Launching a Metadata Catalogue with East Midlands SDE

Read on to see how we want from kick off to Go-Live in Just One Month...  

The Challenge

As part of the National SDE (secure data environments) Programme, East Midlands SDE needed to:

• Launch a metadata catalogue to efficiently store and manage dataset records, maintain consistent metadata and provide governance-ready visibility
• Automate federation to the HDR UK Gateway
• Move away from manual dataset uploads to save on time and budget
• Prepare to manage datasets on behalf of regional partners

Their existing processes relied on manually adding datasets to HDR UK, with no automated updates or centralised management, which was costly, time consuming and open to input errors.

MetadataWorks was tasked with delivering a secure catalogue quickly, to save the team budget and resource.

Why Choose MetadataWorks?

East Midlands SDE had seen successful MetadataWorks implementations with:

• Kent, Medway & Sussex (KMS) Secure Data Environment
• London Secure Data Environment
• Healthy and Sustainable Places Data Service

They wanted a proven approach that could be deployed quickly, with minimal overhead, and aligned to national standards.

MetadataWorks offered:

• A mature, production-ready platform with a strong track record across Secure Data Services
• A highly experienced expert team with deep knowledge of federated metadata, standards, and secure data environments
• The ability to go live quickly with core capability, then add additional functionality as needs evolved
• A responsive, collaborative service model, ensuring issues are addressed quickly and enhancements are delivered efficiently
• A solution designed to remain robust, secure, and sustainably maintained over time

The Solution

In just one month, the project team delivered:

• A live best-in-class metadata catalogue
• Outgoing federation to HDR UK
• Incoming federation capability
• Migration and update of existing 10 datasets
• A single source of truth for regional datasets
• Structured, scalable metadata management

Impact

The result: a fully operational, nationally aligned metadata infrastructure, saving East Midlands SDE time and budget.

Immediate Benefits

• Reduced administrative burden
• Improved dataset visibility
• National SDE compliance achieved
• Foundation for regional dataset governance

East Midlands SDE now have the infrastructure to act as the regional metadata manager on behalf of contributing partners.

What’s Next

With phase one complete, East Midlands SDE is now focused on creating common operating and governance arrangements with East of England Secure Data Environment including:

• Onboarding new team members
• Upgrading to metadata records to HDR 3.0.0 schema
• Exploring Project & Access Management (PAM) capabilities

Why It Matters

This project demonstrates how Secure Data Environments can:

• Set up core infrastructure quickly
• Meet national commitments with limited internal resource
• Replace manual processes with scalable automation
• Build strong foundations for regional collaboration

A Word From East Midlands Secure Data Environment

‘The MetadataWorks team has delivered on every element of the project and continues to offer us expert support. We now have a best-in-class metadata catalogue, accelerating research and saving administrative hours, allowing our team to focus on priority workstreams. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend MetadataWorks.’

Andrew Haw, Programme Director, East Midlands Secure Data Environment.