Actions
The actions decide what data to include, record the reasons, describe the collection conditions, explore the data for bias and map it to the stakeholders.
What clause 7.4 asks
Clause 7 organises its actions into decisions about data, metadata, data exploration and data map. The decisions record what is included, removed or left out and why. The metadata records the conditions under which each data set was collected or created, including the source, the jurisdiction, the collection method, consent and opt-out, the time, anonymization and the relation to other data sets. The exploration examines sensitive and non-sensitive attributes and the correlation or causation between them. The map connects the data to the identified stakeholders and records the imbalances.
Why it matters
The action structure follows the life of the data. Decisions come first because they set the population. Metadata comes next because it sets the conditions under which the population was observed. Exploration comes next because it tests the data for the patterns that can carry bias. Map comes last because it is the test of representation against the stakeholder set. A team that starts with exploration will find patterns but not know which ones matter.
What good looks like
Follow the four parts in order and record an output for each. Keep the decision log beside the map, because a later reader will want to know why a field was removed. Record the metadata before the exploration, so the exploration can be interpreted against the collection conditions. Then map to the current stakeholder version and record the imbalances that remain.
Evidence an assessor asks for
The assessor will pick a removed field and ask why it was removed. A decision log without a reason is a decision that cannot be defended.
- Decision log Every include, remove or leave-out decision, with the reason
- Metadata record The collection and creation conditions for each data set
- Exploration record The attribute and correlation analysis, with the findings
- Map The stakeholder map with the remaining imbalances
Where it commonly fails
- The decision log is written after the model is built
- Metadata is limited to the source name
- Exploration findings are not linked to the stakeholder groups
What to do before publication
Run the four parts in order. Each part feeds the next, and the order is the evidence of a considered process.