The Imperative of Data Governance in Government Organisations: A Saudi Arabian Study

Abstract

To leverage the potential of today's data assets, an effective data governance approach must be established. Theoretically, data governance is a relatively new topic in IS research and under-researched, despite its importance in government organisations being recognised. In practice, public sector organisations have often practiced data governance implicitly, tended to follow generic approaches, and lacked clear structures. However, data governance has now evolved from an optional to a mandatory approach for all types of organisations. While government entities may adopt an implicit data governance approach based on common standards, the deliberate and formal implementation of a data governance framework is seen as an imperative of any organisation today. Therefore, there is a critical gap in research that necessitates an investigation into the proper implementation of data governance, particularly in the public sector. The question of how to properly implement this initiative through structured frameworks, particularly in government organisations, has emerged. Therefore, this study conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) methodology that aims to explore existing data governance frameworks and identify gaps and limitations. Analysis of the SLR’s results revealed the absence of a generalised and replicable framework for government data governance. Many frameworks have been developed from a corporate business perspective, while there is a lack of studies focussing on government data governance. This phase suggested additional dimensions when designing government data governance frameworks, where the focus should be on enabling public value creation. Accordingly, this study developed the initial Government Data Governance Framework (GDGF) in five stages using the critical success factors (CSFs) approach and based on the five dimensions of Abraham et al.'s (2019) conceptual framework. To examine this framework, a case study of Saudi government entities was developed to examine the successful implementation of GDGF. Using a triangulation approach, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirteen key informants who were directly involved in the data governance areas of their entities. In addition, seventeen relevant organisational documents were employed and analysed to triangulate the data sources and provide additional context for the CSF under investigation. Using a structured codebook approach, this case study yielded fourteen contextual CSFs for GDGF implementation in the context of Saudi Arabia's government entities. Through this case study, the findings demonstrated that data governance implementation was at an early stage, and as a result, the activation of data culture received significant emphasis. In addition, the results showed a focus on structural success factors, which were essential for institutionalising data governance concepts within entities. This case also confirmed that adopting GDGF is an essential tool for government organisations in Saudi Arabia to leverage data assets towards creating public value by ensuring data sharing and leveraging data platforms. This study concludes that further research could be conducted to determine the impact of adopting data governance on overall organisational performance in government agencies. In addition, data governance researchers may consider comparing the findings of the case study in Saudi government entities with data governance implemented in other regions.