Content Comparison

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Short description

Building upon on the findings from the pre-FAIR assessment, this step provides defines a structured approach to addressing identified gaps in FAIR compliance. A well-defined solution plan ensures that all necessary It transforms assessment insights into an actionable solution plan, ensuring technical, organisational, and procedural aspects are systematically considered, leading to an effective and sustainable transition towards FAIR data. By transforming assessment insights into actionable strategies, this step provides a clear roadmap for implementationconsidered. It helps your team allocate resources efficiently and prepare for upcoming challenges. The outcome is a clear roadmap that enhances data management and prepares for improved FAIRification.

Why is this step important 

By completing this step you will have one or more workplans with the steps required to achieve your FAIRification goals.  

How to 

[Sander]

Perhaps: https://rdmkit.elixir-europe.org/dm_coordination

This may also describe a framework. Still need to check. https://www.go-fair.org/how-to-go-fair/

It feels like the FAIRInAction and its FAIR cookbook page is the most relevant. Should we somehow translate what they did to how that would apply to the Metroline? Expand their model with the steps they don’t have? If we would expand their model, would we have to justify these other steps and publish that?

Or can other generic project approached be applied? Like “this is the type of project that requires quick adjustments, so you may want to consider scrum.”

From a Metroline perspective, at some point you could perhaps even provide suggested solution plans, based on the FAIR Objectives. E.g. If you goal is “Register your study in the HRI Catalogue”, relevant steps are x, y, z and you could approach these steps (project-wise) in such-and-such-a-way (e.g. iteratively, like suggested FAIRInAction). Complicated, but perhaps useful, but it also means we’d have to have a list of “Generic FAIR Objectives”.

Does DMP-related stuff also fit into this somehow? Let’s say you have a project and its DMP. The DMP could include (a link to) a Solution Plan, which is basically the practical How-will-I-do-this-project. You could say any FAIRification process requires a Solution plan. In some cases, this solution may be “easy”, like when you just want to onboard your data in the HRI Catalogue.

Types of Project Management Methodologies: contains an overview of various major methodologies within the world of project management using the analogy of a kitchen.

The How to section should:

• be split into easy to follow steps;

  • Step 1 - Title of the step

  • Step 2 - Title of the step

  • etc.

• help the reader to complete the step;

• aspire to be readable for everyone, but, depending on the topic, may require specialised knowledge;

• be a general, widely applicable approach;

• if possible / applicable, add (links to) the solution necessary for onboarding in the Health-RI National Catalogue;

• aim to be practical and simple, while keeping in mind: if I would come to this page looking for a solution to this problem, would this How-to actually help me solve this problem;

• contain references to solutions such as those provided by FAIR Cookbook, RMDkit, Turing way and FAIR Sharing;

• contain custom recipes/best-practices written by/together with experts from the field if necessary.

Expertise requirements for this step 

Describes the expertise that may be necessary for this step. Should be based on the expertise described in the Metroline: Build the team stepThe pre-FAIR assessment identifies key gaps and challenges in FAIR compliance, such as incomplete metadata, lack of a data storage strategy, or missing documentation practices. If left unaddressed, these issues can hinder data quality, interoperability, and reuse. This step ensures that assessment insights are systematically translated into a structured plan, preventing fragmented and ineffective FAIRification efforts. A well-defined solution plan helps to:

• provide a structured approach to tackling complex data issues and aligning stakeholders on a shared strategy;

• optimise the use of resources and define success criteria to track progress;

• enhance data quality, ensuring better insights, improved compliance with FAIR principles, and greater efficiency in research processes.

How to 

Step 1 - Identify and prioritise key requirements

Using the pre-FAIR assessment findings, identify and rank key issues based on urgency, impact, and feasibility. Prioritisation ensures that critical gaps, such as incomplete metadata, lack of persistent identifiers, or missing documentation, are addressed first.

Example: If metadata incompleteness is blocking data reuse, improving metadata standards should take precedence over less critical issues.

Step 2 - Define clear objectives

For each prioritised issue, define SMART objectives (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound). These objectives will guide implementation and measure progress.

Example: By [date], update metadata for 90% of datasets to comply with [standard], ensuring all required fields are completed.

Step 3 - Assess feasibility and identify constraints

Evaluate the current infrastructure, policies, and governance environment. Identify constraints such as legal barriers, technical limitations, or resource availability. Develop mitigation strategies to address them.

Example: If data governance policies prevent external repository use, consider alternative institutional solutions.

Step 4 - Select appropriate tools and methodologies

Choose tools, frameworks, and methodologies that best address identified gaps. Resources such as FAIRsharing and FAIR Implementation Profiles (FIPs) ensure alignment with best practices.

Examples:

• Metadata improvement: Use controlled vocabularies and standards.

• Persistent identifiers: Implement DOIs or Handles for datasets.

Step 5 - Engage stakeholders and align objectives

Involve key stakeholders from the pre-FAIR assessment phase, including data stewards, domain experts, and IT teams. Ensure alignment between technical and organisational priorities to create a feasible solution plan.

Tip: Regular check-ins help maintain engagement and prevent misalignment.

Step 6 - Develop a structured FAIRification roadmap

Create an implementation roadmap outlining key actions, responsibilities, timelines, and resources. Define key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress and allow for iterative adjustments.

Step 7 - Conduct risk assessment and refine the plan

Identify potential risks (e.g., delays, lack of resources) and define mitigation strategies. Review the solution plan with stakeholders and refine it based on feedback.

Example: Risk: Limited personnel availability. Mitigation: Cross-train team members to ensure continuity.

Expertise requirements for this step 

Designing a solution plan is typically a collaborative effort by a range of experts, as described in Metroline Step: Build the Team.

• FAIR experts.Provide guidance on best practices, standards, and methodologies.

• Domain experts. Define data semantics, quality standards, and use cases.

• Data stewards. Ensure data and metadata comply with FAIR principles.

• IT specialists. Support infrastructure needs, interoperability, and tool integration.

• Project managers. Oversee planning, stakeholder coordination, and implementation tracking.

Practical examples from the community 

This section should show the step applied in a real project. Links to demonstrator projects. 

Training

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• FAIRification Tools and Templates – ELIXIR-UK Fellowship

• FAIRification Workflow – FAIR Toolkit

• FAIR Implementation Profile

Suggestions

This page is under construction. Learn more about the contributors here and explore the development process here. If you have any suggestions, visit our How to contribute page to get in touch.

When released, the Editorial board will change this to:

This page has been written and reviewed by field experts through a rigorous process and has reached the “released” status. Learn more about the contributors here and explore the development process here. If you have any suggestions, visit our How to contribute page to get in touch.

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[FAIRInAction] 

During the design stage, concrete steps from the FAIRification template are identified to achieve the FAIRification goal identified for this cycle. These steps form the FAIRification workplan to be realised during the implementation stage. 

...

One approach is to have multiple iterative FAIRification cycles, with each cycle focussing on one FAIRification objective. Each cycle can have its own workplan, guiding the implementation [FAIRInAction].  

How to 

[Sander]

Perhaps: https://rdmkit.elixir-europe.org/dm_coordination

This may also describe a framework. Still need to check. https://www.go-fair.org/how-to-go-fair/

It feels like the FAIRInAction and its FAIR cookbook page is the most relevant. Should we somehow translate what they did to how that would apply to the Metroline? Expand their model with the steps they don’t have? If we would expand their model, would we have to justify these other steps and publish that?

Or can other generic project approached be applied? Like “this is the type of project that requires quick adjustments, so you may want to consider scrum.”

From a Metroline perspective, at some point you could perhaps even provide suggested solution plans, based on the FAIR Objectives. E.g. If you goal is “Register your study in the HRI Catalogue”, relevant steps are x, y, z and you could approach these steps (project-wise) in such-and-such-a-way (e.g. iteratively, like suggested FAIRInAction). Complicated, but perhaps useful, but it also means we’d have to have a list of “Generic FAIR Objectives”.

Does DMP-related stuff also fit into this somehow? Let’s say you have a project and its DMP. The DMP could include (a link to) a Solution Plan, which is basically the practical How-will-I-do-this-project. You could say any FAIRification process requires a Solution plan. In some cases, this solution may be “easy”, like when you just want to onboard your data in the HRI Catalogue.

Types of Project Management Methodologies: contains an overview of various major methodologies within the world of project management using the analogy of a kitchen.