Transparency data

DSA Steering Board Minutes, Monday 1 December 2025 (HTML)

Updated 6 February 2026

Attendees

• Jenny Brooker, Chair (DSIT)
• Samantha Iacob (ONS)
• Charles Baird (ONS)
• Joy Lincoln (HMRC)
• Rob Lee (HMRC)
• Krisztina Katona (Home Office)
• Beata Lisowska (NHS England)
• Kev Lock (HMRC)
• Nina Ciuffardi (NISTA)
• Firoze Salim (DSIT)
• Andrew Vourdas (DSIT)
• John Olatunji (DSIT)

Record of discussions

1. Welcome and introductions - Jenny Brooker, Chief Data Architect, GDS/DSIT

Jenny opened the meeting by reflecting on recent engagement with the Executive CDO Council, explaining that the Council was briefed on the importance of the Steering Board and the strategic direction currently being taken. Jenny emphasised that several asks would be coming to the group today and noted that many organisations have significant programmes underway where alignment to emerging standards will soon matter.

Jenny introduced Nina Ciuffardi, who would be presenting the NISTA Project Data Standard for understanding and eventual ratification. Jenny encouraged attendees to consider how the standard should sit alongside other standards progressing through the DSA pipeline.

2. NISTA Project Data Standard - Nina Ciuffardi, Programme Manager, NISTA

Nina provided detailed background on the development of the Project Data Standard, representing the Government Project Delivery Function.

Overview of the Standard

• Born out of a 2024 strategy to improve the use of data and AI in government project delivery.
• Intended to address fragmented, inconsistent project data across government.
• Aims to improve data sharing, quality, forecasting confidence, and ultimately project outcomes.

Scope

• Covers 7 project delivery data entities and 104 attributes.
• Intended for practitioners responsible for creating, managing or reporting project data.
• Aligned with GovS 001.

Development Process

• Initial drafts created using existing government project reporting data and guidance.
• Early 2025 roundtable sessions refined each entity.
• Three-month pilot over summer with multiple organisations.
• Key adoption issue identified: reconfiguration of project management systems.
• A user reference group of 30 members then conducted rapid successive reviews.
• Industry partners were consulted through bodies such as APM, MPA, and PMI; feedback was strongly positive.
• The DSA Open Standards Advisory Panel assessed the standard as “mature” and requiring minimal revision.

Publication Timeline

• Planned publication: 11 December 2025.
• Published as Government Trial for 12 months.
• Supporting materials will include a policy note to senior leaders, adoption guidance, implementation planning template, and case studies from pilot organisations.
• Updated version after the trial will become mandatory, with all organisations expected to be compliant by 2030.
• GMPP projects will become compliant earlier through updates to the central reporting platform.

Discussion

• Joy expressed strong support. HMRC has faced challenges due to inconsistent data understanding in major programmes and has been developing a blueprint for what proper data discovery should look like. Joy emphasised that embedding expectations for data discovery and early risk assessment into the standard would give central data teams greater authority and improve programme delivery. Joy offered support from HMRC’s team.
• Jenny highlighted the importance of applying discovery approaches consistently across programmes and encouraged HMRC to continue testing these approaches and sharing their insights.
• Krisztina expressed support and asked whether NISTA had engaged Home Office colleagues. She stressed the value of embedding standards early to avoid issues experienced in some high-profile programmes. Krisztina asked whether there was the ability to enforce the standard through funding or governance gates. Nina responded that compliance monitoring would take place through the Continuous Improvement Assessment Framework and could be reflected in project assurance reviews but would not immediately block programme approval.
• Jenny requested that Steering Board members consider how the standard would align with existing organisational governance routes and what internal changes would be required to embed it. Jenny asked Nina to share the user reference group membership list so departments can identify relevant internal contacts.
• Rob noted that stronger adoption could be achieved if HM Treasury were to require standards use in project submissions, as departments take Treasury requirements seriously. Rob suggested this as a potential long-term lever.

Close of Item

Nina thanked the group and confirmed she would share further materials. Jenny asked the Board to provide comments or objections to the standard by Friday, after which endorsement would be assumed.

3. DSA Priorities - Firoze Salim, Head of Frameworks and Standards, GDS/DSIT

Firoze provided an overview of current DSA priorities and departmental challenges.

Current Work

• Essential Shared Data Assets (ESDA) – creating minimum standards for critical data assets. -Vulnerabilities Working Group – developing models and standards for identifying vulnerable people. First artifacts to be published by end of March.
• Domain Expert Group on Person – defining core person attributes and considering long-term governance with first artifacts to be published by end of March.

Challenges around standards

• Legacy systems and operational constraints.
• Lack of consistent enforcement of standards.
• Limited resources to monitor adoption.
• Conflicting governance priorities within departments.
• Difficulty securing departmental engagement due to capacity pressures.
• Limited discoverability of existing standards.

Planned Improvements

• Focus on foundational cross-cutting standards.
• Treat standards as products with end-to-end lifecycle support.
• Create a Standards Observatory for easier discovery of standards across government.
• Move toward a second-line risk assurance model, linking standards compliance to ESDA declarations.
• Respond more dynamically to departmental needs through the Steering Board and CDO Council.

Ask to the Steering Board

Jenny and Firoze requested 1–2 hour sessions with each department to explore standardisation priorities and challenges. Insights will be brought back to the Board in January, with the next meeting scheduled for late January to allow for holiday leave.

4. Any Other business and next steps - Jenny Brooker, Chief Data Architect, GDS/DSIT

Jenny summarised the key actions and thanked attendees for their contributions. The meeting closed shortly after 4.30pm.