Using Covalent to manage Data Quality in Strategic

Partnerships

Iain ThomsonLee Willitts

November 2009

The Issue

How do we assess the ‘Data Quality’ of all Partnership Performance Indicators?

Need to:

Assess the quality of our data for each NI and key Local PIs

Identify how quality can be improved Take action

The Issue

2009 Position

Data Quality for key Council-owned NIs assessed Some services areas have good working practices in place; others are a corporate risk Data Quality across partner agencies not assessed, hence a risk in itself

The Solution

Creation of a tool to allow PI Owners to self- assess the Data Quality of their PIs versus

identified standards

Verification by Council’s Performance and Internal audit teams versus evidence cited

Top performers highlighted; support offered to poor performers

Use of COVALENT to monitor entire process!

The Solution

Data Quality self-assessment template

MS Excel-based Number of questions required to be answered on a Yes/No basis relating to ‘Control’, ‘Collecting and Storing’, ‘Extracting Data’, ‘Reporting’ and ‘Proof-Audit’ Evidence MUST be cited (and details of where it is

available given) for all ‘Yes’ answers Template made available for PI Owners to download from Covalent

The Solution

Requirement on all PI Owners

Download template from Covalent

Complete by fixed date and upload onto the system within a pre-set standardised action

Tick off milestones once each part of the assessment is complete

The Solution – How it looks

The Solution – How it looks

Document download

Milestone completion

Pre-conditions required

All NIs are owned and assigned on the system

Training packages fully explain what is required of all relevant staff

Standardised action is created on the system for all NIs to be updated with relevant information

The role of Corporate Teams

Monitor progress within Covalent

Formally assess each assessment by verifying answers

Create a ‘Data Quality’ score for each NI/local PI and add as a comment within the action

Award ‘Data Quality stamp’ to best performers and support worst performers to improve

Intended Result

Data Quality of key indicators formally checked and verified for the first time

Trust within statutory and local data from ‘best performers’ to be higher, improving speed and quality of decision-making

Focused action for worst performers

Raised profile for Data Quality in all organisations affiliated with the Strategic Partnership