Data Governance: Mitigating Risk with Relaxed Awareness

About the Program

Category: Risk and Emergency Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

Hennepin County’s data is a valued asset. It is used every day to provide services, complete routine tasks and make informed decisions. The exponential growth of data creates both opportunities and risks. Educating staff on how to responsibly handle and disclose data is one of the most constructive steps an organization can take to mitigate the risks associated with data. The Data Governance Team at Hennepin County has undertaken an effort to engage staff by communicating a philosophy of relaxed awareness as it relates to data. The goal is to create a culture in which staff are confident, savvy data stewards. It is a culture in which staff respect privacy, safeguard data, and embrace opportunities to use it in constructive ways. With a culture of relaxed awareness, protecting data and managing it responsibly becomes as second nature as looking twice before crossing the street. This ongoing effort employs a variety of strategies to manage risk and engage employees with some fun along the way.