The focus of computer technology historically has been on the manipulation and communication of data and information. Yes, there’s always been the monstrously obvious admonition of “garbage in, garbage out” when speaking of data. But as our dependence on data grows, the issues of data quality, of making data better, have grown in importance and complexity. Data, it turns out, is endlessly nuanced. Government Data Generation and Usage Government has an enormous interest in data. It is an issuer of data when it assigns account numbers, for example, to its citizens to ease service delivery. It is also a considerable consumer of data in order to establish policy, measure program efficiency, support planning, and, just as with any business or individual, for decision making of all kinds. But this isn’t simple. The term “government” masks the fact that multiple agencies exist, each with its own goals, never mind data handling policies and procedures. Sharing data across industries is as nuanced as data sharing between enterprises or even more so. Understanding how governments think about the data they consume and generate is key to long term data security and online identity. Talking with Data Expert Ian Oppermann In this fascinating and stimulating conversation, Steve and George discuss these topics with Ian Oppermann, the former data director for the state of New South Wales, a director for Standards Australia, and advisor to multiple startups. Ian shares his insider’s knowledge of government agency priorities and the fact that sharing data across agencies is “extraordinarily hard.” Just at the Beginning Standards Really Really Matter Ian’s participation in ISO standards development comes from his insight that data sharing requires very crisp definitions, detailed use cases, and specific guidance for each use case based on privacy and data custodianship requirements. And he points out that we are just at the beginning. For example, the latest ISO standards tackle the basics of terminology definition and use cases, ISO 5207, and guidance of data usage, ISO 5212. These standards do address the use case of AI but even at this stage the standards address the basics. People Matter As with many technology management concerns these days, the concerns are rarely about the tech itself. They’re about people, too. Here’s Ian: “If you want to use [data] for important purposes, you actually need people who know and understand what data is, who know and understand what data governance is, and who know and understand how to actually use the data for appropriate purposes and then put guidance restrictions or prohibitions around the data products you create.” Ian concludes with: “But [for] the general use of data, we're only just beginning to understand the power, the complexity, the mercurial nature of data and starting to build frameworks around it.” Take a listen if you care about data management and governance in large organizations. We are just at the beginning of getting this right.
