Blog Posts

A Day in the Life of the ODGA Team

Wednesday, September 15, 2021

We already know that the Office of Data Governance and Analytics (ODGA) is focused on providing data governance for the Commonwealth. But let's look into more detail. What exactly does the office do? What does a day in the life of the ODGA team look like? 

Every morning, there are two team meetings. The first meeting comprises of the Chief Data Officer, the Deputy Chief Data Officer, the Communications, Outreach, and Engagement Manager, and the Communications Analyst. The second meeting is made up of the Deputy Chief Data Officer and all of the data professionals on the ODGA team. The meetings are for both teams to catch up, discuss challenges, remove roadblocks, and celebrate wins. These meetings are the oil that keeps the ODGA machine functioning. The team cannot accomplish anything without communication.

The rest of the day revolves around a very simple acronym coined by CDO Carlos Rivero: R. A. P.

This stands for responsiveness, accountability, and productivity.  The team of 12 is virtual, so responsiveness and communication is critical to maintain progress. Using the R.A.P. method, the team takes on several projects daily for the greater good of the Commonwealth.

The most notable project that the team is working on to date is building and selecting the members for the Virginia Data Advisory Commission (VDAC). This commission will assist ODGA "to set, plan, and prioritize data sharing performance goals for the Commonwealth, review agency accomplishments, and achieve desired performance goals and objectives." It will have 3 Senate members, 3 delegates, 13 cabinet secretaries, the Chief Data Officer, and one member from each of the 7 regions of Virginia.  Each regional member is being carefully chosen with the intent that VDAC will help create better outcomes for everyone in the Commonwealth using data and evidence based decision making. 

Other important projects that ODGA is working on are continuing to grow the number of datasets on the Open Data Portal and assisting the Virginia Department of Health wit the entity matching of their data. 

On the communications side, the Communications, Outreach, and Engagement Manager and the Communications Analyst work to spread the ODGA message far and wide. They also are tasked with planning the 2021 Virtual Virginia Datathon in partnership with the Library of Virginia. Days for the communications team consist of promoting ODGA on the ODGA Twitter and LinkedIn as well as reaching out to stakeholders to reach ODGA goals. The communications team also serves as culture management, holding staff meetings and bringing the two distinct teams (Data and Communications) together.

Each day is filled with progress in creating actionable intelligence for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Teamwork is key, and everyone communicates regardless of position. While this office is new, we have started off strong, and can't wait to see where our hard work takes us!