Terms of Reference: Data Architecture Review Panel (DARP)

The DARP is an expert group that reviews draft data architecture proposals. This page sets out its full mandate for quality assurance and standardisation.

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The DARP is an expert review group for all draft data architecture proposals, with main objectives to ensure standardisation and consistent high quality across national data products. This guarantees that standard and approved designs are stored centrally and accessibly.

• Future goals: This group will expand to provide the expert review and gateway approval for any data architecture submissions for national standardisation at the Data Design Authority (DDA)

• Reporting: DARP reports directly to the DDA

Responsibilities (in scope)

The DARP is responsible for defining and overseeing the implementation of enterprise wide data principles and governance processes. This includes:

• quality assuring data architecture proposals from data delivery teams, including artefacts such as data models, dictionaries, data flow or lineage models, data processing rules, and reference data definition

• defining and overseeing the implementation of enterprise wide data principles, data architecture design standards (including all data models for national implementation), and the data architecture governance process

• and ensuring appropriate recording of all artefacts, feedback, and governance decisions in the Central Metadata Hub repository and relevant national catalogues (for example NHS England Data Catalogue, NHS Data Rules Library)

Key outputs

• the panel reports to the DDA, providing regular updates and recommendations for national data standards to that forum

• assessment reports on submitted designs and subsequent implementation decisions by the DDA are fully documented in the Central Metadata Hub repository

• where appropriate, content is added to key national resources, including the NHS England Tech and Data Standards Directory, NHS England Data Catalogue, and the National Open Code Catalogue

Standing agenda

The agenda focuses on the review of submitted material and formal documentation of outcomes:

• introductions

• review and discussion of requested data architecture artefacts

• agreement of key points for the summary review report

• dates of future meetings (if scheduled)

Meeting logistics

Frequency: As needed / at least monthly.

• Time Allocation: 50–80 minutes per session

Roles

• Chair: Rotates on a four-monthly basis among panel members

• Management: Lead Coding and Data Standards Architect

Members

Drawn from staff of NHS England data and information architects and analytics functions, as well as nominated staff from associated governance groups