Data Governance Tools

Vision for First Nations Data Governance

Nations govern and protect all Nation data and information wherever it resides, supporting the needs of the Nation, communities, Nation Organizations, and Members as well as the needs of the partners we collaborate with.

The Comprehensive Resource and Information Management System for Indigenous Nations (CRIMSIN) is an example of a First Nations data governance solution.

Data Governance Framework

Through the BCFNDGI, a data governance framework has been created by and for First Nation communities. The Data Governance Framework outlines: the governance structures; accountability mechanisms; and governance, privacy, and security policies that work to prevent issues and protect individuals and their data.  A definition list is also provided to clarify terms.

Two policy manuals accompany the Data Governance Framework. These products can be updated and customized to meet the needs of individual Nations.

  1. The Data Governance Policy Manual contains the Data Governance policies, procedures where necessary, and tools that will be used to govern the Nation’s data (Word document)

  2. The Privacy and Security Policy Manual contains the Privacy and Security policies, procedures, and tools related to the management and protection of Nation data and privacy compliance (Word document)

A Data Governance Project Summary and Recommendations document was also created to guide the next steps of the BCFNDGI. (PDF)

British Columbia Assembly of First Nations - Governance Toolkit: A Guide to Nation Rebuilding

This Governance Toolkit acts as a comprehensive guide intended to assist with Nation building or rebuilding based on the pace and priorities of Nations.

Part 1 of the Governance Toolkit is The Governance Report (PDF, Second Edition, 2014), which takes a comprehensive look at options for governance reform and considers, subject by subject, the powers (jurisdictions) of Nations.

Part 2 of the Governance Toolkit is the Governance Self-Assessment (PDF, 2012). It consists of two modules that Nations can use to evaluate the effectiveness of their institutions of governance and administration.

Part 3 of the Governance Toolkit is A Guide to Community Engagement (PDF, 2012). It consists of three modules that discuss social change and governance reform, community engagement and organizing for change and exploring governance options and implementing change. It also contains several supporting tools.

First Nations Health Authority Regional Data Governance Forums

In February and March 2016, the FNHA's Research, Knowledge Exchange, and Evaluation team hosted a series of regional data governance forums. These forums were held to help shape how First Nations measure wellness indicators, use identity management and develop research ethics at the FNHA. View the Presentation materials.

Watch a series of videos documenting the FNHA Data Governance Engagement Sessions.

Simplified Reporting - Income Assistance

In 2015, it was determined that a pilot project was to take place with the objectives to document the data governance capacity of the six demonstration sites (12 First Nation communities) and to implement community resources needed to extract Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) program data. This pilot project highlighted the need for a standardized approach to data collection and reporting, and the requirement for investments in IM/IT to support these approaches. Short- and long-term solutions were presented that could be adopted by communities to ease the effort of producing INAC reports. Read the report.

Targeted Program Analysis

A Targeted Program Analysis was created in 2014 through the BCFNDGI to describe the business workflows, data entity assessments and key system enablers related to four INAC program areas.

Preventative Service Encounter Form

Created through the BCFNDGI, this Generic Preventative Encounter Form is intended to be filled in to capture each Preventative Encounter that occurs for a particular program as determined by your organization. This will allow your organization's Form Administrator to combine all of the records from the various preventative encounters into an overall program report for a particular period of time.

Data on the State of First Nations’ Well-being