Total Information Quality Management Handbook

3300.1

CHAPTER 1. IMPLEMENTING HUD\'S TOTAL INFORMATION QUALITY MANAGEMENT
ENVIRONMENT

1-1 Overview

A. This chapter presents a definition of information and

information quality, HUD\'s information quality standard, roles

and responsibilities, and an overview of HUD\'s Total Information

Quality Management method. The implementation of this method must

be in the context of a cultural transformation characterized by:

1\. A value system: \"we value our information customers.\"

2\. A mindset of \"excellence in all our work products including

information as a product.\"

3\. A habit of continuous improvement: \"to eliminate the waste

of process failure and information scrap and rework caused by

defective, non-quality data.\"

1-2 Definition of Information

A. In this Handbook, information refers to data in context.

Data is the representation of facts in all media or forms

including digital, written, coded, textual, numerical, graphical,

geo-spatial, audio and video. Information is the meaning given to

data or the interpretation of data based on its context; it is

the finished product that results from this interpretation. This

document provides a method for total quality management

applicable to all information in all forms required by HUD.

B. Based on OMB Section 515 guidance, agencies are directed to

develop management procedures for reviewing and substantiating

the quality of information before it is disseminated. In Section

515 guidelines, the term information is used primarily in the

context of dissemination of information and correction of

disseminated information. Given that the method described in this

Handbook applies to all kinds of information, disseminated or

not, it can be applied to the improvement and correction of all

information as needed. This method complements HUD\'s Section 515

guidelines as follows:

1\. Utility - the information is usable, supported through the

TIQM(r) quality characteristics of timeliness, concurrency,

precision, accessibility, contextual clarity, usability, and

rightness.

2\. Objectivity - the information is being presented in an

accurate, clear, complete, and unbiased manner, and as a matter

of substance, is accurate, reliable, and unbiased; supported

through the TIQM(r) quality characteristics of accuracy to

reality, accuracy to surrogate source, precision, validity,

completeness, relationship validity, consistency, concurrency,

contextual clarity, usability, derivation integrity and

rightness.

3\. Integrity - the information is protected from corruption or

falsification, and is not addressed in this document. For more

information on information protection, refer to the HUD Handbook

1750.1 Rev - 4, CHG-3, \"National Security Information\".

1-3 Definition of Information Quality

A. During the 1990\'s, Larry English took the proven quality

principles of Deming, Shewhart, Crosby and Imai (for a brief

discussion of the evolution of quality management refer to

Section C.1 below) and adapted them to information management

with the same results. Information is a product \"manufactured\" by

one or multiple processes (taking a loan or a grant application)

and consumed by other processes (reporting performance

indicators) or customers (public housing authorities).

B. The processes of \"manufacturing\" (creating and storing,

maintaining, propagating and delivering) information have

multiple customers, and these customers have multiple needs and

expectations that the information product must meet. Information

customers can be internal or external. Internal customers are

processes and people consuming information to make critical

decisions, such as underwriting an application or securing

funding for future programs, providing insight into the

Department\'s performance, or servicing the public. External

customers include the public, state and local governments,

Congress, public service organizations, and the Executive Branch.

Customer needs and expectations include documented requirements

as well as unwritten expectations.

C. Information quality means consistently meeting the

information customer\'s expectations.2

D. Improving information quality involves correcting defective

data and implementing quality improvement procedures that ensure

the expected levels of information quality are achieved and

maintained.

E. Information quality has three components:3

1\. Data Definition and Information Architecture Quality: Proper

information definition accurately describes the meaning of the

real world object or event that the data represents and meets the

needs of all information customers to understand the data they

use. Proper information architecture correctly represents the

structure of the inherent and real relationships of information

to represent real-world objects and events and is stable and

flexible. Data definition and information architecture are the

specification of the information product and must represent the

views and needs of all the business areas, applications, and end

customers of the information. The data definition and information

architecture include the business definition, the domain or value

set, and the business rules that govern the data. For a detailed

description of information definition and information

architecture characteristics, refer to Section 2-3.

2\. Data Content Quality: Content quality cannot be measured

without a quality definition. Data content quality is the degree

to which data values accurately represent the characteristics of

the real-world object or event and meet the needs of the

information customers to perform their jobs effectively. For a

detailed description of data content quality characteristics,

refer to Figure 2.2.

3\. Data Presentation Quality: Data presentation quality is the

degree to which the information presented enables the knowledge

worker or end customer to apply the information efficiently and

effectively. Data presentation quality has several dimensions,

including accessibility, contextual clarity, usability, and

rightness. For a detailed description of information presentation

quality characteristics, refer to Figure 2.3.

1-4 HUD Mission-Critical Information Quality Standards

A. HUD must set information quality standards based upon

downstream knowledge worker and external stakeholder expectations

and requirements for the data. In order to provide the Program

Areas with specific and actionable direction, this section

describes specific standards for mission-critical information

quality, especially information used to support Annual

Performance Plans. Each Program Area is encouraged to use this

framework to establish information quality standards for other

information deemed critical by the Program Area.

B. The three components of information quality must be managed

based on the quality class of the information to achieve total

information quality. The quality class indicates the degree of

quality required for the particular information based on business

need. Information quality can be of three classes:

1\. Absolute (zero-defect or close to zero-defect) indicates

this information can cause significant process failure when

containing defects. This includes mission-critical information

and may include influential information.

2\. Second Tier (high cost of non-quality) indicates there are

high costs associated with defects in this information and

therefore it is critical to keep defects to a minimum.

3\. Third Tier (moderate cost of non-quality) indicates the

costs associated with defects in this information are moderate

and must be avoided whenever possible. If for some information

there is no impact associated with defects, this indicates that

the Department may not require the information at all.

C. Figure 1.1 shows HUD\'s quality standards for

mission-critical information, which is of quality class \"A\".

Figure 1.1: HUD Mission-Critical Information Quality Standards

D. The data content quality standard in Figure 1.1 applies to

controllable mission-critical information. Controllable means

that HUD has control over the content, because it is collected

following HUD standards (e.g., housing authority filings) or

produced within HUD. The short and long term targets for data

content quality error rates assume the commonly accepted

allowance that a process mean could shift by 1.5 standard

deviations.

1-5 HUD TIQM(r) Roles and Responsibilities

A. HUD\'s Enterprise Data Management (EDM) Policy 3260.1

establishes the roles and responsibilities for

1\. The Data Control Board (DCB) to direct and facilitate the

continuous improvement of information quality at HUD.

2\. The Enterprise Data Management Group (EDMG) within the OCIO

to establish HUD\'s EDMP in close coordination with the Enterprise

Architecture plan and the DCB, and to execute the assessment and

certification of mission-critical information.

B. Program Area managers are accountable for the quality of the

information produced by the processes and applications in their

charge and for ensuring that it meets the needs of all their

information customers. Program Area managers are also accountable

for the information they collect from their external stakeholders

and should work with them to ensure they apply the appropriate

information quality management discipline to the information they

produce and provide to HUD. It is their responsibility to4

1\. Implement information policy and ensure compliance,

2\. Develop plans consistent with information sharing to

maximize reuse and value of information and minimize information

costs,

3\. Implement information quality design principles and

standards that meet all internal and external HUD stakeholders\'

expectations,

4\. Implement effective business rules and provide resources and

training to information producers to ensure quality data capture,

5\. Provide resources and training to staff in information

process improvement (Plan-Do-Check-Act) and empowering staff to

improve processes to accomplish quality standards,

6\. Present information in reports and screens that minimize

ambiguity and maximize the information\'s objectivity and utility

for the information customers.

C. Program Area Quality Improvement Teams (PAQIT) and

Correction Teams (PACT) are ad-hoc teams chartered by the Program

Areas to conduct information quality improvement and/or data

correction efforts. Each Program Area may charter one or more

teams as required for a specific Program Area project. These

teams should include information producers and subject matter

experts who understand the intended use of the data across the

enterprise from initial creation to final disposal. Individuals

may be members of both teams. Team members should be aware of all

known and accepted data values for a data element as well as the

environment in which the data is captured. Under the discretion

and direction of the Program Areas, these teams may also conduct

internal assessments of Program Area critical information.

Figure 1.2: HUD\'s Information Quality Organization

1-6 HUD TIQM(r) Overview

A. To assist the Department with its strategy to implement

Total Information Quality Management, this Handbook includes the

steps to

1\. Identify, prioritize, and assess areas of opportunity,

2\. Determine the most effective approach to improve processes

to ensure that defective data is no longer produced,

3\. Correct the existing defective data,

4\. Certify that the process and the information are in

compliance with expected levels of quality or quality standards.

B. The TIQM(r) approach, shown in Figure 1.3, is based upon

accepted industry standards and incorporates project management

and total quality management principles. The method is iterative

and may be repeated until the information reaches the appropriate

quality levels. The following is a summary of each of the steps

described in this Handbook; the numbers correspond to the

chapters where the topic is presented in detail.

1\. Implementing HUD\'s Total Information Quality Management

Environment. Chapter 1 focuses on the systemic aspects that must

be addressed within HUD to establish the proper environment for

the successful deployment of a continuous information quality

improvement.

2\. Assessment. Chapter 2 focuses on the assessment of the state

of information quality. The EDMG will execute this process in the

assessment of mission-critical information. Program Areas may

apply these processes to internal data elements that are

important to their functions and responsibilities. Assessment

consists of selecting the information group candidates based on

impact and priority, assessing the data definition and

information architecture quality, determining the desired quality

standards, assessing the current level of information quality,

measuring the non-quality information costs, and interpreting and

reporting the state of information quality. The outcome of the

assessment, as a part of the final report, is a set of

recommended follow-on actions for OCIO and the Program Area with

which both concur. The Data Control Board is accountable for

reviewing and accepting final assessment reports.

3\. Improvement. Once the assessment has identified areas of

improvement, the Program Areas shall initiate activities to

improve the quality of the information they acquire or produce.

This is a proactive effort to prevent the incidence of defects in

the data by attacking the causes of non-quality information.

Improvement consists of selecting the process for information

quality improvement, developing a plan for improvement,

implementing the improvement in a controlled environment,

checking of the impact of the improvement to make sure that

results are as expected, and standardizing the improvement across

the enterprise.

4\. Correction. Once the assessment has identified areas of

correction, the Program Areas shall initiate activities to

correct the quality of the information they acquire or produce.

This is a reactive, one-time effort to eliminate existing defects

in the data and should be taken as a complementary action to the

improvement of the producing processes. Correction consists of

planning the data correction, extracting and analyzing the data,

executing manual and automated data corrections, and determining

the effectiveness of the correction process.

5\. Certification. As soon as Program Areas complete improvement

and corrections efforts as described above, the EDMG

independently verifies that the measures undertaken have

accomplished the stated goals for mission-critical information.

Certification consists of the certification of information

quality improvements and/or the certification of data

corrections. The objective is two-fold: first to ensure that

mission-critical information is held to the agreed upon

standards; and second, to ensure that the processes and

procedures for improvement and correction are themselves improved

over time for more effective and efficient results for HUD.

Figure 1.3: HUD\'s Total Information Quality Management Method