Metadata lifecycle management guideline

Final | October 2019 | v1.0.0 | OFFICIAL - Public |QGCIO

Introduction

Purpose

A Queensland Government Enterprise Architecture (QGEA) guideline provides information for Queensland Government agencies on the recommended practices for a given topic area. Guidelines are generally for information only and agencies are not required to comply. They are intended to help agencies understand the appropriate approach to addressing a particular issue or doing a particular task.

This document provides guidance to Queensland Government agencies which rely on metadata to facilitate effective data management, discovery and use. The guideline is structured around the typical phases of the information lifecycle and provides a recommended approach for managing metadata throughout each phase. As well as defining what metadata is and why its effective management is important, this guideline describes details of typical activities, expected outcomes and relevant stakeholders associated with each lifecycle phase to assist agencies to better manage their metadata holdings.

The intent of this document is to establish a point of reference from which agencies can formally develop specific policies, standards and procedures which meet agency business requirements for managing metadata throughout the lifecycle.

Audience

This document is primarily intended for:

• Metadata creators
• Information asset custodians
• Information management specialists
• Record keepers and archivists
• Enterprise architects
• Information architects
• Business analysts
• System administrators
• Data analysts and researchers
• Website developers
• Metadata consumers

Scope

In scope

All metadata currently produced, collected, managed, stored, published or shared by Queensland Government departments, either by manual or automated processes.

Out of scope

The following are out of scope of the current guideline:

• specific guidance on the selection of appropriate metadata schemas for particular subject domains
• this guideline does not provide recommendations regarding the expected useful life of metadata.

Background

Along with other data and information, it is important that agencies actively manage metadata throughout its lifecycle in order to maintain relevance, accuracy and currency. As increasingly large amounts of data and information are produced and collected, effective metadata management helps to ensure the ongoing ability of agencies to understand, process, integrate, maintain and manage their data, systems and workflows. Metadata documents agency knowledge about its data and provides a consistent reference source to help users understand what data the agency holds, what that data represents and how it can be used.

Because metadata plays a vital role in relation to data and information discovery and use, it is important agencies put strategies in place to ensure metadata is managed throughout its lifecycle. Without metadata management, there can be no data management which will negatively impact on the ability of an agency to effectively use and reuse its data and information.

As Queensland government agencies create, collect, use and store increasingly large amounts of data, the role of metadata and its effective management, becomes increasingly important.