Data Management Plans for Procurement

A data management plan (DMP) may be a new concept to your state agency. Successfully implementing a DMP may involve organizational change management (OCM ) or, at the least, discussions with stakeholders. 

Having an elevator pitch and talking points explaining the value of DMPs is recommended. An example elevator pitch is:

"Using a data management plan during the procurement process will help us assess the vendor's maturity level for handling data. Our Agency will reduce risk and increase proactivity by clearly communicating our expectations."

Identify issues, goals for data management

Below are a few questions to begin reflection and conversation.

• What data issues are happening with existing products that a data management plan might solve?
• What questions do you wish your agency had asked of vendors' handling of data during the procurement process in the past?
• Are there any data-related agency policies or goals that you desire future vendors meet?

Consult key staff 

Get buy-in and feedback from needed staff at your agency. Agency units you may wish to consult include:  

• Contracts
• Information Governance / Data Governance
• Information Technology / Information Services
• Privacy
• Procurement
• Records Management
• Research and Analysis

Link to a business process

As with most efforts, data management plans will be most successful when combined with pre-existing business processes. Some questions to ask: Are there currently data- or systems-related procurement processes? If so, how does a data management plan complement these?

Additional steps

• Create a list of known data issues. Use this list to develop requirements for your DMP.
• Review templates and examples, Washington state standards , and your agency's current forms.