The City of Pittsburgh's Data Catalog Project is a foundational effort led by the Data Services Team to standardize and enhance the management of the city’s data assets. As part of the broader Data Governance Program, the initiative ensures that data is well-documented, secure, high-quality, and accessible for both internal use and public transparency. A structured data catalog aims to improve data classification, ensure compliance with the Open Data Ordinance, and bolster efficiency efforts within city operations. The end objective is to create a centralized, well-maintained record of datasets across departments, enabling better decision-making and fostering a data-driven culture within the city government.

Building the Catalog

To build this catalog, departments follow a three-step process. The first step is identifying a Data Coordinator within each department to serve as a point of contact with the Data Services Team and to organize the discovery, cataloging, and documentation of the department's data assets. The next step involves brainstorming data collections by engaging key stakeholders to list all potential datasets and determine their importance, accessibility, and sensitivity. Departments are encouraged to ask critical questions about how data is used for reporting, analysis, or compliance purposes, as well as what data is frequently requested by other agencies or the public.

Finally, departments compile the catalog by documenting essential details such as dataset names, formats, update frequency, sensitivity classification, and usage. This structured approach provides the city with a comprehensive overview of its data assets while identifying potential gaps, redundancies, and opportunities for improved data governance. Ultimately, the Data Catalog Project contributes to better decision-making, enhances transparency, and strengthens the overall data governance framework within the City of Pittsburgh.

Progress to Date

53% of the departments have fully completed their data inventories, while the remaining 47% are still in progress.

Timeline to Publish

The City expects to publish the Data Catalog in 2025. The effort to complete the Data Catalog is an ongoing priority, with continuous work being done to ensure its accuracy and comprehensiveness. As significant progress has been made, the project will remain a priority even after its completion, as departments will continue to update and maintain the catalog to reflect new data assets and evolving needs. This ongoing commitment to the catalog will support sustained improvements in data management, transparency, and decision-making across the city government. The project is expected to be completed soon, marking a key milestone in the city's data governance efforts.