Data Sharing Agreement

A Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) is a memorandum of understanding when data is shared between data domains, schools or units within WashU. This agreement stipulates data sharing responsibilities and acceptable use of data.  Data sharing may be a system integration, data feed or file sharing.  

A DSA is executed through the DocuSign application. The template has several prompts to guide you through the process to enter the required content. Once this agreement is submitted, reviewed, and signed, the Office of Data Governance will then maintain and store the agreement within Collibra’s Policy Manager. 

Benefits of a DSA

• Ability to renew & update agreements easily
• Central repository for access
• Greater transparency & awareness
• Standardize documentation process
• Safeguard institutional data
• Ensure stewardship approval

Is a DSA Required?

The table below will help guide your decision to complete a DSA. Data Classification is an important factor in determining the need for a Data Sharing Agreement. There are four data classifications: Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), Protected, Confidential, and Public. Criteria for Needing a Data Sharing Agreement and the InfoSec’s Data Classification webpage will provide more information.

Classification of Data	Sharing Mechanism	Sharing Frequency	DSA Required
Confidential	Integration	One Time or Ongoing	Yes
Confidential	File Sharing, Report	One Time	No
Confidential	File Sharing, Report	Ongoing	Yes
Protected or CUI	Integration	One Time or Ongoing	Yes
Protected or CUI	File Sharing, Report	One Time or Ongoing	Yes
Public	Integration	One Time or Ongoing	No
Public	File Sharing Report	One Time or Ongoing	No

Additional Resources