ons.gov.

uk

[Metadata Policy]
Contents
1. Summary 2
2. Introduction 2
3. Scope 4
4. Objectives and basic
principles 4
5. Roles and
responsibilities 5
6. Policy 6
7. Procedures 7
8. Point of contact 8
9. Bibliography 8

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Policy name Metadata policy
Date policy was introduced August 2019
This policy has been authorised by
Tomas Sanchez Lopez
(SRO)
Policy owner Gareth Watkins
Other contacts Beata Lisowska
Scope of the policy All data in ONS
Next review date January 2021
Release Version Version 1.0
Status Approved

1. Summary
Metadata provide information about other data, including a description of the data. This
includes information that provides context to the data, for example, how they were
collected, or the coverage of the data. Metadata can include such information as
publication date, description and search keywords. In order to understand the data it holds,
ONS will provide a comprehensive set of unambiguous metadata relating to the data ONS
manages.
The metadata will be categorised and managed according to the ONS metadata
management framework1, which includes data principles [3] and data standards [4]
relating to metadata. All data acquired by ONS must be accompanied by metadata.

Metadata items will be completed by metadata owners who will be appointed by the data
information asset owners, and who will be responsible for periodically reviewing the
metadata is correct and of high quality. The metadata owner will initiate corrective action to
address any issues found with accuracy and quality of the metadata.

2. Introduction
Metadata provides information about other data, including a description of the data. This
includes information that provides context to the data, for example how it was collected, or
the coverage of the data: for example, publication date, description and search keywords.

1To be confirmed. The Metadata Management Framework document describing the framework will be
published shortly

2
A Metadata strategy describes how an organisation intends to manage its Metadata and
how it will move from current state to future state practices [1]. The strategy for metadata
will evolve over time for ONS, as the requirements are understood across business
domains and the lifecycle of metadata is comprehensively captured across the office
through central metadata management framework [2]. The metadata strategy is part of
the ONS Data Strategy and requires underpinning ONS wide policies to enforce it. This
Metadata policy supports ONS Data Principles [3] and underpins the Metadata
Management Framework and its adoption is crucial in metadata governance at ONS.

As part of the Metadata Management Framework2 a Business Glossary has been created
which aims to provide a set of definitions for the main terms used in ONS.

Metadata is categorised [5] according to the ONS Metadata Management framework,

which has the categories (and sub-categories), as shown in Figure 1.

ONS needs to hold and manage a comprehensive set of unambiguous metadata relating
to the data it manages, in order to understand the data, fully extract the value from data
and employ appropriate security measure to protect the data.

2To be confirmed. The Metadata Management Framework document describing the framework will be
published shortly.

3
 Figure 1 Metadata categories

3. Scope
This policy covers all the statistical data that ONS holds including those obtained through
surveys and from administrative sources in the private or public sectors. The policy is valid
from data acquisition and collection by ONS.

This policy applies to all UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) and ONS employees, including
staff on fixed term, temporary or permanent contract, staff on secondment, students and
contractors.

4. Objectives and basic principles

The ONS Metadata Management framework3 leverages data principles [3] and data
standards [4] relating to metadata.

3To be confirmed. The Metadata Management Framework document describing the framework will be
published shortly.

4
To improve the usability of metadata, all metadata will be required to comply with the Data
Standard which defines the “minimum set of metadata” for ONS data sets. This means that
all data acquired by ONS from external providers, for example, must be accompanied by
metadata which complies with this standard. In practice, captured metadata will go beyond
the defined minimum set of metadata.

The metadata must comply with the Data Principles [3], in particular:

Data Ingestion Principles

No Data Without Metadata
Data Security Principles
Legal and Regulatory Compliance
Data Retention and Storage
Keep data for long enough
Don’t keep data for too long
Respect local regulations
Common Terms and Usage
Common Controlled Vocabulary
Data Processing Principles
Maintain Change History

5. Roles and responsibilities

5.1 The Information Asset Owner will appoint the Metadata Owner

5.2 Metadata owner

5.2.1 The Metadata owner will be responsible for ensuring the details of the metadata
which they own are correct and of high completeness and are managed in accordance
with the metadata retention period [6] they have defined.
5.2.2 The owner will initiate corrective action to address any issues found with the
availability, accuracy and completeness of the metadata.
5.2.3 The owner will ensure that metadata is retained to comply with regulations and other
existing and future ONS regulatory needs, such as, but not inclusive of, Code of Practice.

5.3 Lead Data Architect

5.3.1 The Lead Data Architect is responsible for informing Metadata owners of any
changes (implemented by the Data Architecture team) to this policy and to related data
principles, data standards and guidance.

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5.3.2 The Lead Data Architect is responsible for ensuring a communication plan is
implemented to inform interested parties (e.g. those who are involved in acquiring, creating
or amending data and metadata), what their responsibilities are and what processes
should be followed to ensure that metadata is managed throughout the lifecycle.

5.4 Data Acquisition / Creation / Amendment

5.4.1 Whoever acquires or creates new data needs to ensure that the corresponding
metadata is collected or defined. The metadata must comply with data standards,
particularly with the data standards which specify the minimum set of metadata that needs
to be provided.
5.4.2 Whoever amends existing data needs to ensure that the corresponding metadata is
amended or kept up-to-date and that the metadata owner is informed of the changes.
5.4.3 Whenever new data is acquired / created, a Metadata owner needs to be assigned
by the IAO.
5.4.4 Whoever acquires or creates new data or amends existing data needs to check
whether the business glossary needs to be updated, and ensure the relevant changes are
implemented in a timely fashion.

5.5 Reviewers
5.5.1 Chief Data Architect
5.5.2 Stakeholders in Data Architecture division
5.5.3 Head of Knowledge and Information Management

5.6 Glossary term owners

5.6.1 Glossary term owners will either volunteer or be selected to maintain a set of terms
in ONS Business Glossary. ONS Business Glossary term owners will assign Subject
Matter Experts (SMEs).
5.6.2 The term owners will be responsible to maintain, update, consolidate and link terms
to others in the Business Glossary as necessary according to ONS Business Glossary
workflows and approval procedures.

6. Policy
6.1 Metadata will be defined and centrally maintained for all data held by ONS from
acquisition to dissemination.
6.1.1 Data acquired and collected by ONS from external and internal sources must be
accompanied by metadata. The metadata must contain at least a minimum set of
metadata elements that are shared across ONS data estate.

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6.1.2 Data provided by ONS to external recipient must be accompanied by metadata. This
metadata must be up-to-date managed metadata.
6.1.3 New data created by ONS (e.g. statistical output) must be accompanied by
metadata.
6.2 The metadata will be categorised and managed according to the ONS Metadata
Management framework4.
6.3 On the Information Asset Register, information about metadata owners will be
recorded
6.3.1 The Metadata owner will periodically review the quality of the metadata they own and
will initiate corrective action to address any issues found with accuracy and quality of the
metadata.
6.3.2 The Metadata owner will assign a retention period for the metadata according to the
retention policy [6].

6.4 Metadata will comprise of a consistent set of minimum metadata elements as defined
by the ONS Metadata Model [7]. The minimum set of metadata will include, descriptive,
structural and administrative metadata.
6.4.1 Both the Information Asset Owner and the Metadata Owner will ensure that their
assets are described by at least the set of minimum metadata elements.

6.5 The business glossary will be updated with new terms, or the definition of existing
terms will be consolidated at the time of data acquisition/ creation or amendment.
6.5.1 The Glossary term owners will be appointed at the time of data acquisition/ creation
or amendment and they will ensure that their terms are up-to-date, linked to other terms,
consolidated and deleted if appropriate.

7. Procedures
Not applicable at this time, however this policy will support Metadata Management
Framework and hence the associated procedures will be linked to it.

The procedures for appointing Business Glossary term owners will follow the same
procedures as the ones used by Knowledge Information Management team in appointing
Asset Owners.

4To be confirmed. The Metadata Management Framework document describing the framework will be
published shortly.

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 8. Point of contact
metadata.management@ons.gov.uk

9. Bibliography

[1] DAMA DMBOK Data Management Body Of Knowledge, New Jersey: Technics Publications,
2017.

[2] B. K. Lisowska, C. Bowler and C. Bain, “Metadata Management Discovery Report,” ONS,
2019.

[3] W. Ram and S. Alder, “ONS Data Principles,” 10 06 2019. [Online]. Available:
https://share.sp.ons.statistics.gov.uk/sites/DataArchitecture/div/Data_Architecture/Documents
/Data_principles/ANNEX%20C%20ONS%20Data%20Principles%20-%20v1.0.docx.

[4] ONS, Data Architecture Branch, “ONS Data Standards,” 10 June 2019. [Online]. Available:
https://share.sp.ons.statistics.gov.uk/sites/DataArchitecture/div/Data_Architecture/Forms/AllIt
ems.aspx?RootFolder=%2Fsites%2FDataArchitecture%2Fdiv%2FData_Architecture%2FDoc
uments%2FData_standards.

[5] B. K. Lisowska, T. Un Nisa and S. Alder, “Metadata Categories,” 2019. [Online]. Available:
https://share.sp.ons.statistics.gov.uk/sites/DataArchitecture/div/Data_Architecture_limited/Do
cuments/Metadata_management/DLZ06.MD01.v0.04.docx.

[6] C. Bennett, “Data Retention, Data Archiving and Data Destruction Policy”.

[7] N. Jeenu, “Data Model Document,” February 2019. [Online]. Available:

https://share.sp.ons.statistics.gov.uk/sites/DataArchitecture/div/Data_Architecture/Documents
/Metadata_management/ONS Metadata Model.docx.