The United Nations is Looking for an Enterprise Data Catalog

The United Nations is currently in the process of procuring a data catalog, according to the organization’s Chief of Data, Analytics and Emerging Technologies Lambert Hogenhout. The announcement, which was made via a LinkedIn post, appears to be breaking as RFP documents won’t be available until next month. The post reads: “The UN is procuring a Data Catalog. This is a large project and the catalog will serve us for many years to come. It is important that we get it right.”

The UN’s Procurement Division page refers to its need for an Enterprise Data Catalog: “Over the past several years, the organization has witnessed an exponential rate of growth by which data is generated and consumed. Increasingly, these vast amounts of data, which are managed by different entities, are becoming the key foundation of all the high-level decision-making in achieving UN global mandates. This has high-lighted the urgent need to address the following challenges: a) consolidate multiple and fragmented data sources, b) develop overarching policy and governance, and c) help promote a culture that fully recognizes value of data.”

The UN notes specific requirements in their product evaluation, including automated data scanning, the ability to publish data assets, classification and tagging, system security, user authentication, data privacy and protection, data exchange, a business glossary, and cloud hosting. The document concludes: “Vendors interested in participating in the planned solicitation process should submit the Vendor Response Form of this EOI electronically (through the link available on the next page) before the closing date set forth above.”

The process for evaluating metadata management and data cataloging solutions has continued to grow increasingly complex. Commonly used as a reference for business-centric projects, metadata is instrumental for describing, inventorying, and understanding data for multiple use cases.

Like the United Nations, you might also be evaluating prospective metadata management and data cataloging tools. If so, consult our freshly pressed Buyer’s Guide which offers an at-a-glance reference of 16 metadata management and data catalog vendors, the solutions they provide, and the markets they address.