Establish or Define Governance Structures

Phase 1: Component and Exchange Path

Establish or Define Governance Structures

There is often a tendency to consult stakeholders and establish governance structures at the beginning of a project and end discussions there. Be careful to manage this pitfall as success of the project is often due to communication and buy-in from stakeholders and governance structures. If governance structures are already defined, clearly establish how the project team and stakeholders align and report to governance groups.

If governance structures are not already in place, the team will need to begin to establish some governance structure that will work for the scope of the project. Consider options for forming a structure that can be used to support the current project with an eye toward establishing structures that can be used to govern health ICT projects as they arise. Make sure to consider the different stakeholder groups that may have to contribute the data captured, utilize the data or support the tooling or infrastructure as stakeholders are considered.

As new business cases arise, the group should strategically plan scale up and implementation in-line with national and international data exchange and terminology standards. The composition of the stakeholder groups may be dynamic with new members joining the group as new requirements emerge and are prioritized through established governance structures.

Reference: Digital Implementation Investment Guide (Chapter 5.3: Leadership and Governance Considerations)