewardship matters to you
No matter your role, managing data properly helps ensure the accuracy, reliability and security of GC data. Good data stewardship supports better decisions, improves programs and strengthens public trust.
With strong data stewardship, you can:
- gather, analyze and interpret data effectively
- maintain accurate and secure records
- follow ethical and security guidelines
- communicate data clearly for better decision-making
If you are a leader, information and data stewardship can help you:
- set clear expectations for how data is collected, used and shared
- support safe and responsible data practices that protect privacy and maintain public trust
- improve decisions by ensuring teams use data that is accurate, accessible and well explained
How you can demonstrate information and data stewardship
You can demonstrate information and data stewardship through specific actions that ensure that data is accurate, secure and effectively used to support decisions and inform outcomes. Examples of how to demonstrate information and data stewardship include the following:
- ensuring information and data quality: resolve data quality issues and implement preventive measures to maintain accuracy
- gathering information and data: retrieve and contextualize data according to policies to ensure relevance and accuracy
- synthesizing information and data: evaluate diverse sources to support informed decisions
- discovering information and data: ensure that data access aligns with ethics, privacy and security standards
- maintaining information and data: organize protected information using approved tools to ensure secure analysis
- documenting information and data: document methods to create replicable processes
- retaining information and data: archive or dispose of data following retention policies
- interpreting information and data: convert data into accessible visuals for analysis
- communicating information and data: use reports, plain language and storytelling to help others understand and evaluate information
If you are a leader, you can:
- advocate for sustainable, respectful and equitable data practices, including Indigenous data sovereignty, so that data is collected, used and shared in ways that are fair and inclusive for all communities
- expect that any data or analysis used for decisions includes a short, plain-language explanation of what it shows, why it matters, who may be affected, and what choices or risks to consider
- verify that teams regularly review how they handle data to keep it accurate, fair, accessible, inclusive and protected, and ensure that it is used appropriately
- identify and remove barriers, such as outdated policies, that prevent responsible data-sharing
- build privacy into systems, services and data practices from the start, and encourage teams to follow guidelines on privacy, consent and protection requirements
How you can help
This is a work in progress, and we will continue to improve it based on your feedback.
Share your thoughts and suggestions by email at icommunity-icollectivite@tbs-sct.gc.ca.