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Guide Origin: Official | ArcKit Version: [VERSION]

This guide maps the UK National Data Strategy (NDS) to ArcKit commands and artefacts. The NDS sets the government's vision for how data should be used, managed, and governed across the economy and public services.

Five Missions

# Mission Description ArcKit Commands
1 Unlocking data value Use data to grow the economy, improve efficiency, and drive innovation /arckit:data-model, /arckit:data-mesh-contract, /arckit:backlog
2 Pro-growth, trusted data regime Regulation and standards that enable data use while maintaining trust /arckit:dpia, /arckit:principles, /arckit:tcop
3 Transforming government use of data Better data use for improved public services and decision-making /arckit:data-model, /arckit:strategy, /arckit:plan
4 Secure, resilient data infrastructure Infrastructure that keeps data safe and available /arckit:secure, /arckit:hld-review, /arckit:operationalize
5 International data flows Champion free and trusted data flows across borders /arckit:dpia (cross-border transfer), /arckit:data-mesh-contract

Four Pillars

Pillar Focus ArcKit Evidence
Data Foundations Standards, metadata, interoperability, quality /arckit:data-model (Data Quality Framework, entity catalogue, metadata standards)
Skills Data literacy, analytical capability across the workforce /arckit:stakeholders (data governance roles), /arckit:operationalize (training)
Availability Findability, access, sharing, open data /arckit:data-mesh-contract (data product contracts, SLAs), /arckit:data-model (CRUD matrix)
Responsibility Ethics, governance, public trust, accountability /arckit:dpia (privacy impact), /arckit:principles (data governance principles), /arckit:risk

Mission-to-Artefact Crosswalk

This table shows which ArcKit artefacts provide evidence for each NDS mission during assurance reviews.

NDS Mission Artefact What It Evidences
Mission 1 (Value) Data Model (ARC-*-DATA) Structured data assets, quality metrics, governance roles
Mission 1 (Value) Data Mesh Contract (ARC-*-DMC) Federated data products with SLAs and quality guarantees
Mission 2 (Trust) DPIA (ARC-*-DPIA) Lawful basis, privacy risks, data subject rights
Mission 2 (Trust) Architecture Principles (ARC-000-PRIN) Data governance and ethical data use principles
Mission 3 (Government) Strategy (ARC-*-STGY) Data strategy aligned to organisational objectives
Mission 3 (Government) Plan (ARC-*-PLAN) Milestones for data capability improvements
Mission 4 (Security) Secure Assessment (ARC-*-SECD) CAF assessment, data protection controls (S3, B3)
Mission 5 (International) DPIA (ARC-*-DPIA) Cross-border data transfer safeguards

NDS Pillar Checklist

Use this checklist when reviewing ArcKit artefacts for NDS alignment.

Data Foundations

  • [ ] Data standards defined (naming, formats, reference data)
  • [ ] Metadata captured for all entities (data dictionary/catalogue)
  • [ ] Interoperability requirements documented (APIs, open standards)
  • [ ] Data quality dimensions defined with measurable targets
  • [ ] Data quality monitoring and remediation process in place

Skills

  • [ ] Data ownership roles assigned (Owner, Steward, Custodian)
  • [ ] Data literacy requirements identified for key stakeholders
  • [ ] Training plan for data governance processes

Availability

  • [ ] Data access controls defined (CRUD matrix)
  • [ ] Data sharing agreements documented (internal/external)
  • [ ] Data products defined with SLAs (if data mesh architecture)
  • [ ] Open data obligations assessed

Responsibility

  • [ ] DPIA completed for personal data processing
  • [ ] Data ethics considerations documented
  • [ ] Data governance accountability clear (RACI)
  • [ ] Public trust and transparency measures in place
  • [ ] Data retention and disposal policies defined

National Data Library

The National Data Library (backed by DSIT investment) aims to make key government datasets discoverable and AI-ready. Projects building government data platforms should consider:

  • AI Readiness: Are datasets structured for machine learning consumption?
  • Discoverability: Are data products catalogued with standard metadata?
  • Interoperability: Do data contracts use open standards for cross-department sharing?

These considerations are captured in /arckit:data-model (metadata, quality) and /arckit:data-mesh-contract (data products, SLAs).

Relationship to Other Standards

Standard Relationship to NDS
Data Quality Framework Operational tool for NDS Data Foundations pillar
GovS 005: Digital Sibling policy — digital delivery standards (TCoP, Service Standard)
GovS 010: Analysis Data quality and analytical standards supporting NDS Missions 1 and 3
UK GDPR / Data Protection Act Legal framework underpinning NDS Responsibility pillar
Technology Code of Practice Point 8 (Share, reuse, collaborate) directly supports NDS Availability
AI Playbook AI-readiness requirements build on NDS Data Foundations

References