On the road to trusted data: an autoethnography of community governance and decision-making

Abstract: This paper is an autoethnographic account of the governance of a large decision-making community responsible for the data requirements for the Irish Agri-food industry. The primary author was the leader in a major stakeholder organisation within this decision-making programme. The programme is currently used to underpin the regulatory compliance, quality, and sustainability of Irish food. The programme is recognised worldwide as innovative and the data is trusted at national and international levels by all members of the community. The decision-making process for this programme was complex with many stakeholders and diverse interests. The paper reflects upon and analyses the key concepts emerging from this personal study and triangulates the reflections and analysis to the key network orchestration activities outlined by Dhanaraj and Parkhe (2006), namely, knowledge mobility, appropriability and network stability. Key points emerge from these reflections, with some new insights arising from the autoethnographic account which imply the need for future research.