Tusla Data Management Strategy

3. Introduction3.1 ContextThe improved use of data and information in Tusla is a commontheme identified in the Tusla Corporate Plan; the Children First:National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children;the HIQA Report on the investigation into the management ofallegations of child sexual abuse against adults of concern by theChild and Family Agency (Tusla); and the report of the Commissionto Inquire into Child Abuse (The Ryan Report). In addition,Government data related policy such as the Public Service DataManagement strategy, the Open Data Initiative, the National DataInfrastructure (NDI), the Data Sharing and Governance Act andthe Public Service ICT Strategy collectively set out a vision for thepublic service in delivering better outcomes and efficiency throughimproved data management. This strategy establishes a visionfor data management in Tusla that is informed by these collectivereports and Government related policy as well as internationalbest practice.This strategy provides a recognition of data management as acore enabler in Tusla to support the delivery of services and theimprovement of operational efficiency. Furthermore, it aims todeliver an environment that will enable data to act as a key resourceto support the evaluation of outcomes and the informing of policydevelopment, research and planning.8

Tusla Data Management Strategy \\ 2019 - 20223.2 Current Data ManagementLandscape in TuslaTusla was established in 2014 with a challenging remit to bring19 unique and separate services under one Agency, this diverserange of services, included for example, Child Protection andWelfare, Adoption and Tracing, Regulation of Early Years Services,Domestic Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Services, Educationand Welfare Services, Fostering, Aftercare and ResidentialServices, all of which in their own right are sensitive and highrisk services that have a fundamental dependency on having gooddata management to support and inform their operations. Thischallenging remit for the new Agency was further compounded bythe limited historical data and ICT maturity under which all the 19services previously operated.Effectively all 19 services operated paper basedsystems or at best utilised limited legacy ICTsystems. This combination of delivering servicesthat are information dependent but in the absenceof sufficient data and ICT maturity remains a corefundamental challenge for Tusla.Good progress has been made over the last numberof years in areas that have either directly orindirectly helped to improve data management inthe Agency. Some examples include: The National Policy Oversight Committee(NPOC) ensures Tusla has strong and wellgoverned procedures to provide bothpolicy development and the supportsrequired to implement policy successfullyacross the Agency. Data governance in Tusla is established underthe National Data and Informationoversight committee (NDIOC) that overseegovernance and accountability arrangementsin respect of the management of the Agency’sdata and information. The ICT Strategy 2017-2019 has for thefirst time established an ICT Directorate inthe Agency and has led to enhancing theinfrastructure, applications and dataenvironments that are providing for aconsiderable move to digitisation across manyof Tusla’s core service areas. Some keyexamples include the mobile enablement ofalmost 2,500 staff with secure laptops andsmart phones; the Tusla Portal that allowsall external services stakeholders to nowengaged online with Tusla in areas such aschild protection and welfare, fundingapplications, early years registration andschool absence reporting; and theimplementation of the National Child CareInformation System (NCCIS) that providesa case management system for childprotection and welfare files. The General Data Protection Regulation(GDPR) program is supporting theestablishment and operation of the DataProtection Office and the implementationof all related regulatory compliance, projectand operational functions. The Outcomes for Children (O4C),National Data and Information Hubprovides a public online site that mapsoutcomes, indicators and services for childrenand young people to support service planning,research and other stakeholder use.https://outcomes4children.tusla.ie The National Research Office (NRO)builds relationships with all those engagedin research activities within Tusla as well asthe wider research community.Although these significant steps have been made,deficits in Tusla’s data maturity still remain. Thesedeficits are a result of a number of factors includingthe scale and complexity of the services involvedand the historical level of data immaturity in placewhen these services were brought together underthe remit of Tusla in 2014.9

3.3 About this StrategyThis strategy aims to aggressively progress Tuslato becoming an exemplar in best practice in datamanagement and an international leader in termsof the use of data and innovation in supporting thedelivery of child and family services.This strategy is anchored by Tusla’s corporateVision, Mission and Values – the strategy will seekto utilise data management excellence to supportTusla and our partners in working together toachieve better outcomes for children, youngpeople, families and communities. The Tuslavalues will underpin an improved data culturethat provides for a recognition and ownershipamongst all staff for the quality and privacy of thedata they process in the course of their duties. Thisstrategy seeks to build on the progress that Tuslahas already made over the last 5 years and sets outthe goals and actions under 8 different themes thatwill collectively deliver on this data managementvision:10 Data Governance Increased Capability Records Management Data Quality Management Master and Reference Data Management Data Security Management Data Warehousing & Business IntelligenceManagement Database Management

Tusla Data Management Strategy \\ 2019 - 20223.4 Summary of Key BenefitsThe goals outlined in thisstrategy are underpinnedby stated actions that whendelivered will provide tangiblebenefits for Tusla, our partnersand most importantly for thechildren, young people andfamilies availing of services.For children, young people and families: Thedelivery of online services and smart phone Appswill allow children, young people, parents andothers to now communicate more easily withTusla. More generally, the data managementactions to be delivered under this data strategy willalso help contribute to improvements in servicesfor children and families as information will bereadily available to inform the improved planningof services and decision making. These actions willalso mean that practitioners such as social workers,social carers or family support staff will have theright information available when they need itto give the best possible services to the childrenand families they are helping. Finally, better datamanagement will assist Tusla to continue toimprove the protection of data it holds and giveconfidence to children and families that theirdata is secure and used appropriately.For service providers: Child and family serviceproviders will benefit from more efficientengagement and easier collaboration with Tulsasupported by extending Tulsa’s online Portal toprovide a digital alternative to replace previouspaper processes such as the submission of fundingapplications, service plans and service registrationsas well as direct service engagements such as theonline submission of child protection and welfarereports or service referrals. The data principleestablished under this strategy of ‘enter once,use often’ will also benefit service providers byreducing their administration overhead, once aservice provider submits information to Tusla suchas a safety plan, fire cert, insurance record etc. theywill not have to resubmit that same informationagain in future submissions \applications\registrations etc. that they make to Tusla. Serviceproviders will also benefit from Tulsa’s open dataand open science initiatives and will have accessto this information from online data hubs andresearch repositories to assist in the planning andoperation of their services.For Tusla staff: Staff will benefit from theelimination of the inefficiencies and administrationoverhead caused by paper systems with the moveto an environment where all core services aresupported by innovative and easy to use digitalsystems. Staff will also benefit from the guidance,supports and training to support them in any datarelated tasks they undertake. Finally staff will havethe information they require readily availableto support decision making, planning, policydevelopment and research.For members of the public. Members of thepublic will benefit from having access to Tuslaservices online such as access to submit childprotection concerns that they may have witnessed.In a wider context the efficiencies and effectivenessenabled by this data strategy will provide for bettervalue for money for tax payers and the improvedmanagement of data by public service bodies is animportant factor in building trust and confidencewith the public.11

4. Tusla Data Management PrinciplesThe Tusla Data Management Strategy is developed based on thefollowing set of guiding principles that establish a shared visionfor the development, promotion and adoption of excellence inData Management across the Agency. These principles informand underpin all actions set out in this statement of strategy.12PrincipleDefinitionExamplesData as anEnablerData is recognised as a keyenabler in the delivery ofall functions of the AgencyData informed decision making,outcomes evaluation, planning,policy development and researchData processesare digital bydefaultDigital data systems will replaceall current paper processes in theAgency Digital Portal supporting online referrals,submissions, applications etc. to Tusla Case management systems supporting allservices to allow electronic recordkeepingData Reuse‘Enter once,use often’Data that is already held in asystem and is fit for purposeand legally reusable is notrequested again from employees,service users, partners or otherstakeholders againSchools can submit absence returns toTusla from their school managementsystems rather than re-enter this data in aTusla systemPrivacy by designand privacy bydefaultEnsuring all systems andprocesses that involve theprocessing of personal dataare developed and operated inline with the principles of dataprotectionDevelop Data Privacy Impact Assessments(DPIAs) for all systems to ensure thatprocessing activities are in line with dataprotection principlesTransparencyfor CitizensCitizens know what data is heldby Tusla and how it is used.Citizens have access to their ownpersonal data as appropriateProvide systems that allow individuals toreadily and easily avail of their rights to access information relating to them; to beinformed as to how it is used and for whatpurpose; to have factual errors rectified;to object to the processing of their dataand to be fully aware of any data sharingarrangements and their purposeData AwarenessTusla staff are aware of the valuedata has in relation to achievingthe objectives of the Agencyin delivering better outcomesand are also aware of theirresponsibilities to manage datain a safe, consistent and qualityfocused mannerStaff receive guidance, supports andtraining to inform them of their datamanagement responsibilities and tosupport them in any data related tasksthey undertakeAdherence tocomplianceobligationsData management structures inTusla are developed to supportcompliance with legal, regulatoryand government policy datarelated requirementsData management in Tusla is aligned to allrelevant policy and compliance obligations

Tusla Data Management Strategy \\ 2019 - 20225. Data GovernanceThis strategy establishes aTusla data governance modelthat is aligned to existing Tuslagovernance structures andseeks to expand and enhancethese structures to supportthe following data governancepillars:To establish governancestructures for the overallmanagement of the quality,usability, security andavailability of data in Tusla.Governance &AccountabilityNDIOCPolicies, Procedures,Standards, DataManagement PlansNPOCby enhancing Tusla’s data related policies,procedures, protocols and guidelines (PPPGs).Implementation of these PPPGs will be supportedby clearly defined roles & responsibilities atboth the level of those who are accountable to howdata is managed and also at the level of those whoare responsible for the direct processing of the data.Data governance will be further enhanced by havinga comprehensive quality assurance frameworkin place that monitors and reports on the awarenessand conformance to these specifications at alllevels. Similarly, opportunities will be exploredwith the internal audit function to seek to availof its capability and access to external expertiseto further reinforce the ongoing assessment ofconformance both in the context of Tusla’s owndata specifications and also having regard for bestpractices and industry norms in data management.National Data and InformationOversight Committee (NDIOC)Data governance in Tusla is established underthe National Data and Information oversightcommittee (NDIOC), a sub-committee of theTusla Senior Management Team (SMT) withdelegated authority to oversee governance andaccountability arrangements in respect ofthe management of the Agency’s data andinformation.National Policy OversightCommittee (NPOC)QA &AuditRoles &Resp.Monitoring andContinuousImprovementRoles &ResponsibilitiesGovernance & accountability for datamanagement in Tusla is established under theNational Data and Information Committees(NDIOC) a sub group of the Tusla SeniorManagement Team (SMT). Data governancestructures and practices will be defined at all levelsNPOC is a sub-committee of the SMT that governs,commissions, approves and authorises allpolicies, procedures, protocols and guidelines(PPPGs) implemented in Tusla. NPOC ensures thatTusla has strong and well governed procedures toprovide both policy development and the supportsrequired to implement policy successfully acrossthe Agency.Two NPOC initiatives will be established under thisstrategy: NPOC will be extended to include a DataManagement Plan as a component tobe delivered as part of all policydevelopment programs, thereby ensuringthat data management is an intrinsicconsideration and component part of13

5. Data Governance (Cont'd)the development of PPPGs and associatedimplementation plans. Initially the focus willbe on all new or updated policies beingprogressed under NPOC and will then beextended to retrospectively revisit existingpolices with the aim of ensuring all services inTusla that involve the processing of data havea comprehensive and robust datamanagement plan. This program of workwill initially be sequenced to give priority tomain service areas that involve the processingof personal data. NPOC development groups will beestablished to focus on developing acomprehensive and robust set of data andinformation related PPPGs coveringrecords management and data & informationsecurity. This will include the adoption of theISO27001 Information Security standard aswell as alignment with Government relatedpolicy such as the Public Service DataStrategy, the National Data Infrastructureand the Public Service Open Data initiative.Quality Assurance & AuditThe Tusla ICT Directorate in conjunction withthe Quality Assurance Unit will develop andimplement a data management monitoringand compliance program to monitor that datamanagement policies, procedures, protocols andguidelines are embedded in practice across theAgency. Assessment of data management practicewill form part of monitoring visits and will beused both as an indicator of the success of theimplementation of this strategy and as a sourceof learning to inform continuous improvementinitiatives.14Roles and ResponsibilitiesEstablishing data management excellence in Tuslawill require a whole system approach involving allstaff. Roles and responsibilities will be explicitlydefined in policy and where appropriate incontracts of employment and third party contracts.Some key initiatives that will be progressed overthe course of this strategy will include: Staff development: Clear guidance, supportsand training will be provided to all staff witha particular focus on data handlingresponsibilities to embed a culture of goodmanagement of data at all touch points thatensures benefits such as regulatorycompliance, administration efficiency andknowledge management. External stakeholder management: Datarelated roles and responsibilities will beclearly agreed with all external stakeholderswho process data controlled by Tusla. Theseobligations will be established in contractsand data sharing agreements covering allvendors, service providers, agency staff andother stakeholders who may have access tothis data. Establishment of data managementrelated roles: To support theimplementation of this strategy and theon-going data management capability andpractice in Tusla a range of formally assignedroles will be established. These roles willbe defined and expanded on in the “IncreasedCapability” section of this strategy.The plan below outlines the actions to beprogressed under this ‘Data Governance’theme of the strategy.

Tusla Data Management Strategy \\ 2019 - 2022InitialBenefit ByComplete ByEstablish a set of high level principles that create ashared vision for the improvement of data management inTusla and guide the formulation of this Data Managementstrategy and related policiesQ2 2019Q1 2019DG-2Establish the National Data and InformationOversight Committee as a sub-group of the TuslaSenior Management Team to oversee governance andaccountability arrangements in respect of the managementof the Agency’s data and informationQ1 2019Q1 2019DG-3Extend the function of the National Policy OversightQ2 2019Committee (NPOC) to include a Data Management Planas a component to be delivered as part of all new andupdated policy development programsQ3 2019DG-4Under the governance of NPOC revisit existing T

4. Tusla Data Management Principles 12 5. Data Governance 13-15 6. Increased Capability 16-17 7. Records Management 18-20 8. Data Quality Management 21-22 9. Master and Reference Data Management 23 10. Data Security Management 24-25 11. Data Warehousing & Business Intelligence Management 26-27 12. Database Management/Data Storage and Operations .