Sharing Data Across a Community: Operationalizing a Collective Legal Framework

This case study outlines how to establish trust and broker data-sharing agreements across a supply chain network of different companies and organizations working together. It is based on the experience and learnings of the Global Family Planning Visibility and Analytics Network (VAN) and traces the development of the policies at the heart of its legal framework.

Traditionally, the issue of data confidentiality has been handled through negotiated bilateral agreements, which can often make it legally confusing and logistically cumbersome for multilateral groups seeking to share data. The VAN has resolved such barriers through the development of its transparent, multilateral terms of use agreement that hinges on a robust, secure, role-based data security model. This case study tells the story of how this policy got off the ground and shares critical learnings from the process.