Enterprise Data Management Allocation

Allocation goal/methodology

The Enterprise Data Management Allocation was created in 2023-25 biennial budget to fund the management of Data Portal and to establish the Enterprise Data Management Program for Washington state agencies. The allocation was distributed to agencies based on agency IT full-time employees (FTEs). For institutions of higher education (both the four-year institutions and the community and technical college system), only IT FTEs that support administrative functions of the institutions are counted. Instructional staff, hospital staff, and other non-administrative positions of the agencies are exempt from the FTE counts.

In 2010, the Department of Information Services (now WaTech) launched data.wa.gov as the state open government data portal. In 2014, the Office of the Chief Information Officer (now WaTech) established the Open Data Program to assist agencies with publishing open data with high public value. Agencies publish open data in support of the Public Records Act and RCW 43.105.351: “Make public records widely available electronically to the public.” Open data helps state agencies fulfill their missions by engaging with and involving the communities they serve, sharing data with other agencies and with the Legislature, the federal government, and other organizations that have oversight of the agency’s work.

What is included in this allocation?

  • Open Data program
  • Open Data governance
  • Washington State Data Strategic Plan

How is this allocation governed?

WaTech recommends the allocation methodology for this allocation, and OFM builds the calculations into the Central Services Model. The Legislature provides final approval through the enacted budget.

Leveraging this allocation

Open Data Program consultation and open data portal hosting: Email opendata@wa.gov to ask the state open data program manager and the state open data librarian to consult about publishing open data, including identifying what data to publish, where to publish it and how to identify agency benefits of publication. They will also provide access and support to publish data on the state open data portal at data.wa.gov. Open data services are available at no additional cost to all state government agencies. To provide input about the Open Data Program, email opendata@wa.gov to join the Open Data Advisory Group.

Billing information

The naming convention for this allocation will be Allocation - Enterprise Data Mgmt (EL L050).