THE DATA ADMINISTRATION NEWSLETTER – TDAN.com
ROBERT S. SEINER – PUBLISHER

How to Create a Data Administration Mission Statement

Published: June 1, 1997

The following Mission Statement, Key Objectives, and Roles are offered as a starting point for organizations and individuals involved in DA to contemplate their purpose and to begin the process of defining the scope of their functions.

In the book Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, author Stephen Covey suggests that individuals and organizations create mission statements, objectives and roles to effectively understand their purpose and the scope of the activities they believe to be important. Since many organizations are attempting to understand the purpose and benefits of Data Administration, creating a Mission Statement and identifying Key Objectives and Roles could assist in defining the depth and breadth of the Data Administration function.

The following Mission Statement, Key Objectives, and Roles are offered as a starting point for organizations and individuals involved in DA to contemplate their purpose and to begin the process of defining the scope of their functions.

Mission Statement

Data Administration is chartered by General Accident (GA) to build, implement and manage data assets, thereby enabling our customers to make sound, consistent, information-based decisions.

Key Objectives

Data Administration consists of strategies, standards, policies, models, and databases that recognize information as a valuable asset which serves all GA associates. Key objectives of Data Administration include:

 

• Build a framework for accurately capturing, sharing, distributing, securing and leveraging GA's data resources, including creating and refining data models and establishing and maintaining an enterprise data repository
• Strategically plan for GA's future information requirements
• Ensure our customers have access to high quality information when required and promote their self-reliance in its use for effective business decisions
• Support effective and efficient business processes in partnership with other teams
• Identify ownership and accountability for enterprise information, serving as mentors to data stewards
• Design sharable models of data and recommend access methods for using this data
• Ensure that information needs and business rules are in compliance with global policies and standards
• Participate in evaluating new technologies to ensure the continuity and advancement of data and technology within GA's information needs

 

Roles and Responsibilities

 

• Develop, disseminate and administer an Information Strategy for GA
• Construct and maintain enterprise and application data models in concert with our business partners
• Participate in the development and efficient delivery of applications with our business partners and fellow ISD associates
• Implement and administer a data repository as a directory of enterprise meta data
• Define, maintain and enforce the use of standardized enterprise data element names, abbreviations, characteristics and domains
• Participate in the development, implementation and use of an enterprise data warehouse to respond to the information, analytical and decision making needs of GA
• In concert with other ISD teams actively assess and recommend products such as CASE tools, data access tools and new techniques and technologies which advance the sound management of information at GA
• Provide guidance, education and assistance to the IS and user communities in support of their data access and usage activities. Promote data access and management self-sufficiency whenever possible

 

Further assistance in creating a Mission Statement, defining Key Objectives and Roles and implementing them can be found in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and Putting First Things First, both by Stephen Covey. This work should be one of the first things a department does after having been formed, but even well-established units can benefit greatly from the creation and implementation of a Mission Statement, Objectives and Roles. Often such a departmental activity leads to the creation of personal Mission Statements, which are also fully discussed in the books referenced above.

Anne Marie Smith has been an IS professional since 1983, within various industries. She has demonstrated leadership and technical skills and has extensive experience in the areas of data administration, data architecture, methodology, business process analysis, data warehouse architecture and metadata management.

Anne Marie's Areas of Expertise include: Data Administration Organization, Business Process Evaluation and Analysis, Logical Data Modeling, Enterprise Data Management/Stewardship, Metadata Management, Client Focus and Collaboration, Project Management, Data Warehouse Architecture, Analytical and Critical Thinking.

Anne Marie holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master's of Business Administration degrees, both from La Salle University in Philadelphia, PA. She is active in the Philadelphia area chapter of the Data Management Association (DAMA) and has served on the Board of DAMA International. Anne Marie is also a frequent contributor to the Data Administration Newsletter (http://www.tdan.com). Anne Marie speaks at industry and academic conferences on the topics of metadata management, data and process modeling techniques, business aspects of electronic commerce and data warehousing. Currently, Anne Marie is Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems (MIS) at La Salle University (http://www.lasalle.edu) in Philadelphia, PA. She is also a consultant in her areas of expertise with a Philadelphia-area information management consultancy.