Data Co-ordinators - description of their role

Scope of the role

Each School or Service is required to nominate an individual(s) to take on the responsibility of Data Coordinator duties. The Data Coordinator function is a collection of responsibilities and tasks; it is not a standalone role. It is anticipated that nominated Data Coordinators will perform the responsibilities and tasks alongside their substantive role.

Functions and tasks of data coordination role

1. To act as an advocate for issues relating to data protection and privacy, including raising awareness, promoting good practice and challenging poor practice (within the limits of your authority) within your service.
2. To coordinate required activity within the service or department.  This will extend to putting together plans and documentation; monitoring progress and actions and escalating concerns within the service or department’s management structure or into the corporate compliance structure (in practice the Information Governance Manager, as of December 2018).
3. Identifying when issues relating to data protection and privacy require wider discussion within your service or department and to act to get those issues discussed at the relevant formal or informal forums within the service/department.
4. To be willing to act as a first point of reference and advice for colleagues within the service and department, to signpost them to further resources or help them resolve those queries.
5. To be an active member of the wider community of data protection and privacy practitioners within the University.  This includes attending University-wide data coordinator meetings; being a key point of contact for disseminating and promoting guidance and instruction and building a network of contacts with key posts (such as those set out below and Data Coordinator colleagues from other areas).
6. To build up awareness and knowledge of data protection and privacy issues and resources, particularly as relating to your service/department and be willing to undertake training as required.

Support for role

Under the governance structure for compliance Data Coordinators have delegated authority from Deans and Heads of Service to carry out the role.  Overall responsibility for compliance rests with the Dean or Head of Service and they must make sure their Data Coordinator is able to deliver broad compliance or escalate concerns where that is not the case.  It is anticipated that Data Coordinators will call upon the line management structures within their individual service to support their work.

Support for the role is available from individual posts such as the Information Governance Manager in Registry and the Information Security team in IT services.  The work is backed in governance terms by the Information Governance Sub-Committee.