Data Governance for Children’s Mental Health: What is It and Why is It Important? - NNPHI

Data Governance for Children’s Mental Health: What is It and Why is It Important? - NNPHI

Data Governance for Children’s Mental Health: What is It and Why is It Important?

May 7, 2020

To support children’s mental health, we first need a solid foundation of information based on data. Data are needed to paint a picture, look at trends to see what has happened over time, and prepare for the future. Data governance is a critical tool towards conducting children’s mental health surveillance. This is the first report in a series on data governance by NNPHI. This report outlines the importance of data governance by leadership, project managers, program staff, research, Information Technology (IT) and subject matter experts (SMEs). Data governance activities include data management processes, data standards and definitions, and program coordination that oversees interagency data sharing and analyses. Through such activities, valid, reliable and high-quality data will be available for public health, human services and education research, program evaluation and policymaker decision-making around children’s mental health surveillance.