Five zero-budget ways to boost your data quality culture

There are no shortcuts to good quality, but these are some simple steps to put you on the right path as an advocate for quality.

We need data that is fit for purpose to support our services, policies and decisions. A single dataset can be used in many different ways across the public, private and third sectors. The assessment of the quality of that data will vary depending on how it is being used. 

It is not easy to know the quality of data, or to make sure the data is fit for purpose. There are no short cuts to having good quality data and making improvements can take time. But making those changes is easier when people have the right attitude and approach to data quality. As a senior leader, you can have a huge impact on the culture around quality within your organisation and drive positive change.

Here are some easy steps you can take that will help put your organisation on a path to better data quality. 

If you receive a report or some other information – perhaps to make a decision – ask about the quality of the data that went into it. Sometimes we have to use data that has quality problems because it is still the best source that we have, but if we know about those problems, we can take them into account.

Unknown quality is a bigger risk than known poor quality. If data quality is poor, but known, we can communicate and be transparent about its limitations. By considering the uses of the data, we can adjust our approach accordingly, whilst also being aware of the consequences when making decisions based on data.

2. Find out who is responsible for quality

Everyone involved with data has a responsibility to maintain the quality but there should be people specifically responsible or accountable for quality. Different organisations do this differently, but someone should always be responsible for assessing and managing the quality of data.