How the organisation defines its data strategy and translates strategic enterprise data goals into measurable domain value, priorities, and investment decisions.
STR-01
Executive sponsorship and mandate for data strategy
How clearly is there an accountable executive sponsor for data strategy (the Chief Data Officer or equivalent), with a defined mandate, reporting line, and authority to act on behalf of the organisation's data agenda?
Maturity level descriptions
No executive sponsor for data strategy exists; data-related decisions are made without reference to any accountable senior role. Data initiatives proceed without a named, accountable executive; escalation, funding, and prioritisation decisions default to whichever business unit raises them loudest.
A senior individual is informally regarded as responsible for data strategy, but the mandate, authority, and reporting line are not formally defined or endorsed. Someone is generally understood to be the organisation's data lead, but this understanding is not documented, and their authority to make binding decisions is untested or inconsistent.
A Chief Data Officer or equivalent role exists with a documented mandate and defined reporting line, endorsed by the executive team or board. A charter or terms of reference formally establishes the CDO's mandate, scope, and reporting line, endorsed through a recognised governance process.
The CDO mandate is reviewed and reaffirmed on a defined cycle, with authority and scope adjusted as the organisation's data agenda matures, and performance against the mandate is tracked. The CDO's mandate, scope, and success measures are reviewed at least annually against organisational priorities, with outcomes reported to the executive team or board.
The CDO role is embedded as a standing, board-level strategic function, with authority and resourcing that scale dynamically with the organisation's data ambition, and succession planning in place. The CDO participates as a core member of executive decision-making on strategy, investment, and risk, with a documented succession plan ensuring continuity of the mandate.
STR-02
Alignment of data strategy to organisational goals and measurable ROI
How clearly is the data strategy linked to the organisation's broader strategic goals, with measurable business Return On Investment tracked against that strategy?
Maturity level descriptions
No data strategy exists, or if one exists, it has no stated connection to organisational goals and no measure of business value. Data-related work proceeds independently of organisational strategy, with no attempt to demonstrate or measure business return.
A data strategy document exists and references organisational goals in general terms, but ROI is not defined or tracked. The data strategy asserts alignment to organisational priorities at a high level, without specific, measurable value targets.
The data strategy identifies specific organisational goals it supports and defines measurable ROI targets for priority initiatives. Priority data initiatives in the strategy carry stated business value targets (cost savings, revenue impact, risk reduction) linked to named organisational goals.
ROI against the data strategy is tracked and reported on a regular cycle, with the executive team or board reviewing actual versus targeted business value. A tracked ROI dashboard or report is reviewed by the executive team or board on a defined cadence, comparing actual outcomes to strategy targets.
Data strategy ROI is a standing input to organisational investment decisions, with the strategy dynamically reprioritised based on demonstrated value, and benchmarked externally. Demonstrated ROI directly shapes ongoing investment prioritisation, and the organisation benchmarks its data ROI against industry or sector peers.
STR-03
Funding model and investment governance for data initiatives
How sustainable and well-governed is the funding model for data initiatives — is data funded as a one-off project cost, or as an ongoing, governed investment?
Maturity level descriptions
No dedicated funding exists for data initiatives; data work is funded opportunistically from other budgets, if at all. Data-related work is squeezed into existing project or operational budgets with no dedicated allocation or business case process.
Data initiatives are funded on a one-off, project-by-project basis, with no sustained or multi-year funding commitment. Individual data projects secure ad hoc funding through standard project approval processes, without a longer-term funding view.
A defined, multi-year funding allocation exists for data initiatives, governed through a standard investment approval process. Data initiatives draw on a recognised, ongoing budget line, with investment decisions made through a documented approval process.
Data investment is portfolio-managed, with funding prioritised across competing initiatives based on strategic value and tracked return, reviewed on a defined cycle. A data investment portfolio is actively managed, with funding reallocated between initiatives based on tracked value and strategic priority.
Data funding is treated as a strategic capital investment, with a self-sustaining model (e.g. value captured funds further investment) and board-level oversight of the investment portfolio. Value realised from data initiatives is systematically reinvested, and the board or executive team maintains standing oversight of the data investment portfolio as a strategic asset.
STR-04
Roadmap execution and portfolio-level progress tracking
How visible and reliable is the organisation's data roadmap — is there a prioritised, enterprise-wide view of data initiatives, and how well is execution against it tracked?
Maturity level descriptions
No enterprise-wide data roadmap exists; initiatives happen independently across business units with no shared view or prioritisation. Business units pursue data initiatives independently, with no visibility at the executive level of the full portfolio of activity.
A roadmap exists for some parts of the organisation but is not enterprise-wide, and prioritisation across initiatives is inconsistent. Individual business units or functions maintain their own roadmaps, without a consolidated, enterprise-level prioritisation.
An enterprise-wide data roadmap exists, with initiatives prioritised against strategic goals and visible to relevant stakeholders. A consolidated roadmap document or system shows prioritised data initiatives across the organisation, accessible to relevant stakeholders.
Roadmap execution is tracked against milestones on a regular cycle, with variances reported to the executive team or board and remediation action taken. A tracked execution dashboard compares actual roadmap progress to planned milestones, reviewed regularly with remediation action for variances.
The roadmap is dynamically reprioritised in near-real-time as strategic context changes, with predictive tracking of delivery risk and board-level visibility of the full portfolio. Roadmap prioritisation adjusts continuously in response to changing strategic context, with delivery risk flagged predictively rather than only after milestones are missed.