منطقة الجوف-جامعة الجوف

His Excellency the President of Jouf University, Prof. Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Shaya, launched the “Smart Governance for Sustainable Data” initiative in the presence of the University Vice Presidents, in a strategic step that reflects the University’s commitment to institutionalizing a data-driven culture, recognizing data as a strategic asset and a key driver of digital transformation and institutional excellence.

The launch comes as part of the University’s direction toward enhancing the maturity of its data management ecosystem and aligning it with national data governance frameworks, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030—particularly in digital transformation, spending efficiency, transparency, and institutional compliance.

The initiative was presented by Dr. Mashael bint Nasser Al-Khamsan, Supervisor of the Data Management Office, who outlined its strategic framework, objectives, implementation phases, and impact measurement indicators. She emphasized that the initiative aims to build an integrated data management and governance system in accordance with national and international best practices, ensuring data quality, reliability, and security, while enhancing its utilization in decision-making, innovation, and service improvement.

She explained that the initiative is structured around two main phases:

1. Foundation Phase:
This phase included establishing governance structures, preparing and approving policies and standards, defining roles and responsibilities, identifying priority data assets, and launching an institutional Data Quality Program.

2. Enablement Phase:
This phase focuses on activating the institutional data asset register, implementing the Data Quality Program across its three tracks (assessment, issue management, and monitoring), empowering data owners, strengthening system integration and data sharing, and building institutional capabilities.

The initiative has already achieved significant milestones during the foundation phase, including the inventory of structured and unstructured data assets and the establishment of a comprehensive institutional registry. It also involved approving organized policies for data management and governance, activating approved governance levels—including specialized committees, the Data Management Office, and data owners—defining priority data scopes, and engaging multiple stakeholders throughout various implementation stages.

In its upcoming phase, the initiative aims to conduct specialized workshops and enablement sessions for leaders, data owners, and technical staff; qualify no fewer than 40 university sectors; classify 100% of priority data; and enable data sharing across systems.

The initiative is expected to generate tangible institutional impact by enabling leadership reports based on validated data, reducing report preparation time by up to 40%, increasing data reliability for leadership to 80%, improving data-related performance indicators, and maximizing data value to support innovation and digital transformation.

In his remarks on the occasion, Prof. Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Shaya affirmed that data management today represents the cornerstone of building a smart and sustainable university. He noted that the initiative enhances the University’s ability to make decisions based on accurate and reliable information, improves performance efficiency, ensures compliance, and strengthens strategic planning—aligned with the University’s strategic objectives and Saudi Vision 2030.

The launch concluded with an affirmation that the “Smart Governance for Sustainable Data” initiative represents a pivotal step toward building a mature data ecosystem that supports informed decision-making, enhances efficiency, and reinforces a shared culture of responsibility toward data as the foundation of Jouf University’s institutional future.