4 Self-assessment tool

This tool represents the last stage of the methodology suggested herein. It therefore presumes that the user is familiar with the definitions related to program data management and already has a good idea of how his or her organisation operates. The tool is indeed organised around different focuses, each of which encompasses a series of questions allowing the user to judge the level of maturity of his or her organisation with regard to program data management. This comprehensive and holistic tool thus serves to gauge a level of maturity in program data management and also to structure the management of an organisation’s future program data.

We recommend using this tool after the two first ones. Indeed, taking ownership of the flowchart will enable the user to take stock and become familiar with the terms and the various topics involved, whereas mapping will provide a more comprehensive overview of program data management within a team, a department or an organisation. This will offer constructive hindsight on macro topics or those involving interdependencies between different stakeholders.

The variety of questions asked and the level of information they presume will require a certain investment in time for the user. Its usefulness will be limited if you have little time to carry out the in-depth self-assessment.

For this reason, if you only need a few elements to understand program data management or if you are looking to find information on a specific topic, we recommend using the flowchart instead.

By answering all of these questions, the tool will give you a score in each of the five main thematic focuses (data, organisational, IT tools, HR, ethics). This will allow you to identify your strengths and weaknesses, and thus structure your program data management process based on the resources highlighted in the tool.

Finally, a wise approach would be to have several actors within the same organisation but coming from different departments (HQ teams versus operational teams for instance) complete the tool. This will indeed allow a comparison of the different levels of maturity, and therefore of the perception and dissemination of the topic internally, a crucial element in the eventual harmonisation of an approach in program data management.

We refer you here to discover and download the tool, which contains a detailed User Guide in tab 1.