Supervisory Board Member — IT and Data Governance

The board’s line of enquiry

Examine ownership of core information, the quality of reporting and the resilience of key applications. Ask whether system changes improve end-to-end service or merely move work between teams. Review how management controls access, retention and supplier use of sensitive information with appropriate specialist support.

Data governance should identify who can correct a record, how conflicting information is resolved and how changes affect downstream services. The member should ask whether management can trace a performance report to reliable source information. For a major system replacement, examine the plan for cleaning and migrating data, retaining access to necessary history and supporting staff through transition. A successful implementation should reduce uncertainty in service delivery rather than merely centralise inconsistent information in a newer application.

Capital and risk oversight

Challenge technology investment proposals against measurable service needs, implementation capacity and ongoing cost. Seek assurance that data migration, integration and business continuity risks are understood. Encourage reporting that connects technical issues to tenant outcomes rather than relying on project completion percentages.

Candidate background

Candidates should have substantial IT, data-governance or digital transformation experience in housing, public services or a comparable service environment. They need board-level judgement, financial literacy and the ability to question technical and operational leaders constructively.

Appointment considerations

Conflicts involving current employers, advisers and technology suppliers must be assessed, along with time capacity. This is a supervisory role, not a substitute CIO appointment. Candidates should discuss an example where poor data ownership undermined a service improvement and explain the governance changes that made the improvement sustainable.