Discussion Board Peer Responses

Discussion Board Peer Responses

In responding to your peer’s posts, be sure to do the following:

• Ask at least one relevant question regarding their example scenario
and the roles defined within their RACI matrix.

• Discuss similarities and differences between your approach and that
of your peers; be sure to explain your line of thinking.

Peer 1:

Nathaniel

I used scenario 1 where in a healthcare organization, there is a need to
manage patient data securely, but beyond HIPAA, there are no explicit
regulations guiding data privacy practices. While HIPAA has regulations
around what to protect and guidelines around what can be shared, the how
you protect it is more open to a companies discretion.

This is where using the RACI matrix can be very useful. It structures who is
responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed in the development and
implementation of securing of sensitive data. From personal experience,
when there is a breakdown in following RACI matrix and including all
responsible parties, either a product is unable to be delivered or it does not
meet the business needs. For example, in one of my roles a business analyst
(responsible party) met with the customer without the developers (also
responsible party). The business analyst proceeded to tell the customer how
the application could be built, not realizing the data could not be brought
together the way they had described to the customer. This caused multiple
additional meetings and design sessions to get the customer to accept what
actually could be done vs what they had initially been offered. This same
scenario would apply when it comes to safeguarding data by designing the

application properly. A business analyst would not want to meet with a
customer, gather requirements, and commit to the customer what can be
done without including other responsible/accountable parties first. This will
ensure that the data the customer wants follows security guidelines and is
actually available to the customer.

For responsible parties you would have roles such as business analysts and
developers, those that get the work done. For accountable parties you can
have roles such as product owners and project managers, ones that make
sure responsible parties are meeting deadlines and that the project is
completed. For consulted parties you would have roles such as information
security and cybersecurity, making sure the project meets legal/security
guidelines. With how critical legal/security rules are, the consulted parties
would be involved throughout the process and help avoid rework for
developers. Finally you have the informed parties such as business owners
and stakeholders, ones that typically see the big picture of the project and
need to be kept in the loop on the milestones being met.

When there are no guiding regulations about handling sensitive data, start
by questioning if just because something can be done, should it. You can
use data to present the facts in a way that fits your narrative but not
entirely true, which would not be ethical and can result in poor decision
making. There is also the opportunity for data misuse, such as using data
collected in new ways. While this may not be a legal concern, it could be an
issue with how customers perceive it. Someone else had mentioned in their
post a couple weeks ago about Google actually gathering data when
someone is using incognito. This damaged customer trust, which is one of
the hardest things to get back.

Peer 2

Dan

In an e-commerce company that operates in a jurisdiction with limited regulations, accountability,
and responsibility is paramount when handling customer data. The Responsible-Accountable-
Consulted-Informed (RACI) matrix can be vital to keep employees informed on their roles in the
data handling process from the beginning to the final task. One of the main stipulations of the
RACI matrix is that “to foster accountability, tasks should not have more than one A entry in the
matrix to avoid diffusion of responsibility” (Ucertify, 2023). Essentially, by keeping one person
assigned to the A role for each task, the accountability lies solely on them and the blame cannot
be passed around if things fail. The other 3 roles are equally as important, as R is assigned to
people who will do the task, and C is for those who provide insight. I is for employees who will be
informed about the task but will not participate in its completion.

For the example of an e-commerce company, a few examples of individuals/departments
that may be involved in the matrix include a Data Protection Officer (DPO), Information Technology
department (IT), legal counsel, and management. One common task that could be used an
example as of where their RACI matrix responsibilities lie would be the collection of data. The IT
department would be assigned with the R role and be responsible for ensuring the system
collecting the data is secure and safe. The DPO would have the A role and be accountable for the
collection of the data and whether it follows the limited regulations that are in place and that
customer data is being protected. The legal counsel will be the C in the matrix as they will be
consulted by the prior two groups on how to set up the data collection systems per the pre-
established rules and regulations. The final part of the matrix is the I and that belongs to
management who will be informed of the process and success or lack thereof by the previous three
groups in regards to the task at hand.

In this example, because there are limited regulations that are currently in place, it can be
helpful to look at outside resources that can help guide the handling of sensitive data. One such
source is the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). While the GDPR may only be in place for
companies residing or doing business in the EU, it provides a great framework for businesses
outside of the EU to follow and build their specific regulations around it. Other industry best
practices can also be followed and consultation from a legal team who specializes in such
information can be invaluable.

References

Ucertify. (2023). Dat-250-14280: Certified Ethical Emerging Technologist. Lesson 8.

Ucertify.