Introduction
A growing number of public sector organizations are placing a heavy emphasis on data governance in recent years, recognizing the crucial role it plays in supporting valuable insight generation. Delineate’s founder and CEO, Dr. Connor Norwood, recently contributed to an insightful McKinsey report on strengthening data governance in US public health agencies: “Strengthening data governance in US public health agencies.” The report sheds light on improving data governance within US public health agencies and offers a blueprint for effective data management.
Key Findings on Data Governance
Dr. Norwood and his co-authors highlight several strategies for enhancing public health capabilities in the report. Key findings of their report underscore the importance of a unified and cohesive data governance framework that supports early detection and swift responses to health threats while also optimizing decision-making processes across health agencies.
- Prioritization of High-Impact Use Cases. The report recommends starting with an initial set of high-priority and high-impact use cases to achieve quick, visible wins and build momentum.
- Establishing an Open Data Culture. The authors also strongly advocate for open data cultures, while preserving the strict data privacy and security standards that health data requires. This approach facilitates seamless data sharing across various governmental agencies which, in turn, enhances the ability to respond swiftly to public health emergencies.
- Technical Infrastructure and Interoperability. The report highlights the importance of of adopting standards data models like USCDI+ to improve data compatibility and consistency across the public health ecosystem.
- Incremental and Strategic Implementation. The authors suggest that agencies build on and amplify the work already underway, adopting an incremental approach to implementing data governance. This allows for continuous improvement and a steady adaptation of data governance practices.
Delineate’s Contributions to Public Health
Dr. Norwood and Delineate have contributed significantly to modernizing data infrastructure and providing expert consultation to public health agencies. Dr. Norwood played a pivotal role in Indiana’s COVID response, serving as the data leader for the state’s COVID-19 response team. Delineate has worked with several agencies like the Indiana Department of Health, helping them to align and deliver high impact use cases with the CDC’s Data Modernization Initiative (DMI).
Delineate’s team members have 40+ years of collective experience in public health and have a reputation for assessing public health needs and crafting holistic solutions. Their unique combination of deep subject matter expertise and strong data analytics skills positions them well to modernize data infrastructure for public health clients, while also enabling them to draw and act on valuable insights from data.
Conclusion
“Strengthening data governance in US public health agencies” presents a transformative blueprint for data governance in public health. It advocates for a strategic approach focused on long-term and holistic transformation. As agencies adopt these recommended practices, they both improve their operational capabilities and also lay the groundwork for a more proactive, data-empowered approach to public health management. Download the whole report from McKinsey here.
