Metroline Step: Design solution plan

STATUS: IN DEVELOPMENT

Short description

Building upon the findings from the pre-FAIR assessment, this step provides a structured approach to addressing identified gaps in FAIR compliance. A well-defined solution plan ensures that all necessary 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 implementation.

Why is this step important 

Following the pre-FAIR assessment, where key gaps and improvement areas are identified, this step ensures that those insights are systematically addressed. Without a well-defined plan, FAIRification efforts can become fragmented and ineffective. This step transforms assessment findings into actionable solutions, helping to:

• Align stakeholders on a shared approach,

• Optimise the use of available resources and infrastructure,

• Define success criteria to measure progress,

• Facilitate long-term sustainability and interoperability of FAIR data.

How to 

Step 1 - Identify key requirements

Based on the outcomes of the pre-FAIR assessment, identify the specific needs required to bridge the FAIR-related gaps. These may include metadata schemas, persistent identifiers, or data repositories that were found lacking in the assessment.

Step 2 - Assess feasibility and constraints

Assess the current infrastructure, policies, and data governance environment identified in the pre-FAIR assessment. Determine constraints such as legal barriers, technical limitations, and organisational readiness that could hinder FAIR implementation, and define strategies to address them.

Step 3 - Select appropriate tools and methodologies

Using insights from the pre-FAIR assessment, select tools, frameworks, and methodologies that directly address the gaps identified. Resources such as http://FAIRsharing.org and existing FAIR Implementation Profiles (FIPs) should be leveraged to ensure alignment with best practices.

Step 4 - Engage stakeholders and align objectives

Engage the same stakeholders involved in the pre-FAIR assessment to ensure continuity. Foster collaboration between data stewards, domain experts, and IT teams to translate assessment findings into a practical and domain-specific solution plan.

Step 5 - Develop the FAIRification roadmap

Develop a detailed implementation roadmap that reflects the prioritised recommendations from the pre-FAIR assessment. Define key performance indicators that track the effectiveness of interventions and allow for iterative improvements.

Step 6 - Validate and refine the solution plan

Validate the proposed solution with stakeholders by comparing it to the insights gathered in the pre-FAIR assessment. Ensure that the solution effectively addresses identified gaps, and adjust where necessary based on stakeholder input.

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 step.

Practical examples from the community 

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

Training

Relevant training will be added soon.

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.

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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. 

The FAIRification Workplan 

The FAIRification Workplan is a specific design and implementation plan customised to an individual project by selecting the template elements required to achieve the intended FAIRification goals according to the project examination. An example of a FAIRification workplan is shown in Supplementary Figure 1.  For many of the steps in the workplan, solutions may already exist, in the shape of FAIR Cookbook 15,16 recipes (https://faircookbook.elixir-europe.org ), which serve as a guide.  Supplementary Table 2 provides links to the recipes that address specific implementation considerations. Once the workplan has been designed, it is put into action within the agreed cycle time frame. 

In this step, the aim is to setup a workplan for your FAIRification process. This workplan is a specific design an implementation plan customised to your project, composed of template elements required to achieve your intended FAIRification goals [FAIRInAction]. For many steps in the workplan, solutions may already exist, for example in the form of recipes as provided by the FAIR Cookbook [FAIRCookbook]. 

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.