Terms of Reference: Data Assurance Board (DAB)

The DAB is responsible for providing assurance and approval for the publication of new, updated, or retired Information Standards, Collections, and Extractions (ISCEs).

It operates with the delegated authority of the Data Alliance Partnership Board (DAPB).

[Area for team to post the latest minutes, outcomes, and announcements. e.g. “Minutes from the September 2025 meeting are now available.”]

Strategic objectives
The board operates to assure against the strategic context set by the Data Alliance Partnership Board (DAPB) and against the architecture and framework designed by the Data Design Authority (DDA). Key objectives include:

• being accountable for publishing the Information Standards Notices (ISNs)

• and the Chair reports regularly to the Data Alliance Partnership Board on progress and the impact (including compliance) of ISN publications on data readiness for policy making

Key responsibilities
The DAB is responsible for:

• providing assurance that data standards are compliant with and validated against the emerging target data architecture as published by the DDA
• using its delegated authority to approve and publish new (or changes/deprecation of existing) ISCEs
• and ensuring that evaluations and reviews are carried out on the uptake of approved ISCEs. This is done in the context of reducing potential existing duplication and minimising the burden on providers

• Approved and Published Information Standards, Collections, and Extractions (ISCEs)

• Information Standards Notices (ISNs), which the board is accountable for publishing

Evaluation and impact
To ensure use and accountability, the board will determine indicators that can be used to show the uptake, use, and impact of both existing and new ISCEs.

Meeting logistics

• Frequency: Monthly, with provision for short meetings fortnightly when required
• Time Allocation: 90 minutes per session

Roles

• Chair: Deputy Chief Technology Officer,  Technology Strategy, Architecture and Standards (TSAS) function chairs the board

• Secretariat: Provided by the Data Governance, Assurance and Testing (DGAT) team, which sits within Data Services

Membership and attendees
Members must be experienced in data, models, and other data architecture components. They are expected to be actively working or be recipients of services in the context of the health and social care landscape today.

Conflict of Interest: Members are not to be involved in the data collections or pipelines to avoid conflicts of interest.

Quorum: For a meeting to be quorate, 50% of the core members should be in attendance (subject to discussion/confirmation).

Core Membership: Drawn from staff of NHS England data and analytics as well as nominated staff from partner organisations (for example, NICE, CQC, DHSC, PRSB).