Statements of Responsibility for Data Resource Managers

Definitions^[1]

• Data Custodian:The branch director^[2] who establishes province-wide policy, definitions, and rules for business information within their mandate, to enable the ministry to gain maximum value out of the information.
• Steward:A branch director who at the request of and on behalf of a Data Custodian, can be delegated technical decisions of how the data will be stored and retrieved (province-wide), or operational decisions of how systems processes will act on the data to maintain its technical integrity (province-wide). This would only happen if the Data Custodian does not have the appropriate operational resources available to provide the necessary functions.
• Application Custodian:The branch director who sponsors projects to develop information systems, and provides ongoing support for those systems, to enable staff to meet business needs.
• Data Resource Manager:A generic title for someone who is responsible for collecting and/or managing corporate data (to the standards set by the Data Custodian). The most senior manager in each office (district manager, regional executive director, or branch director) is ultimately accountable for ensuring corporate data collection and management is done properly (e.g. in the district) to enable effective business decisions.

Core Data Resource Manager Roles

Local Leadership^[3]

• A Data Resource Manager is a full partner in managing corporate information. This includes responsibility for data collection and update, within correctness and currency standards or requirements, but also grants the right to give operational input into the business design decision-making process.
• A Data Resource Manager is accountable for the advice they give and the decisions they make.
• The most senior manager (i.e. District Manager or Regional Executive Director) remains accountable for the business decisions and delivery, even if day-to-day tasks or issues are delegated to other staff, or if other staff are also using the generic title "Data Resource Manager".

Data Collection

• A Data Resource Manager is accountable and responsible for the quantity and quality of information utilized in their day to day administrative practices.
• A Data Resource Manager is responsible for resourcing the data collection processes, management, and maintenance of data at source:
  • to the standards set by the Data Custodian and including any requirements specified in legislation or regulations;
  • quality assurance for completeness, correctness, quantity, and integrity;
  • quality assurance testing using validation tools on the collected data;
  • internal assessments to verify the quality of collected data.

Consultation

• A Data Resource Manager allocates their resources, and influences Data Custodians or Application Custodians where necessary, to communicate how collected information will meet the ministry's goals.
• A Data Resource Manager informs the appropriate Data Custodian or Application Custodian when standards are unworkable (i.e. communication where necessary).

Assessing Compliance

• A Data Resource Manager is responsible for assessing the quality of their data collection efforts - i.e. assessing whether the data is collected to the standards defined by the Data Custodian. This may include various activities but usually informal internal assessments.
• A Data Resource Manager is responsible for following quality assurance standards:
  1. by carrying out quality assurance processes for data collectors, defined by Data Custodians, to assure themselves that their collected data meets the defined standards (Data Custodians develop these with Data Resource Manager and Application Custodian input);
  2. by retaining a focus on overall Forest Service needs while collecting information, to ensure data is collected for the purpose of maximizing the ability of staff to make good decisions.

Business Training and Support

• A Data Resource Manager is responsible for allocating resources for available training as necessary for their staff.
• A Data Resource Manager is responsible for identifying where there are training needs or deficiencies and for identifying which staff need training.

Information and Reporting

• A Data Resource Manager is responsible for managing how data and systems are utilized in the course of business for the office - how information is retrieved and processed for decision-making.
• A Data Resource Manager must resource the development of ad hoc reports as necessary to ensure business decisions are based on available information, while also ensuring standard province-wide reports or queries are utilized to the fullest.

Footnotes

1. More information is available in Guide S35 - Management Guide to Custodianship
2. District Managers and Regional Executive Directors are not Data Custodians because they do not have the mandate to act in a province-wide context.
3. Within respective district, region, or branch. This is distinct from the "ministry leadership" role a Data Custodian has.

(Signed)

1. understanding
2. job description