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Domain Governance

Domain governance is an important aspect of overall NIEM governance.

 


Stewardship

All NIEM domains are led by a domain steward that is responsible for the domain’s model content, governance, and maintenance. A domain steward may collaboratively work with a team of volunteer subject matter experts that collectively represent any involved Communities of Interest (COIs). Stewards and, if applicable, governance committees, manage their domain and bring together domain stakeholders to identify information exchange business requirements.


Content Management

Individual domains manage their portion of the NIEM model and work with other NIEM domains to collaboratively identify areas of overlapping interest (known as the harmonization process). As domain stakeholders develop and implement NIEM-based exchanges they provide new or updated information exchange requirements to the domain steward. Content updates can happen at any time, and are then incorporated into the next NIEM release (major or minor) for reconciliation and official publication.


Community Participation

The use of NIEM accelerates collaboration in and across communities. Domains typically consist of participants and end users across federal, state, local, tribal, international, and industry organizations. These members may take part in domain-specific working groups to resolve issues pertinent to their community. Domains also participate in broader-scale NIEM committees, such as the NIEM Business Architecture Committee (NBAC), the NIEM Technical Architecture Committee (NTAC), and the NIEM Program Management Office (PMO).


Governance

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to domain governance. Each domain represents a broad and, at times, diverse group of individuals and organizations. Domain governance should be tailored to address these stakeholders.

However, there are several activities that are part of governance that are applicable to all. For example, fair and adequate representation, dispute resolution, and continuous communication between all stakeholders are important for community success. Also, to ensure that they remain independent and self-sustaining, established NIEM domains may create and maintain a governing document, such as a charter, that outlines roles and responsibilities, organizational structure, dispute resolution frameworks, and a management plan that details the activities of the domain.

Example: The Biometrics domain

The Biometrics domain provides an excellent example of how to formalize domain governance. The governance framework below illustrates how the Biometrics domain serves the needs of the Biometrics community.

Picture of the governance framework for the Biometrics domain. The Biometrics domain is organized under a formal charter, which includes organizational and dispute resolution frameworks. The domain operates under the stewardship of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Identity Management (OBIM) and has an Executive Management Committee. The domain chair is aligned to the domain steward organization. The roles of Vice Chair and Ombudsman are filled by key domain stakeholders with the Vice Chair being from the Department of Justice (DOJ) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Ombudsman from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The Ombudsman acts in an advisory capacity and serves as final voice for technical issues. NIST, as the owner of the ANSI/NIST ITL Biometrics Standard, which is utilized by the entire biometrics community, is ideally suited for this role. The conflict resolution frameworks utilized by the domain are aligned to those used by NIST. The Biometrics domain consists of participants and end users from across federal, state, local, tribal, international, and industry organizations. These members participate in domain specific working groups to resolve issues pertinent to the biometrics community. In addition, several members actively participate in NIEM committees and working groups, including the NIEM Business Architecture Committee (NBAC). All stakeholders are updated on a regular basis as to ongoing and planned domain activities.

Another example: The Children, Youth, and Family Services (CYFS) domain

The NIEM Children, Youth, and Family Services (CYFS) domain supports timely, complete, accurate, and efficient information sharing to improve outcomes for children and youth whose circumstances make them particularly vulnerable.

Within the CYFS domain, there is a governance committee. This committee stewards the domain and brings together communities of interest to identify information exchange business requirements.

The CYFS communities of interest include but are not limited to: Juvenile Justice, Child Welfare, Child Support Enforcement, and Courts. End users across the communities develop and implement NIEM-based exchanges and provide new or updated information exchange requirements to the domain governance committee.

The domain governance committee determines who represents the domain on the NBAC.

Picture of the governance framework for the Children, Youth, and Family Services (CFYS) domain. Within the CYFS domain, there is a governance committee. This committee stewards the domain and brings together communities of interest to identify information exchange business requirements. The CYFS communities of interest include but are not limited to: Juvenile Justice, Child Welfare, Child Support Enforcement, and Courts. End users across the communities develop and implement NIEM-based exchanges and provide new or updated information exchange requirements to the domain governance committee. The domain governance committee determines who represents the domain on the NBAC.


Looking to get involved?

Learn more about the communities that leverage NIEM.