Play 22 - Ensure documentation is available in a central place

Technical play for data stewards: Ensure documentation is available in a central place.

Ensure that users can easily find the information they need in a centralized location for storing all project #documentation. Centralizing project documentation in one easily accessible location streamlines information retrieval, saving time and reducing frustration for team members who need to find specific documents quickly. Additionally, a centralized system makes it easier to track changes.

1. Select a central repository (e.g., GitHub, GitBook, or Google Drive) that is accessible to all stakeholders.
2. Organize documentation into clear categories, for example: project overviews, data dictionaries, technical manuals, policies, meeting notes, etc.
3. Use a version-control system to manage updates and track changes.
4. Make sure team members know where to find the documentation.

🌱 Each play stems from a takeaway from an case study, workshop, or other learning source.

Takeaway: Documentation underlies effective collaborative data governance and institutional knowledge.
#Documentation about an organization’s data can include information on provenance, metadata and other contextual information, how decisions are made, the methodology behind collection, and data access and use conditions. These types of documentation ensure that data can be understood and utilized by any user. Many organizations have an understanding of these aspects, but haven’t made them explicit or published them alongside the data itself. Documentation allows for stewards’ or organizational knowledge to be safeguarded and transparent for the public, and also provides an avenue to examine how these aspects have changed over time.

Source: Community Data Playbook (Full report)