Ensuring good safety of sensitive data, sufficient metadata and broad awareness of datasets is difficult. Below, the data sharing working group outlines specific data sharing challenges that should be kept in mind when working towards improvements to data sharing in the region.
Challenges receiving data
Projection may not be clear
No document or metadata
Received data to be used for a certain project. Another project comes up where the data would be very useful to use, but permission is not given
Challenges sending data
Finding out if a person requesting data is allowed to receive the data.
Having to specify how/what projects a person can use the data for.
Certain attributes may need to be removed before the data could be sent out.
There could be different versions of the data – e.g. Anyone in Dept may have full dataset, other gov depts, may receive a different version, and public may receive a 3rd version. (Various fields may have to be removed)
How to ensure someone is using the most up to date version
Making sure have included metadata
General challenges
Internal capacity
Everyone believes in the philosophical importance of data sharing
But competing priorities and upcoming deadlines make it not feasible