Activity 2: Document your data practices

Learn how to use a trustworthiness mapping worksheet to document your organisation’s data practices and the steps your organisation is taking to be trustworthy and trusted

The aim of this activity is to provide your organisation with an understanding of all the systems, processes and structures you have in place in order to be a trustworthy steward of data.

This activity will involve filling in the 'Trustworthiness mapping worksheet – internal assessment (BETA)'. Download 'ODI Trustworthiness mapping worksheet – internal assessment (BETA)'.

As before when you prioritised the important elements of trustworthy data stewardship, we recommend involving representatives from multiple departments in this activity to ensure that each department has a chance to note down the steps they are taking.

Trustworthiness mapping worksheet

Step 1

If you completed the previous activity, write your prioritisation of the elements of trustworthy data stewardship in the left-hand column of the worksheet, starting with the most important. If you did not complete the previous activity, then write down the elements in any order you like, possibly alphabetically as in the table. Note down your answers in Column A.

Step 2

For each element of trustworthy data stewardship, ask yourself:

• What steps are you taking to be trustworthy in a specific area?

• How are you providing assurance to external organisations that you are trustworthy in this area?

For instance, what steps are you taking to ensure that your organisation and its data practices abide by relevant laws and regulations?

Take time to brainstorm and note down your answers in Column B.

Step 3

It is often not enough to simply be more trustworthy – organisations also need to actively demonstrate their trustworthiness to others and provide evidence of their trustworthiness when necessary.

• What steps are you taking to demonstrate to external organisations that you are trustworthy in this area and can therefore be trusted?

For instance, what steps did you undertake to communicate compliance with local and/or international legal rules and regulations? Are you able to prove how you meet a specific legal provision or that the advice or guidance you're following is from an authoritative source?

Take time to brainstorm and note down your answers in Column C.

Step 4

Being a trustworthy steward of data is not just about ensuring that you yourself are trustworthy, but about actively taking steps to ensure that other people and organisations within your ecosystem are trustworthy as well, especially if you are interacting with them directly – for example by sharing data with them or using data from them.

• What steps are you taking to assess the trustworthiness of other organisations in this area?

For instance, are you able to either identify the specific legal provision or an appropriate source of advice or guidance that clearly sets out an organisation's obligation and identify how they meet it?

Take time to brainstorm and note down your answers in Column D.

Step 5

Once you have filled in those four columns (columns A, B, C and D), take time to reflect on the results and the process:

• Is your organisation taking steps to be trustworthy across all the elements?

• Are there any areas where you are doing a lot of work? Any areas where you are doing very little?

• Are there any areas where you are taking steps to be trustworthy but are not demonstrating that externally? Similarly, are there areas where you are taking steps and demonstrating, but not assessing the trustworthiness of others?

• Did anything surprise you? Does anything concern you?

• Do the steps you are taking to be trustworthy reflect the importance you applied to each of the elements of trustworthy data stewardship in Activity 1? Are there any areas you ranked highly in Activity 1 where you are not taking steps to be trustworthy?

The next activity will help you build on the results of this activity and document next steps in Column E.