Implementing Data Governance at Transportation Agencies: Volume 2: Communications Guide (2024)
Chapter: 1 Overview
1. Overview
Communicate (verb):
To transmit information, thought or feeling so that it is satisfactorily received or understood
‒ Merriam-Webster dictionary
Why a Communications Guide for Data Governance?
Data governance involves changing the mindset and behaviors of data managers, producers, and users across the organization. Therefore, communication is key to success of any data governance initiative.
This Communications Guide was developed as a companion document to NCHRP Web-Only Document 419: Implementing Data Governance at Transportation Agencies, Volume 1: Implementation Guide, which is available by searching on the National Academies Press website (nap.nationalacademies.org). Its purpose is to help transportation agencies:
- understand the critical role of communication for data governance implementation;
- understand the relationship between change management, communication, and training in support of data governance;
- anticipate the level of time, resourcing and skills needed for impactful communication about data governance; and
- successfully plan and carry out a focused set of communications activities.
Using the Guide
This Guide is intended to be used by staff engaged in implementing data governance at transportation agencies – including an agencywide or program-level data lead, members of a data governance committee, or an individual playing a coordination role for data stewardship. It can be used in multiple ways:
- Use as a supplement to the Data Governance Implementation Guide. The Implementation Guide provides references to this Communications Guide where communications activities are recommended to support data governance implementation steps or to address common implementation challenges.
- Use as a stand-alone document to guide development of a comprehensive communications plan supporting implementation of a data governance inititative.
- Use as a source of ideas and resources for development of communication materials.
Organization of the Guide
This Guide has seven chapters organized into three major sections:
I-Introduction - this Introductory section provides context about how communication fits within a broader change management framework that also includes training.
II-Data Governance Communication Plan – this core section provides guidance for three essential steps in planning communications activities supporting data governance: identifying target audiences, crafting communications messages for different audiences, and delivering these messages through multiple channels.
III-Resources – this final section provides sample communications materials as well as references to consult for further examples and related information.
