Understanding your “why” first

While both data governance as well as AI governance can be viable solutions to the increasing challenges public sector departments and agencies face, fully understanding the “why” of these, or any programs, is critical for success. The essence of any program extends beyond just governance, it's about maximizing productivity and efficiency. Governance is the “how”; it determines the way initiatives are managed, the rules of engagement and guidelines that are set up to ensure they are executed well. However, the 'why', the reason you embark on these endeavours in the first place, is inextricably tied to the added productivity they bring to your organization and deliver better citizen services. Increased productivity and efficiency serves government employees and stakeholders in a number of ways including time savings, advancement to the mission, improvement in citizen satisfaction and others. Any initiative, be it data governance or otherwise, should be an opportunity to eliminate waste and create more efficiency.

Without a clear understanding of the expected productivity gains of your implemented solution, there will inevitably be resistance from stakeholders, lack of user engagement and low adoption of the program. To ensure success and realize the expected value, there are several things that need to be accomplished.

Gain buy-in from stakeholders and decision-makers: Their support and understanding can significantly influence the success of a project
Communicate KPIs and metrics clearly and often to all stakeholders: This helps create transparency and fosters a sense of shared purpose
Prioritize use cases and develop a long-term roadmap: This helps plan for the right resources early and helps you adjust on the fly as needed

Continuously track productivity and adoption: Evaluating the effectiveness of the project as you go helps you make necessary adjustments.