Laying the Groundwork for AI Involvement: Why Data Governance Is the Ultimate Prerequisite

Human services agencies help millions of people access essential supports, including food assistance, health care, child welfare services, and emergency assistance. Yet many face growing demands amid workforce shortages, changing eligibility requirements, and outdated technology. Artificial intelligence (AI) offers potential ways to ease these pressures by streamlining administrative tasks, reducing staff workloads, and improving the experience of people seeking services. However, agencies cannot realize these benefits without first establishing strong data governance: the policies and practices that ensure information is accurate, secure, accessible to the right people, and used responsibly.

For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs, this article highlights an important consideration as agencies explore new technologies to improve operations and service delivery. Reliable data governance helps programs protect sensitive participant information, establish clear accountability, and ensure the information used to guide decisions is accurate and trustworthy. TANF administrators and practitioners can use these insights to assess their data practices, identify gaps in existing systems, and determine what safeguards are needed before adopting AI tools. By laying this groundwork first, programs can make more informed technology decisions and explore opportunities to improve efficiency while maintaining participant privacy and trust.