DDI Alliance Scientific Work Plan, July 2024 – December 2026

In Q2 2024, the DDI Alliance Executive Board developed a Strategic Plan for 2024 - 2027. This lays out the strategic priorities for the DDI Alliance over the next three years and on which areas work should be focused. The purpose of the Scientific Work Plan is to complement this document by outlining more concrete outcomes, which should cascade down to Working Groups for specific, local implementation. The DDI Technical Committee has a special approval and QA role in this apparatus, in that it takes responsibility for ensuring technical alignment and best practice for DDI products, both for consistent product development practices and harmonised infrastructure.

Having defined these concrete goals, the Scientific Board’s primary purpose is to be a proactive enabler for their implementation by Working Groups. Each Working Group shall have a named contact within the Scientific Board. As well as providing support to the working group, each contact should formally report back to the Scientific Board on a regular basis on the status of each Working Group’s activities and how their work is helping deliver on the Scientific Work Plan.

In summary, the philosophy of approach is that the Executive Board sets the tone and the priorities for the DDI Alliance (as well as having special responsibility for Finance and Marketing); the Scientific Board defines and supports the delivery of concrete goals by the Working Groups; Technical Committee oversees standards and technical best practice across all working groups and products; finally, working groups implement the Scientific Work Plan and should have the freedom to progress those goals in ways that work for their local community of interest.