Independent workflow CGIAR Recipe:
Complete the Direction Setting section

Set goals to increase your investment's FAIR maturity

What is a Data Management and Access Plan?

Follow this recipe if you are using the Independent FAIR workflow. If you are using the Guided FAIR workflow, follow this recipe for the Direction Setting.

 

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A Data Management and Access Plan (DMAP) is—above all—a living document outlining how data will be managed during and after a research project. It provides a place to document the project’s commitments to optimizing data to adhere to FAIR principles thus aligning with best practices, enhancing the research’s quality and impact while promoting open and reproducible science.

 

The DMAP:

Contains the programs FAIR Data Management plans actions and commitments in 3 sections:

 

1. Getting Started: For completion during the grant application process

2. Direction Setting: For completion once grant is approved (and updated regularly thought the program)

3. Implementation: For completion during the execution of program

 

  • The Direction setting and Implementation sections will evolve and grow thought the program and be a single point of truth for all grantee members.
  • The DMAP will be available for review according to agreed program milestones

This video demonstrates how setting goals will help to ground your projects in good FAIR practice from the beginning.

 

 

This guide will help you complete the Direction Setting part of the data management and access plan (DMAP). It focuses on setting actionable goals and outlining how you intend to achieve them.

While it is highly recommended that you complete the FAIR Potential Assessment (FPA) before proceeding, these instructions provide an alternate pathway for users without an FPA. To learn more about the FPA and its benefits, refer to the ‘How to assess FAIR potential‘ recipe.

Getting started

 

  • Open the Direction Setting section of your DMAP template and review the ten questions provided.
    Save a copy of the template to your project folder for future reference.
  • Familiarize yourself with the five thematic areas: Support, Resourcing, Technical, Policy, and Culture. These themes represent common blockers to achieving FAIR data practices and are essential for structured goal setting.  More information can be found here.

Identify focus areas

 

Organize a discussion with project members to reflect on current practices related to each theme:

 

  • Are there any known challenges or blockers to FAIR data in these areas?
  • Where does the project excel, and where are there gaps?
  • Consider the dimensions of People, Process, Technology, and Content in your reflections.

Based on this discussion, identify areas where improvement is needed or where stretch goals can be established.

Understanding the themes

 

Use the following prompts to guide your assessment of each theme:

 

  • Support: Are clear roles and responsibilities defined for data management? Are individuals trained in FAIR principles?
  • Resourcing: Is funding or infrastructure allocated for FAIR data practices? Are resources sustainable?
  • Technical: Do current tools and systems support data interoperability and sharing? Are metadata standards in place?
  • Policy: Are policies or guidelines for data management clearly documented? Do they align with FAIR principles?
  • Culture: Is there a shared understanding and commitment to FAIR data across the organization? Are incentives for adopting FAIR practices in place?

Setting goals

 

For each identified area of improvement, set a stretch goal. Each goal should address the dimensions of People, Process, Technology, and Content where possible.

Use the structure below to write your goal statements:

 

  • Action: What needs to be done? Use verbs like “assign,” “develop,” or “adopt.”
  • Subject: What is the object of the action? (e.g., roles, processes, tools, or templates)
  • Outcome: What result are you trying to achieve?
  • Deadline: When will this goal be achieved?

Example Goal Statement

 

We will….

 

  • People: assign roles for data management and ensure responsibilities are documented by March 2025
  • Processes: develop and implement a process for documenting metadata in alignment with FAIR standards by June 2025
  • Technology: adopt a metadata management tool to streamline data documentation and ensure interoperability by December 2025
  • Content: create a library of metadata templates for project-wide use by July 2025

  • Write statements for each question.

  • Address all ten questions in the DMAP template. For each, create statements that reflect your goals and planned actions.

  • Use the examples above to ensure your statements are actionable, specific, and aligned with the themes.
  • Once the ten statements are completed, we recommend sharing the DMAP with your FAIR advisor (email:fair@cabi.org) to update them and get feedback if needed.
  • Save the approved document in a shared project folder accessible to all team members.

Quick reference

Next activity for the Independent FAIR workflow: Activity I3

 

  • How to complete the Implementation section
  • This section takes you through the process of documenting the practicalities of the investment as a result of your direction setting.
  • Alternatively select the workflow tab in this section to see the full list of workflow activities.

Next activity for the Guided FAIR workflow: Activity G4

 

  • How to document changes after review
  • This recipe takes you through the process of regularly reviewing your DMAP and recording updates to ensure goals and FAIR data outcomes are being achieved.
  • Alternatively select the workflow tab in this section to see the full list of workflow activities.

Next activity for the Foundational FAIR workflow:

 

  • This recipe isn’t part of the Foundational FAIR workflow.

Next activity for the FAIR data assessment workflow:

 

  • This recipe isn’t part of the FAIR data assessment workflow.

Back to CGIAR workflows page

Guided FAIR workflow

Activity G1

 

  • How to complete the Getting Started section.
  • This section takes you through the process of answering a core set of questions to provide a basic description of the data management practices that the investment will adopt.
  • Your PO will either grant approval for investment, or request more information. In both situations, proceed to Activity G2

Activity G2

 

  • How to assess FAIR potential
  • Using the output from the FAIR potential tool will provide data and recommendations for goals which feeds into the “Direction Setting” section of the DMAP

Activity G3

 

  • How to complete the Direction Setting section
  • This section takes you through the process of setting goals and recording an overarching direction to increase the FAIR maturity of the investment
  • If your investment has not been approved, send the completed Direction Setting section within the DMAP to the PO for approval.
  • If your investment has been approved, we recommend sharing the DMAP with your FAIR advisor (email:fair@cabi.org) to update them and get feedback if needed.
  • If no edits are needed, go to Activity G5
  • If you have been asked to make edits, proceed to Activity G4

 

Activity G4

 

  • How to document changes after review
  • This recipe takes you through the process of regularly reviewing your DMAP and recording updates to ensure goals and FAIR data outcomes are being achieved.

Activity G5

 

How to complete the Implementation section

  • This section takes you through the process of documenting the practicalities of the investment because of your direction setting.

Activity G6

 

  • How to document changes after review
  • This section takes you through the process of regularly reviewing your DMAP and recording updates to ensure goals and FAIR data outcomes are being achieved.

Foundational FAIR workflow

This page is not part of the Foundational FAIR workflow. Visit the workflow homepage for the list of included activities.

Independent FAIR workflow

Activity I1

 

  • How to complete the Getting Started section.
  • This section takes you through the process of answering a core set of questions to provide a basic description of the data management practices that the investment will adopt.
  • After completion of the Getting Started section the PO will either grant approval for investment, or request more information.

You are here > Activity I2

 

  • How to complete the Direction Setting section
  • This section takes you through the process of setting goals and recording an overarching direction to increase the FAIR maturity of the investment.
  • If your investment has not been approved, send the completed Direction Setting section within the DMAP to the PO for approval.
    If your investment has been approved, we recommend sharing the DMAP with your FAIR advisor (email:fair@cabi.org) to update them and get feedback if needed.

Activity I3

 

Activity I4

 

  • How to document changes after review
  • This section takes you through the process of regularly reviewing your DMAP and recording updates to ensure goals and FAIR data outcomes are being achieved.

FAIR data assessment workflow

This page is not part of the FAIR data assessment workflow. Visit the workflow homepage for the list of included activities.

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