We often speak of living in an era of data abundance. Yet gaining access to the right data—and re-using it in systematic, sustainable, and responsible ways—remains a major challenge. Beyond technical and policy infrastructure, what’s often missing is the human infrastructure: the skills, capacities, and institutional roles needed to steward data in the public interest.

In response to this challenge, The Data Tank and The GovLab have partnered to offer executive courses (what we call “bootcamps”) in Data Stewardship. Our global alumni network now includes more than 160 trained data stewards. As to engage our alumni on a regular basis we offer a regular “Trends to Watch” series which focuses on the most recent developments in data stewardship and governance. 

In the July 2025 edition, Stefaan Verhulst, lead of the Data Stewards Courses, shared updates based on the five identified functions of data stewardship: 

• Stewarding data and questions; 

• Guiding question: How do we provide access to data so that it can be reused in a more systematical, sustainable, and responsible way? 

• Stewarding partners; 

• Guiding Question: How do we understand what people want with regard to how data is being used? What engagement models or social license needs to be established towards this end? 

• Stewarding internal processes and relations; 

• Guiding Question: How can we map internal data resources and expertise, keep stakeholders informed, and ensure timely approval of data reuse initiatives?

• Stewarding sustainability; 

• Guiding Question: How do we embrace data stewardship and responsible governance by building the right infrastructure, developing strong business cases for data reuse, measuring impact, and securing funding for collaborative initiatives?

• Stewarding insights. 

• Guiding Question: How do we go about transforming data to decision intelligence and generate insights? 

 

Check out the recording of this edition. The following resources were covered during this session: 

Stewarding data and questions: 

Policy Developments: 

• Data Governance Toolkit Navigating Data in the Digital Age, ITU/UNDP//UNESCO Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development
• Commission adopts delegated act on data access under the Digital Services Act, the European Commission
• The Data Use and Access Act 2025 (DUAA) - what does it mean for organisations? |UK Information Commissioner’s Office
• America’s AI Action Plan The White House 

Technology Developments: 

• Knowledge Graphs for Federal Modernization, Mich, el Shekhter
• How Knowledge Graphs Make AI Agents More Context-Aware, Explainable, and Effective, Ritu Dalmia
• Introducing the Model Context Protocol, Anthropic
• Model Context Protocol 

Stewarding partners: 

• National engagement on data: cohort 2 report | NHS England
• Community Engagement Is Crucial for Successful State Data Efforts | Data Quality Campaign
• A novel protocol for a "Citizen Panel" for diverse Public and Participant Involvement in the review and development of the process to access data in the UK Longitudinal Linkage Collaboration Trusted Research Environment the International Journal of Population Data Science 

Stewarding internal processes and relations: 

• Data Governance Roles & Responsibilities 2025: What Every Data Leader Must Know | Published by Atlan

Stewarding sustainability: 

• Why the most valuable workforce data is voluntary – and how to get it | World Economic Forum
• 5 Ways Cooperatives Can Shape the Future of AI | Harvard Business Review
• CC Signals: A New Social Contract for the Age of AI Creative Commons

 

Stewarding insights: 

• Insurers Pocketed $50 Billion From Medicare for Diseases No Doctor Treated | The Wall Street Journal 

Interested to learn more about data stewardship trends? Sign up for the Data Stewards Network mailing at this link. Or contact datastewards@thegovlab.org to learn more.