BUILDING

TRUST
IN THE PUBLIC
RECORD
managing information and data
for government and community

DATA INTEROPERABILITY
MATURITY MODEL
DIMM
| Data Interoperability Maturity Model | How to use the DIMM assessment
The Data Interoperability Maturity Model (DIMM) lets you assess your agency’s progress towards
data interoperability.

It can be used to:

• self-evaluate your current level of data interoperability maturity • Define your key participants and assessment parameters.
• identify gaps in your data interoperability maturity Scope • Who are the key stakeholders that need to be involved in the assessment?
• plan improvements to reach the level of maturity your agency needs. assessment • Are you assessing interoperability maturity for the whole agency, a division,
a branch, a program or a single project?

DIMM themes and steps

The DIMM helps you measure progression across the five interoperability key themes as well as their
overall governance.

Each area is split into several categories. Each category has 5 steps that describe the common data • Using the DIMM assessment tool, talk to subject matter experts and
interoperability behaviours, events and processes for the corresponding level of maturity. stakeholders to identify and document your current level of maturity (step) for
each category. This is your baseline maturity.
Current state
• To choose a level of maturity, you must also meet the characteristics and
Baseline
N AN D D ATA G OV behaviours of all lower levels. For example, you should only select the
TIO ER maturity ‘optimising’ step if you already meet the behaviours in the ‘managing’ step.
R MA NA
O NC • Your level of maturity can vary between categories.
NF
Data
I publication Business E
and exchange planning

Architecture Digital skills

Enabling L Performance
technologies I CA BU monitoring
HN SI
C • Talk to key stakeholders about what level of maturity you need to meet your
N
TE

ES

short-and long-term business needs.

Future
S

Linked data
Community and
• Document your desired future state for each category, noting that it can vary
state
cross-government
between categories and be different to other agencies.
DATA • For each category, compare your baseline maturity to your desired future state
Interoperability
and document any gaps in data interoperability maturity.
NTIC

Maturity Model
Understanding
Data discovery and mitigating
ITY

risk
A
EM

UR
S

SE Data
Taxonomy protection and
LEGAL privacy
• Analyse your results to confirm your agency’s current strengths and
document areas for improvement.
Metadata
Information Analyse
security • You can use the results to inform strategic planning and investment
Licensing
management
results, activities or to create a roadmap for improvement. We recommend
and terms Compliance
of use plan for plotting a path that leads from your baseline to your target maturity
change for each category.
• Repeat the assessment regularly to track data interoperability
improvements and trends over time.

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA Data Interoperability Maturity Model | 2

 INFORMATION AND DATA GOVERNANCE: An agency’s information and data governance maturity – used to coordinate and drive data interoperability across the five themes

CATEGORY OBJECTIVES STEP: Initial STEP: Developing STEP: Defined STEP: Managing STEP: Optimising

Frameworks, a. Agency understands regulatory, • Data is not governed in a • Individual groups within an • Data governance is defined. • Data governance processes and • Agency-wide data governance
strategies, legal, risk and operational consistent way across agency have established It explicitly considers standards for interoperability are framework is subject to
policies, requirements and uses the agency. data governance structures interoperability and is applied to all data. continual review, monitoring
standards, governance mechanisms to • Data governance framework and processes to improve consistently applied to • Responsibilities and roles for and refinement.
and roles. drive data interoperability. and practices do not consider interoperability, but these are not high-value data. data governance processes • Delivery of the objectives in the
supporting data interoperability. documented or adopted across • High-value datasets have and data ownership are clearly data interoperability strategy is
b. Agency-wide agreed standards
the agency. assigned custodians and defined across the agency. reviewed and reported on, and
are in place and understood • There is limited understanding
by business. about data interoperability and • Agency has no definitive view of conform to agreed data • All data held and managed by goals are adjusted over time to
how it could be used across the data quality, standards, metadata standards. the agency adheres to their continually drive improvement.
c. Roles and responsibilities and file formats for the data it
agency. A wider data strategy • There is a definitive view of data common standards, code lists • Policies that promote data
for interoperability are holds and manages.
may exist but does not explicitly quality, standards, metadata and and models. interoperability are subject to
identified in the organisation
address interoperability. • A high-level data strategy and file formats for data held and • Agency has set clear targets continual improvement.
structure. Changes are made
• Data owners manage and policies that support data managed by the agency. for the implementation of their • Metrics on data holdings are
where required.
maintain information and data interoperability are emerging. • Agency has a clear, documented data interoperability strategy, available and used to target
holdings ad hoc. There are no • Data owners understand the strategy for data interoperability including KPIs. improvement efforts, including
roles or clear responsibilities importance of managing and that aligns with wider business • Agency’s data inventory feedback from external parties
within or across teams. maintaining data holdings for objectives and plans. or catalogue is used as a such as data consumers.
• Decisions have not been made interoperability. Some tasks • Supporting policies for data key tool for informing data
about which data needs to be and responsibilities have been interoperability exist to drive interoperability policy
interoperable and which data is allocated within teams. good practice across the agency. and strategy.
not a priority (for example, low • There are defined operational
value or low risk data). roles that facilitate data
management and interoperability
(for example, data stewards,
curators and custodians).

Leadership a. There is corporate support for • The senior leadership team • The senior leadership team is • Ownership and responsibility • Senior leaders meet to discuss • Performance of the senior
data interoperability. has some awareness of what supporting data interoperability for delivering the interoperability data interoperability as shared leadership team includes
is needed to build and manage initiatives in some areas of strategy is defined by a initiatives across their areas. consideration of progress
b. Knowledge and understanding
data interoperability and of the the business. nominated champion for data • Interoperability is included in the towards data interoperability
of data interoperability
management structures • Senior leadership support of interoperability. general agenda for the senior objectives.
exists at senior levels and in
to support compliance to interoperability is not strategic • The senior leadership team is leadership team. • The senior leadership team
relevant committees such as
related standards. and is inconsistent. visibly setting targets for data continuously reviews and
the information governance • Senior leaders continually look
committee. interoperability in line with to develop and innovate data adjusts targets specified in the
agency priorities. interoperability that supports their data strategy, taking on board
c. Senior levels proactively support ongoing developments in best
• Senior support is strategic and agency or targeted work areas.
interoperability initiatives. practice for data interoperability
aligns with their area’s work plan.
from the wider community
and standards.

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 BUSINESS: An agency’s operational maturity in producing, consuming and sharing data on a tactical level

CATEGORY OBJECTIVES STEP: Initial STEP: Developing STEP: Defined STEP: Managing STEP: Optimising

Business a. Business understands its • Agency does not understand • Agency understands • Agency business planning • Business planning • Plans are regularly reviewed
planning operational requirements and the business need for data the business need for identifies strategies and addresses the identified and updated to reflect industry
expectations for producing, interoperability. interoperability. programs that support high-level data issues and expectations and developments
sharing and consuming data. • Agency does not understand • Agency understands the interoperability such as the projects that action these plans in interoperability.
cost and risk to business of not business cost and risk metadata strategy, the data are in place. • Performance monitoring
b. Business strategies and
implementing interoperability created by not planning and quality program and, more • Performance monitoring is shaped to support
plans consider and set out an
initiatives. There is no implementing interoperability broadly, the information and including tools such as business interoperability core
agency’s commitment to data
communication of these risks initiatives and communicates data governance framework. intelligence and business targets and milestones in
interoperability.
as part of a broader governance these agency-wide. • High-level data issues that analysis, are used to acquire business plans.
approach. • Agency business planning impede interoperability causing data-driven insights that help • Business plans are regularly
supports interoperability as cost to business and increased develop interoperability as part reviewed and updated so as to
part of a broader governance risk have been identified. of business plans. provide holistic governance of
approach. Plans to address these issues • Industry and sector developments the strategies and programs that
are emerging. in data interoperability help inform support data interoperability.
• There is no consideration of
using data-driven insights • Data analysis to support the core targets and future visions
to inform interoperability in and inform interoperability in of business plans.
business planning. business planning is emerging.

Digital skills a. Staff have the required training, • Agency is unclear on the skills • Agency recognises the value • Agency has identified the • Agency is building an internal • Agency has the digital skills
skills and support to deliver on required to meet their data and potential uses of data and key digital skills it requires to community of practice around required to execute on data
data interoperability needs. interoperability needs. there is some awareness of meet its data interoperability data interoperability, as well interoperability needs.
• Plans to put the required skills in the skills required to support commitments and a suitable as participation in wider data • A plan is in place to continually
b. Data interoperability skills are
place are emerging. managing and implementing plan that implements them has interoperability forums within develop and improve data
maintained and kept up to date.
data interoperability. been agreed to. government and industry. interoperability skills in line with
• Data literacy is low across
the workforce. • Training and support for data • Agency has identified and • Awareness and training of data industry developments, emerging
interoperability are planned and trained internal specialists interoperability, data governance best-practice and agency needs.
provided on an ad hoc basis for who can mentor others and and data management are part of • Agency is making an active
individual teams. execute on data interoperability the induction and development contribution to interoperability
• Immediate skills shortages are commitments. program for relevant staff. forums within government
being met through use of third- • Internal teams support, • Staff have access to training and industry.
party specialists. mentor and provide formalised materials and guidance to assist • Staff across all parts of the
• Pockets of strong data literacy knowledge transfer to other in executing best practice data agency have an awareness and
are starting to appear. staff creating a more flexible governance for interoperability. understanding of the importance
workforce. • A culture of self-driven data of data interoperability.
• General data literacy is strong. literacy is emerging across the • General data literacy is of a
general workforce. high standard and self-driven
across the general workforce,
supported by an agency-wide
program of development.
Interoperability specialists
lead by example.

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 BUSINESS: An agency’s operational maturity in producing, consuming and sharing data on a tactical level

CATEGORY OBJECTIVES STEP: Initial STEP: Developing STEP: Defined STEP: Managing STEP: Optimising

Performance a. The effectiveness and efficiency • The value of data (especially • Agency performs ad hoc • Agency has defined a consistent • Agency actively tracks the value • Agency regularly assesses the
monitoring of data interoperability related datasets) and the performance of evaluations of data value approach for evaluating the of its data assets, and uses this set of metrics used to evaluate
processes are tracked through data interoperability capabilities frequently and retrospectively to value of its data holdings. to inform investment decisions. the value of data.
defined KPIs. are based on perception and justify investment. • Investments in data • Agency actively monitors • Agency is transparent on the
not measured using formalised • Individual projects have funding interoperability tend to be the KPIs used to track the mechanisms used to value data
b. Quality of data assets are
standards. allocated for data interoperability reactive rather than strategic effectiveness and efficiency wherever applicable.
monitored and results drive
ongoing improvements. • Results and methods for data enhancements that are not tied (for example, responding to an of data interoperability related • Agency investment focuses on
evaluation are inconsistent across into formal KPIs. immediate business or user need processes. more strategic areas such as
c. Agency has defined the agency. rather than planned in line with
• Agency performs ad hoc • Agency investments in data improving data governance,
methodology for evaluating the agency needs).
assessments on the impact of interoperability initiatives are enterprise data management
value and potential change in
data interoperability initiatives. • Pockets of performance guided by KPIs. tools and internal and external
significance
• Evaluations of data do not monitoring exist and include • Performance monitoring from data interchange.
of data.
consider key elements that quality assessments within different areas of business • Performance monitoring is
support monitoring and enabling different areas of business such are used to inform strategic machine aided or driven and
interoperability such as data flow, as the data inventory/catalogue, monitoring for the agency. may include value identification.
data profiling and data quality. privacy and protection, and data
• There is clear benchmarking for • Performance monitoring helps
entry standards.
best practice against industry establish the agency as an
• Performance monitoring includes and sector leaders in data industry or sector leader in data
evaluating key elements that interoperability initiatives. interoperability.
support data interoperability.

Community a. Agency engages with the • Agency is unaware of the wider • Individuals within the agency • There is a coordinated, agency- • Agency actively shares its • Agency engages with the wider
and cross- broader data community data interoperability community undertake ad hoc engagements wide commitment to engagement findings, insights, successes and community to support the
including other government (for example, industry and with the wider community. with the wider community. challenges with other agencies creation of new data standards
Government
agencies to share learning government conferences, forums, • Agency has a defined • Agency proactively obtains and the wider interoperability and models for its sector,
engagement
and experience, promote standards boards) or is not mechanism for engaging feedback from its data community. supporting thought leadership
data interoperability activities, actively engaged. with its data consumers, and consumers (for example, through • Agency engages with data within the community.
understand the needs of • Interactions with data consumers interactions are tracked to the use of forums and feedback suppliers and consumers in data • Agency becomes a regarded
consumers and drive ongoing are ad hoc and reactive. inform an understanding of channels), using metrics to inform sharing experiences and providing authority in terms of data
improvement. consumer’s needs. and prioritise data interoperability or receiving feedback. interoperability for the sectors
• There is minimal collaboration
with other government agencies • Teams within the agency initiatives including publishing • Agency has data sharing and industries in which it
in response to tactical needs. collaborate with other agencies publicly accessible datasets. arrangements across government, is involved.
on a demand-driven basis. • Formal data sharing implements data exchange • Agency has data sharing
They respond to requests for arrangements and practices are frameworks with other agencies, arrangements with other
information and share some data established between agencies and works with agencies from agencies internationally where
via access to datasets. that regularly work together. different sectors to aggregate applicable, and works to help
• External agencies provide data for shared outcomes. develop global standards in
regular feedback to their domains.
collaboratively improve the • Data sharing agreements
quality of data holdings. are made publicly available
where applicable.

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 SECURITY: An agency’s awareness and response to security risks and issues with respect to data interoperability, including alignment with legislation and industry standards,
understanding and mitigating potential risks and considering data-specific issues such as disclosure and re-identification

CATEGORY OBJECTIVES STEP: Initial STEP: Developing STEP: Defined STEP: Managing STEP: Optimising

Understanding a. The potential security risks • Agency has a risk assessment • Risk assessments relating to • There is an agreed and • Regular risk management • Agency routinely assesses new
and mitigating of data interoperability methodology, but this does data interoperability are ad documented risk assessment forms part of overarching and existing data for any risks
are understood, with risk not explicitly consider hoc and not based on an process which is applied data governance. associated with interoperability
risk
assessments undertaken and risks associated with data agreed documented process consistently and regularly • Regular risk assessments are during their ongoing lifecycle.
information security policies in interoperability. (for example, driven by and considers specific data carried out across all data, • The risk assessment process is
place to mitigate risks. external requests to share interoperability issues such as tooling, interchange and regularly reviewed and updated
or access data). disclosure, tamperproofing, and publishing channels. to include new risks for data
• Appropriate mitigations are re-identification. interoperability identified by the
• Risk reporting is monitored and
agreed, actioned and monitored. • Some business areas have documented consistently across industry and sector.
a risk reporting system but the business area or agency.
there is no consistent and
holistic documentation of data
interoperability risks across
the agency.

Data protection a. Standard processes • There is limited awareness and • Data protection and privacy for • Agency has identified, • There are standardised • Agency continuously monitors
and privacy consistently support the capability in data protection and interoperability initiatives for data documented and applied a processes for data the data it has released as well
application of safeguards to privacy including legal and sharing are considered on an standardised approach and interoperability initiatives such as as the sector and market to
de-identify data and prevent legislative requirements. ad hoc basis and implemented policy for data protection and publishing datasets and general ensure there are no emerging
disclosure of sensitive data • Privacy and protection aspects reactively. privacy in interoperability. data sharing. issues or ways in which the data
including personal information. linked to interoperability such as • Agency has a policy and plan • Policies and standards that • Formal procedures for data can be re-identified.
b. Agency applies APS principles de-identification (anonymisation), in place for information privacy, support data protection and interoperability workflows • All data is routinely assessed to
for data protection such as the tamperproofing and disclosure protection and security but privacy in interoperability are such as de-identification ensure no sensitive information
Australian Privacy Principles are not considered. these do not address data cross-checked with legal and (anonymisation), assessing is inadvertently released.
and the Australian Government interoperability requirements. legislative requirements. sensitive data and disclosure • Published datasets (that are
Agencies Privacy Code. • Agency is aware of relevant data • APS principles for data awareness are documented publicly available) are routinely
protection and privacy principles protection and data sharing and consistently adopted across checked for tampering; and
c. Data sharing aligns with the agency.
and policies but their application are embedded into relevant tamperproofing methods have
the Best Practice Guide
is inconsistent and unclear. processes and initiatives. • Datasets are independently been implemented.
to Applying Data Sharing
For example, Privacy Impact verified to prevent disclosure • Consultation with internal
Principles.
Assessments (PIA) are of sensitive information prior to information security specialists
undertaken for all ‘high privacy release. Privacy risks associated occurs regularly.
risk’ projects or initiatives. with verification undertaken
• Agency internally promotes and
• A register of Privacy Impact by third parties are known
provides training in best practice
Assessments that have been and managed.
for data protection and data
undertaken is created and • General awareness of best sharing.
published online. practice for data protection and
data sharing exists agency-wide.

Information a. Agency maintains the

security confidentiality, integrity
and availability of all official
management
information.
b. Best practice information Agencies should refer to the Protective Security Policy Framework (PSPF) and related PSPF Maturity Self-Assessment Model.
security controls are applied in https://www.protectivesecurity.gov.au/sites/default/files/govsec05-annexa-information-security.pdf
conjunction with an agency’s
governance activities,
strategies and business plans.

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA Data Interoperability Maturity Model | 6

 LEGAL: The maturity of legal support for data interoperability, considering aspects such as licensing and terms of use to reduce unnecessary barriers to data sharing and interchange

CATEGORY OBJECTIVES STEP: Initial STEP: Developing STEP: Defined STEP: Managing STEP: Optimising

Compliance a. Agency complies with relevant • Agency is not aware of all • Agency is aware of relevant legal • Agency is implementing • Agency is able to demonstrate • Agency continually reviews,
government legislation, government legislation and legal requirements and government their plan in order to meet compliance with all relevant analyses and improves existing
regulations and ethical requirements relevant to data legislation. government legislation, legal government legislation, legal services to meet or exceed
requirements on providing interoperability. • There are agreed plans requirements and external requirements and external policy requirements.
services to consumers. • Plans for ensuring data for compliance in data policies relevant to data policies in regards to data • Data interoperability initiatives
interoperability initiatives are interoperability initiatives interoperability. interoperability. are routinely checked to ensure
b. Agency complies with internal
and external policy relevant to compliant are still (these often provide services • Agency is progressing towards • Plan for meeting relevant legal compliance is sustained.
data interoperability. being formulated. to consumers). proactive monitoring. and legislative requirements is • New legislation, legal
• There are no formal processes • Agency is compliant with its own • Data interoperability initiatives established and implemented requirements and policies
for ensuring compliance policies but does not monitor are compliant with internal across relevant sections. relevant to data interoperability
with internal or external changes to requirements. and applicable external policies are tabled for internal discussion
policies applicable to data They are aware of external by design. with relevant sections.
interoperability. policies applicable to data
interoperability.

Licensing and a. Agency has appropriate • Considerations of licensing and • Individual teams begin reviewing • Agency has standardised • Agency uses contracts with • Licensing and terms of use
terms of use mechanisms in place to terms of use aspects linked to existing contracts to understand contractual clauses that address standard clauses that ensure contracts are being written for
licence the data for use data interoperability initiatives the licensing constraints and data licensing, data re-use, data there is clarity around rights machine execution using agreed
by others including data such as data supply, intellectual terms of use for the data they sharing, intellectual property and licensing for data re-use, data models.
custody arrangements, property and data reuse are not are responsible for as part of a and ownership. intellectual property, shared • Agency proactively encourages
ownership, intellectual property consistently addressed across data interoperability initiative. • All high-value datasets released access arrangements and data interoperability by actions
considerations and appropriate the agency. • Individual teams establish have defined terms of use data ownership. such as helping remove
terms of use. • Agreements with third parties sharing arrangements with other which support reuse and • Agency uses data sharing legislative barriers and other
b. Licensing and terms of use are that define licensing or terms agencies or third parties. interoperability. arrangements such as a letter risks in sharing data (for
managed to capitalise on the of use do not exist or do • Data produced and published • Agency is defining how open of exchange. example, consults with the
potential value of publishing, not identify necessary data by the agency is supported by data may work for their business • All datasets have their terms of Office of the National Data
linking and sharing data. interoperability considerations. suitable licensing arrangements for access and interoperability, use published with the data and Commissioner of Prime Minister
• Data produced and published by and terms of conditions. and is developing assessment all datasets are offered under a and Cabinet).
c. The government’s open data
the agency is not supported by • There is an awareness of open procedures to identify what clear licence. • Data that is publicly released is
principles are recognised and
relevant licensing arrangements data principles and related could be released as open data. • An open data assessment of available through an appropriate
managed as part of general
and terms of conditions, or they resources (such as data.gov.au). • There is clear understanding produced and owned datasets open licence to facilitate easy
licensing and terms of use.
are unclear. However, they are not applied of the government’s open is undertaken and results re-use (for example, Creative
• There is no awareness of open to business. data principles and informed clearly documented. Commons).
data principles. decisions are made about if and • Open data assessments are
where the principles apply to the scheduled for new datasets
business area. produced by business areas
across the agency.

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 SEMANTIC: The maturity of structures for enabling the meaning of exchanged information to be understood by people and systems, promoting more effective and efficient interoperability

CATEGORY OBJECTIVES STEP: Initial STEP: Developing STEP: Defined STEP: Managing STEP: Optimising

Metadata a. Agency creates and maintains • Agency does not have agreed • Metadata and data quality • Agency has defined metadata • All data has metadata that • Agency proactively monitors the
standards-based structured metadata standards in place. statements are managed on an standards and policies that complies with relevant effectiveness and completeness
information about its data and • Data quality statements are not ad hoc basis per dataset. align with industry standards standards and is maintained of metadata for all its data
systems to ensure assets are created as standard practice. • General agreement about or standards developed for in an open format. and undertakes continual
discoverable and documented. metadata structure and interoperability initiatives. • All datasets have associated improvement.
• Published and unpublished
b. Agency ensures appropriate datasets do not include completeness exists but is • Metadata standards for data quality statements that are • A single access point for
information about data assets structural metadata or data inconsistently applied across interoperability initiatives linked to the data. metadata exists across the
is captured throughout the quality statements. general data and different adopt and adapt from • Cross-walks between metadata agency and this is made
data lifecycle. datasets. industry standards. standards are created when available in a suitably secure
• Agency has no plan for a
• General metadata standards and • Metadata standards are applied agency standards are updated, and controlled manner for
c. Agency is an active contributor metadata strategy.
standards for interoperability consistently to the correct data altered or referenced to external parties to query (for
to the national and international • Metadata is inconsistently example, through a data
initiatives exist but are not across the agency. other standards.
communities on metadata created using personal catalogue, metadata registry
adapted from industry standards. • Responsibilities for the quality • Information such as data lineage
standards. judgement across the workforce. or a metadata repository).
• Existing strategic of metadata are clear, and is captured in metadata with
• Metadata that is available • Metadata creation and
documentation, such as processes for creation and processes throughout the
does not adhere to recognised maintenance is automated.
an information and data maintenance of metadata data’s lifecycle.
industry standards or standards
management framework, has are embedded. • Agency has mechanisms to • Metadata is harvested
as part of a data interoperability
elements of metadata strategy • Elements of metadata strategy enable search, query and from other repositories and
initiative.
but they are not clearly defined. are identified and defined within reporting on metadata successfully mapped to the
strategic information and data across agency. schema of your data catalogue,
management documentation. repository etc.
• Automated tooling is used
to reduce the manual • Agency proactively shares
effort involved in metadata and promotes its metadata
maintenance. standards with relevant
communities.
• Metadata statements or data
dictionaries are created as part • Metadata standards include core
of standard practice. models (common subsets) that
facilitate linked data.
• A metadata strategy exists with
a clear review schedule.

Taxonomy a. Agency aligns its thematic • Agency has limited or no • Ad hoc controlled vocabularies • Agency has defined and • All agency’s high value data uses • All information and data that
lists, schemas, standards and controlled vocabularies in any in different forms are created and delegated the responsibilities for community and industry driven, is generated, published or
conventions to those relevant form for its data (for example, managed by individual teams. taxonomy creation, governance standards based controlled exchanged from the agency
in their industry or sector, taxonomies, data dictionaries, • Agency engages with and maintenance. vocabularies. adopts or adapts an industry-
enabling their data to be more business glossaries, thesauri or communities who consume their • Agency-wide taxonomies and • Agency’s controlled vocabularies recognised controlled
easily interchanged with other thematic lists). data to determine appropriate controlled vocabularies have such as taxonomies, data vocabulary.
organisations. • Agency’s information and taxonomies to be used. been defined and documented. dictionaries, business glossaries, • Agency proactively engages
b. Agency is an active contributor data management systems • Controlled vocabularies • Industry vocabularies that thesauri and thematic lists are with the wider community to
to the national and international use controlled vocabularies of information and data align with business have been routinely reviewed and updated ensure that the right controlled
communities’ controlled but the meaning of terms management systems are adopted and adapted where to reflect current business. vocabulary terms are collected
vocabularies. are not understood and are understood but poorly relevant. • Agency’s controlled vocabularies and maintained.
inconsistently applied using documented. are made available for sharing • Agency adopts or develops
• There are plans for schemas,
personal judgement. in a form adherent to open automated tools to reduce
• Agency is informed of existing thematic lists and code lists to
• There is no consideration of industry vocabularies that align be stored in open formats and standards. the manual effort involved in
monitoring or implementing with their business but does not be adherent to open standards. • Agency uses technologies publishing structured data.
consistent and accurate use use them. such as automatic taxonomy • Agency proactively shares and
• Monitoring of consistent and
of any of the available forms construction (ATC) to create promotes its vocabularies with
accurate use of controlled
of controlled vocabularies. ontologies. relevant communities.
vocabularies has been
implemented into procedures
such as metadata quality checks.

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 SEMANTIC: The maturity of structures for enabling the meaning of exchanged information to be understood by people and systems, promoting more effective and efficient interoperability

CATEGORY OBJECTIVES STEP: Initial STEP: Developing STEP: Defined STEP: Managing STEP: Optimising

Data discovery a. Data is managed as an asset • Agency does not have an • Catalogues or registers of • A central, consistent and reliable • A full and up-to-date data • A full and up-to-date data
and holdings published or used up-to-date, centralised view of data holdings exist across the agency-wide data catalogue is catalogue exists and is available catalogue exists that supports
by the agency are discoverable data holdings and data services. agency, but are siloed within established and maintained with in a secure and controlled machine-based open-standards
through catalogues or registers. • There is no consideration of business areas and not always defined owners. manner both internally querying.
inefficiencies caused by data up to date. • High-value data and data and externally. • Agency uses automated tools to
b. Cost savings are realised
through reduction of the duplication across the agency’s • Data dictionaries for catalogues services have been captured. • Routine quality checking for find and resolve duplicate entries
management of duplicate data data holdings. do not exist or are not consistent • Datasets are clearly described. duplicate data within and across across catalogues and registers.
and applications. and relate only to individual holdings is scheduled. • The data inventory or catalogue
• Performance monitoring
catalogues. • Routine quality assessments is aided by user-centred
of inventory/catalogues is
• Datasets are managed ad hoc implemented to ensure they of the data held by the data workflows and tools.
and not clearly described so as identify and capture the most catalogue are scheduled • The data inventory or catalogue
to be easily findable. valuable data. and identified problems are is interoperable with other data
• An awareness of inefficiencies documented. inventories or catalogues across
• Data entry standards for data
caused by data duplication is catalogues are defined and • A full and complete data the APS.
understood across the agency. documented. dictionary for the data catalogue
• There are no clear standards for exists and general staff
• A data dictionary exists but is
data entry into data catalogues. understand its value and how
incomplete and general staff are
to use it.
not aware of its benefits.
• Tools such as APIs are
implemented to aid data
discoverability internally or for
the public.

Linked data a. Linked data is part of a • Agency does not publish its • Agency publishes ontologies • Agency publishes ontologies as • Agency uses open standards • Agency publishes ontologies as
strategic plan for developing controlled vocabularies online. as machine-readable machine-readable structured from W3C such as RDF for their machine-readable structured
data interoperability through • Agency shares its vocabularies structured data. data in open formats such as published ontologies. data in open formats such as
controlled vocabularies. online but as unstructured data • Published vocabularies and CSV and ODS. • Agency uses persistent unique CSV and ODS, using open
such as images or scanned ontologies are in proprietary • Agency’s most common resource identifiers (URIs) to standards from W3C such
b. Linked data technologies are
documents. formats. vocabulary terms have been denote their vocabulary terms, as RDF.
implemented and the principles
of linked data are used to build • There is no consideration of • A plan for mapping the agency’s mapped to those from other enabling other agencies to link • Agency has implemented their
data interoperability. linking the agency’s vocabulary vocabulary terms to those from authoritative agencies and to them and their meaning. vocabulary mapping. Vocabulary
terms to those from other other agencies and industry industry standards. • Agency’s complete vocabulary terms are linked to those from
agencies that have the standards is in development. terms have been mapped to other agencies using persistent
same meaning. those from other agencies and URIs.
industry standards • Agency uses tools such as APIs
where relevant. to expose their knowledge graph
• Agency’s ontologies uses core and aid finding, querying and
models that align or are based on sharing their content.
industry and agency standards. • Agency publishes its ontologies
as easily accessible human-
readable information such as web
pages. These provide clear user
guidance on details such as core
models and vocabulary terms.

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA Data Interoperability Maturity Model | 9

 TECHNICAL: The maturity of the technology that supports data interoperability, including computer systems and services

CATEGORY OBJECTIVES STEP: Initial STEP: Developing STEP: Defined STEP: Managing STEP: Optimising

Enabling a. Tools and automation systems • Agency does not have a defined • Agency has created a data • Agency is implementing an • Agency has established an • Agency is continuously
technologies that are used within an agency data architecture and does not architecture roadmap which has architectural roadmap which is architecture which enables the reviewing architecture models
consistently and reliably create, consider data interoperability. been validated but not widely appropriate to their needs and flexible and responsive creation and emerging and disruptive
transform, maintain and • Data collection from customers applied through the agency. supports the creation of flexible of new data services and the technology to ensure their
publish data. and third parties is largely • The roadmap has elements that and scalable data services and automated creation of new enabling technologies are
through manual means. support data interoperability but interfaces. data holdings. optimised, efficient and
b. Data interoperability is built
there is no holistic plan of how • When evaluating technologies, • Building and supporting data cost effective.
into technologies and systems • Critical data processes depend
by design. on manual or paper-based they can be most effective. the agency explicitly considers interoperability is a key principle • Where appropriate, the
workflows. • Where data collection is taking support for data interoperability of the roadmap and included agency uses natural language
c. Redundant and obsolete (for example, support for open by design. processing, data mining and
• Agency has limited tools and place, there are pockets of
technologies are managed and and industry standard file machine learning tools to
solutions for data management. emerging best practice which • The processing, transformation,
do not compromise data access formats, APIs). process data into meaningful,
use digital rather than paper- update and publishing of data
and procedures essential to • Digital systems currently used structured, high-quality datasets.
based collection and validation. • Data handling and management to consumers is automated
meeting business requirements. are outdated and siloed where
• Agency has started to digitise workflows are largely digital from wherever possible. • Forward planning successfully
interoperability would be
and automate high-value data end to end. • Published data is made available mitigates the risks of data
most effective.
handling and management • Data, including high value through standards-based APIs. inaccessibility caused by
• Legacy systems exist and legacy systems and ensures
processes (for example, data held in legacy systems, • Agency has an understanding
are not managed. Legacy technologies and procedures
scanning with OCR technology is identified. There are plans of big data technologies and
data is difficult to access or remain current to best address
and ETL). for how to access legacy how they can harness their
inaccessible and there is no these issues.
• Legacy systems are known and data including migration to potential benefits (for example,
consideration of how to access
documented. Discussions around current systems. data lakes, NoSQL, in-memory • Subject matter experts monitor
these systems or their data.
how to manage and access their • There are clear procedures databases, analytics and emerging technologies as
data are in progress. for decommissioning legacy visualisation, data mining, AI and business as usual and update
systems including data migration machine learning). systems as appropriate.
• Cost-effective ‘plug and play’
systems are used to implement and disposal of temporary • Legacy systems are
easy solutions that enable data value data. decommissioned and required
interoperability. data migrated. Temporary
value data no longer needed
for business purposes is
accountably destroyed.

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA Data Interoperability Maturity Model | 10

 TECHNICAL: The maturity of the technology that supports data interoperability, including computer systems and services

CATEGORY OBJECTIVES STEP: Initial STEP: Developing STEP: Defined STEP: Managing STEP: Optimising

Architecture a. Business architecture facilitates • Decision-making regarding • The value of systems that can be • Scoping has begun to break • Data in legacy systems is • Agency has embraced DevOps
data interoperability by design. data use, reuse and sharing is easily and individually unlinked, down monolithic systems into made accessible through practices. These increase their
difficult and tied to a centralised updated and developed (loosely smaller services so that data is internal APIs for consumption ability to build data sharing
b. Strategic planning prioritises
business owner. coupled) is understood and easier to expose to internal and by modern applications. technologies such as API-
business agility and meeting supported at senior level. external consumers. enabled systems and the speed
• Lack of boundaries between • API usage is monitored to
the demands of rapid shifts in and amount of data that can be
business concepts or domains • The need to decentralise • The scope of smaller services understand the demand on data
technologies. shared increases.
results in linked, interdependent business owners to support is defined through technologies assets and to tailor resource
systems (tightly coupled) that agile decision-making for data such as domain-driven design availability accordingly. • DevOps practices bridge the
cannot be individually updated use, reuse and sharing is agreed. (DDD) to create a bounded • Access points that facilitate gap between development
or developed. • A general understanding of context for the data relating machine-to-machine project changes and release.
• Assigning business owners to monolithic systems and how to that service. In this way, a connectivity are managed Keeping data access points
specific data sets or attributes they inhibit interoperability exists service does not contain more through gateway technologies (such as APIs and other backend
is made difficult by data being at senior level. data than it requires to fulfil its to ensure security policies services) evergreen by swapping
tightly coupled within legacy core function. Reference data is are ‘baked-in’. Data can only old for new functionality is fast
systems. Business agility in obtained through API calls. be accessed by parties that and efficient.
decision-making is affected. • Clear boundaries between data have the appropriate level • Strong business agility enables
domains and business concepts of authorisation. breaking down and development
enable business owners of data of features quickly as part of
to be decentralised, facilitating business as usual instead of
agile decision-making in data large projects.
use, reuse and sharing. • Legacy systems are
decommissioned and data
is made accessible by being
migrated to target modern
systems or data stores.

Data publication a. Agency uses standardised • High-value datasets that have • Data being published is • There is clear understanding • Data with appropriate licensing • Agency publishes open-
and exchange publication and exchange appropriate licensing or terms machine-readable and of the technical and licensing is published in open standards standards based web services
methods to ensure data is of use are not published online structured and can be or terms-of-use requirements that enable it to be efficiently to allow machine-based access
interoperable. or are published in non-machine processed using proprietary for open data, how this can aid linked and integrated with other to data.
readable formats such as software (for example, interoperability, and where or if it datasets (for example, RDF, • Agency collects and monitors
b. Bespoke software is not scanned images of documents. Word documents). is relevant to business. OWL and SPARQL). metrics on the automated
required to interpret the data.
• Exchange of data frequently • Standardised, repeatable • Datasets with appropriate • Processes for data exchange are exchange of data.
c. The government’s open data involves a significant level of ad processes support data licensing are available online in automated and their standards • Compliance with standards for
principles are recognised and hoc manual intervention. exchange but involve open formats such as XML specify open or industry- data exchange is continuously
implemented into the business • Agency has no data standards manual work. and CSV. standard formats. reviewed and updated to reflect
area as appropriate. for data exchange including in • Agency is working to develop • Automated tools are being • Agencies reuse or integrate best practice.
agreements with other agencies. standards-based processes for introduced to reduce the level of with existing government • Mutually beneficial data
data publishing and exchange manual effort in data exchange. platforms and data hubs for data exchange agreements with other
that define elements such as • Standards for data exchange exchange where appropriate. agencies and organisations are
file format, data structure and have been agreed upon and • There are clear procedures and a proactively sought.
approved data-sharing channels. are being used between the strong culture of data exchange
• There is an awareness of open agency and other organisations with accredited trusted users.
data and supporting resources supplying and consuming data. • A system is in place for
(for example, data.gov.au) but • Data with licensing and terms publishing data identified
there is no consideration of how of use that facilitate sharing and as eligible to be open data.
this applies to published and reuse, such as open data, is The data is published on the
exchanged data. flagged for priority publishing. appropriate public channels.
• There are trusted users for
data exchange that have been
accredited through external
or internal procedures (for
example, TDIF accreditation
or ‘whitelisting’).

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA Data Interoperability Maturity Model | 11

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