Governance Building Blocks

According to the DSSC Blueprint 2.0, strong governance is the backbone of any trustworthy data space. Two foundational elements, Organisational Form & Governance Authority and Participation Management, shape how a data space is structured, how decisions are made, and how participants are welcomed, managed, and held accountable.

The first building block focuses on the legal and organisational setup of the data space. It explores how to select an appropriate legal form, establish a governance structure, and assign authority to oversee the rulebook, ensure compliance, and support conflict resolution. Early decisions here lay the groundwork for building trust, maintaining transparency, and enabling data quality, especially as your data space grows or federates over time.

The second building block ensures that participants are engaged in a secure, inclusive, and consistent way. It provides guidance on onboarding and offboarding procedures, role definitions, access policies, and governance rules. Without these clear mechanisms, collaboration can break down, and data governance risks can emerge.

Together, these building blocks, supported by the broader business, legal, and technical dimensions, form a comprehensive governance layer that enables data spaces to operate efficiently, scale responsibly, and uphold trust among all actors.

See the complete DSSC description here.