This document discusses information principles and how they differ from policies. It provides examples of key information principles, including the GAIPTM principles of treating information as an asset, recognizing its real value, and ensuring its quality. The document outlines a process for organizations to classify themselves and derive seed principles based on factors like business needs and culture. It emphasizes that principles form an essential building block for sustainable data governance.

1. Information Principles
DATAVERSITY
January 21, 2014
All content copyright 2014 IMCue Solutions LLC

2. Presenter




John Ladley
35 years EIM experience in various
capacities
jladley@imcue.com
@jladley
1

3. Objectives
Understand role of
principles
 Understand difference
between Principles and
Policies
 Review essential information
principles
 Introduce an approach to define
your Information (or Data)
Principles

2

4. Roles of Principles

Statements of belief e.g. Bill of Rights,
Canon, Commandments
–
–
–

You don’t manage information as an asset
You want to manage information as an asset
You NEED to adopt a principle
Applied every day as guidance for
procedures and decision making efforts
–
–
Adopting a principle means acceptance of that
philosophy
If you ignore principles, you organization is
psychologically in the same spot and will not
move

5. Roles of Policies



Codification of principles
Consistent, repeatable processes that implement the
agreed upon guiding principles
E.g. Quality and governance policies are process,
not reactive audits
–

Integrated with system development process
Standards are policies that enforce what the
result should look like
–
–
–
–
Data standards – definitions, formats, synonyms,
glossary, dictionary
Data model standards – used by data modelers to
convey meaning, rules and relationships
Semantic standards (ontologies and taxonomies)
Controls
4

6. Taxonomy for Policy
Relationship of Principles and
Policies
Principle
Standards
Policy
Controls
Processes
5

7. GAIP™
Principle
Description
Content as
Asset
Data and content of all types are assets with all the characteristics of
any other asset. Therefore, they should be managed, secured and
accounted for as other material or financial assets.
6

8. GAIP™
Principle
Description
Content as
Asset
Data and content of all types are assets with all the characteristics of
any other asset. Therefore, they should be managed, secured and
accounted for as other material or financial assets.
Real Value
There is value in all data and content, based on their contribution to
an organization’s business/operational objectives, their intrinsic
marketability, and/or their contribution to the organization’s
Goodwill (balance sheet) valuation.
7

9. GAIP™
Principle
Description
Content as
Asset
Data and content of all types are assets with all the characteristics of
any other asset. Therefore, they should be managed, secured and
accounted for as other material or financial assets.
Real Value
There is value in all data and content, based on their contribution to
an organization’s business/operational objectives, their intrinsic
marketability, and/or their contribution to the organization’s
Goodwill (balance sheet) valuation.
Going
Concern
Data and content are not viewed as temporary means to achieve
results (or merely as a business by-product), but are critical to
successful, ongoing business operations and management.
8

10. GAIP™
Principle
Description
Content as
Asset
Data and content of all types are assets with all the characteristics of
any other asset. Therefore, they should be managed, secured and
accounted for as other material or financial assets.
Real Value
There is value in all data and content, based on their contribution to
an organization’s business/operational objectives, their intrinsic
marketability, and/or their contribution to the organization’s
Goodwill (balance sheet) valuation.
Going
Concern
Data and content are not viewed as temporary means to achieve
results (or merely as a business by-product), but are critical to
successful, ongoing business operations and management.
Due
Diligence
If a risk is known, it must be reported. If a risk is possible, it must be
confirmed.
9

11. GAIP™
Principle
Description
Quality
The relevance, meaning, accuracy, and life cycle of data and content
can affect the financial status of an organization.
10

12. GAIP™
Principle
Description
Quality
The relevance, meaning, accuracy, and life cycle of data and content
can affect the financial status of an organization.
Audit
The accuracy of data and content is subject to periodic audit by an
independent body.
11

13. GAIP™
Principle
Description
Quality
The relevance, meaning, accuracy, and life cycle of data and content
can affect the financial status of an organization.
Audit
The accuracy of data and content is subject to periodic audit by an
independent body.
Risk
There is risk associated with data and content. This risk must be
formally recognized, either as a liability or through incurring costs to
manage and reduce the inherent risk.
12

14. GAIP™
Principle
Description
Quality
The relevance, meaning, accuracy, and life cycle of data and content
can affect the financial status of an organization.
Audit
The accuracy of data and content is subject to periodic audit by an
independent body.
Risk
There is risk associated with data and content. This risk must be
formally recognized, either as a liability or through incurring costs to
manage and reduce the inherent risk.
Accountability
An organization must identify parties which are ultimately responsible
for data and content assets.
13

15. GAIP™
Principle
Description
Quality
The relevance, meaning, accuracy, and life cycle of data and content
can affect the financial status of an organization.
Audit
The accuracy of data and content is subject to periodic audit by an
independent body.
Risk
There is risk associated with data and content. This risk must be
formally recognized, either as a liability or through incurring costs to
manage and reduce the inherent risk.
Accountability
An organization must identify parties which are ultimately responsible
for data and content assets.
Liability
The risks in information means there is a financial liability inherent in
all data or content that is based on regulatory and ethical misuse or
mismanagement.
14

16. Common “Seed” Principles









15
Information is an asset
Information should be representative
Information should be authoritative
Information should be accurate WHY
WHERE
Information should be current
HOW?
Information should be shared
Information should be secure
Information should be intelligible
Information should be catalogued
Is this list global? Is it “implementable?”
15

17. Sample Principle

Principle
–

There will be a single authoritative source for customer data.
Rationale
–
–
–
–
–
–
Shift in focus from a product-centric to a customer-centric
organization
Market pressures to retain customers
Information disseminated to the customer will be consistent
Common data is required to present X’s customers with a single
view
Costs associated with maintenance of redundant data will be
eliminated
A single, clearly identified source of data will reduce access
latency

18. Sample Principle

Implications (THESE ARE IMPORTANT)
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Business rules are required to manage and control customer data
update
Capture data once and only once and validate at the point of
capture
There will be a single source of authoritative data
Establish clear points of data capture
Institute qualitative audits and integrity controls
Establish mechanisms for capture and storage in the authoritative
system of record
Identify application dependencies and establish data propagation
mechanisms
Establish data stewardship for customer data
IT and Business Unit data stewards must communicate and
sponsor this effort
Customer data management policies must be defined

19. Policies (and Standards)


Policies are processes and standards
based on principles
Review the implications section for a
principle

20. Process to Design the DG Principles
Classify Organization
Classify
Apply GAIP™ create seed principles Organization
Refine Initial Principles
Business
Complete Principles and Policy information
Needs
Maturity
Culture
19

21. Process to Design the DG Principles
Classify Organization
Classify
Apply GAIP™ create seed principles Organization
Refine Initial Principles
Business
Complete Principles and Policy information
Needs
Apply GAIP™
Maturity
Culture
20

22. Process to Design the DG Principles
Classify Organization
Classify
Apply GAIP™ create seed principles Organization
Refine Initial Principles
Business
Complete Principles and Policy information
Needs
Apply GAIP™
Maturity
Derive Seed Principles
Culture
21

23. Process to Design the DG Principles
Classify Organization
Classify
Apply GAIP™ create seed principles Organization
Refine Initial Principles
Business
Complete Principles and Policy information
Needs
Apply GAIP™
Maturity
Culture
Derive Seed Principles
Refine Principles
22

24. Process to Design the DG Principles
Classify Organization
Classify
Apply GAIP™ create seed principles Organization
Refine Initial Principles
Business
Complete Principles and Policy information
Needs
Apply GAIP™
Maturity
Culture
Derive Seed Principles
Refine Principles
Complete Principles (rationale
and implications)
23

25. Principles – an Essential Building Block
Sustainable Data Governance
Organization
Roles and
Responsibility
Functions &
Processes
Principles
and
Policy
Business
Alignment
DG
Mission
& Vision
Business
Goals &
Objectives
Sustaining
Activity
Metrics
Culture
Change

26. Principles – an Essential Building Block
Sustainable Data Governance
Organization
Roles and
Responsibility
Functions &
Processes
Principles
and
Policy
Business
Alignment
DG
Mission
& Vision
Business
Goals &
Objectives
Sustaining
Activity
Metrics
Culture
Change

27. Building Value Through
Information Asset Management
jladley@imcue.com
@jladley
314-422-9076
26
All content copyright 2014 IMCue Solutions LLC