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Guide Origin: Official | ArcKit Version: [VERSION]

DDaT Role Family: Architecture Framework: UK Government DDaT Capability Framework

Overview

The Data Architect designs data structures, governance, and flows. You own ArcKit's data-focused commands — ensuring data models are GDPR-compliant, data sources are catalogued, and data contracts enforce quality standards across the organisation.

Primary Commands

Command Purpose Guide
/arckit:data-model Create comprehensive data model with entity relationships, GDPR compliance, and governance Guide
/arckit:data-mesh-contract Define federated data product contracts with SLAs and interoperability guarantees Guide
/arckit:dpia Generate Data Protection Impact Assessment for UK GDPR Article 35 Guide
/arckit:datascout Discover external data sources — APIs, datasets, open data portals Guide

Secondary Commands

Command Your Involvement Guide
/arckit:requirements Define Data Requirements (DR-xxx) within the requirements specification Guide
/arckit:principles Contribute data governance principles Guide
/arckit:diagram Review data flow diagrams for accuracy Guide
/arckit:traceability Verify DR-xxx requirements trace to data model entities Guide
/arckit:research Evaluate data platforms and storage technologies Guide
/arckit:platform-design Design data platform ecosystems (data marketplaces, data mesh) Guide

Typical Workflow

requirements (DR-xxx) → datascout → data-model → data-mesh-contract → dpia

Step-by-step

  1. Define data requirements: Work with Business Analyst to define DR-xxx requirements in /arckit:requirements
  2. Discover data sources: Run /arckit:datascout to find external APIs, datasets, and open data portals
  3. Design data model: Run /arckit:data-model — entities, relationships, GDPR classification, retention policies
  4. Define data contracts: Run /arckit:data-mesh-contract for federated governance (if using data mesh)
  5. Assess privacy impact: Run /arckit:dpia for any processing involving personal data
  6. Verify traceability: Review /arckit:traceability output to confirm all DR-xxx requirements are covered

Key Artifacts You Own

  • ARC-{PID}-DATA-v*.md — Data model with entity-relationship diagrams
  • ARC-{PID}-DMC-{NUM}-v*.md — Data mesh contracts
  • ARC-{PID}-DPIA-v*.md — Data Protection Impact Assessment
  • ARC-{PID}-DSCT-v*.md — Data source catalogue

UK Government Data Context

ArcKit's data commands are designed for UK public sector data governance:

  • datascout prioritises UK Government open data (data.gov.uk, ONS, NHS Digital, Companies House, OS Data Hub)
  • data-model includes GDPR compliance classification and ICO lawful basis
  • dpia follows ICO guidance for UK GDPR Article 35
  • data-mesh-contract supports TCoP Point 10 (share and reuse technology)