The Sharjah Digital Office (SDO) hosted stakeholders of government departments across the emirate to offer a comprehensive overview of the Data Management and Governance programme approved by the Sharjah Executive Council earlier in May 2022.

The session explored how the collaborative approach of shared and open data significantly underpins the emirate’s inclusive digital transformation objectives. Amongst other topics addressed at the event included an overview of the current governmental data landscape in the UAE, the programme’s operational structure and its various phases of execution, best international data management practices, and the key expected outcomes.

As the entity tasked with managing and executing the programme in line with a practical and actionable framework, SDO aims to enhance data security and governmental data assets management through a  unified and centralised approach in partnership with the government entities in Sharjah. SDO’s efforts align with its vital role in providing the digital support and legislative framework needed to implement the emirate’s digital transformation strategy.

Data-centric methodology

Sheikh Saud bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Director of SDO: “At SDO, we are keen to bolster effective partnerships and coordinate and collaborate with all government entities across Sharjah to facilitate the digitisation process in the emirate. As stewards of data, the goal of SDO is to use this key strategic asset to enable data-driven and knowledge-based decision-making in the emirate and support Sharjah’s cultural project.”

“The session spotlighted the importance and role of the Data Management and Governance programme in enabling government entities to make better use of their data resources and unlock significant value to fulfill the ambitions and aspirations of the community. Through mutual dialogue and exchange of ideas, strategies, and expertise with Sharjah government entities, our goal is to build a comprehensive data ecosystem with the adoption of a unified data-driven methodology that enhances both the quality and security of government data,” he added.

Supporting initiatives

During the session, SDO showcased key initiatives that will be implemented as part of the new programme. These include the establishment of a data governance council in Sharjah, upskilling government employees to improve workforce readiness and bridge potential gaps, adoption of data management and governance in line with the best international practices, and active participation of all entities in all related initiatives and projects.

The participants explored the current data landscape in the UAE while also delving into the quality of data, sources and sharing, data privacy and security, data storage infrastructure, and data description and reliability.

Implementation phases

The participants were introduced to the four key phases of the project. In parallel to the implementation of the programme, SDO will also work on providing and operating two technical platforms.

The data management platform will manage and profile data through a unified approach and monitor and control data quality while the data sharing platform will operate as an inclusive and unified platform for data exchange between Sharjah’s government entities.

The target outcomes include enhanced corporate performances through better analytics and accelerated decision-making, improved data quality, and business processes, decreased risks, and saving of both time and efforts in identifying solutions and overcoming challenges in big data management.

The programme also seeks to bolster data privacy and security, and increase the benefits of comprehensive up-to-date data that will stimulate smart decision-making.