Data/Information Architecture

The Data/Information Architecture Policy enables data/information systems that support government functions and services to more effectively communicate, interoperate, and share resources. It focuses on the process of modeling the information needed to support the business processes and functions of agencies, and, more strategically, of communities of interest. Where applicable, it spans traditional agency organizational boundaries to address interoperability, integration, consolidation, and sharing of resources by correlating agency business processes to common government services through the identification and definition of data/information relationships and dependencies. Data/Information Architecture provides a common framework to converge certain individual agency business processes into community-of-interest-based, realistic, attainable e-government solutions and strategic business initiatives that eliminate unnecessary redundant and overlapping individual agency activities. Data/Information standards include:

• Data Modeling, which is the formalization and documentation of existing processes and events that occur during application software design and development. It simplifies the complex process of software design, making a "blueprint" for construction. The standard establishes guidelines for agency and State implementations of data modeling that facilitate common, interoperable representations and descriptions of data and information that is collected and managed.
• Classification and Categorization of Data, which is designed to identify baseline classifications for data/information for which the State is considered the owner. The standard establishes a data classification methodology to selectively protect data/information in the State’s custody against loss or misuse.
• Database Access, which establishes common, standards-based, database access conventions. The standard identifies database types, access languages, protocols, and connectivity methods that enable database access.