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Meeting Schedule and Engagement Forums

David Aguiar edited this page Aug 31, 2026 · 5 revisions

Meeting Schedule and Engagement Forums

The DCAT-US 3 interagency engagement structure includes two recurring meetings that support agencies implementing the DCAT-US 3 metadata standard and coordinating with Data.gov on metadata harvesting, validation, and display considerations.

These meetings serve different purposes:

  1. DCAT Interagency Q&A Office Hours
    A bi-weekly, question-driven office hours session with no prepared presentation.

  2. DCAT Interagency Info Sharing Session
    A monthly information sharing session that may include presentations, demonstrations, Q&A, and open floor discussion.

Updates to the meeting schedule, meeting links, or related DCAT-US 3 engagement information will be posted at:

DCAT-US 3 Updates:
https://resources.data.gov/resources/dcat-us-3-updates/


Meeting Summary

Meeting Cadence Format Purpose
DCAT Interagency Q&A Office Hours Every two weeks on Wednesday Open Q&A / no presentation Provides an open forum for agency questions about DCAT-US 3 implementation, metadata standards, harvesting, validation, and Data.gov display
DCAT Interagency Info Sharing Session Monthly on the second Thursday Presentation, demonstration, Q&A, and open discussion Provides a recurring interagency forum for sharing updates, examples, lessons learned, implementation approaches, and related DCAT-US 3 information

DCAT Interagency Q&A Office Hours

Meeting Details

Meeting Name: DCAT Interagency Q&A Office Hours
Format: No presentation / open Q&A
Cadence: Bi-weekly, every two weeks on Wednesday
Time: 12:00–12:50 p.m. Mountain Time
Time Zone: America/Denver

Google Meet:
https://meet.google.com/txc-zcym-aky

Dial-in:
+1 502-667-4043

PIN:
183 533 120#

More phone numbers:
https://tel.meet/txc-zcym-aky?pin=5035736242438

Meeting Notes:
Gemini will take meeting notes. Notes and transcripts will be shared based on meeting settings.


Purpose

The DCAT Interagency Q&A Office Hours are a recurring bi-weekly session intended to provide an open forum for agencies implementing the DCAT-US 3 metadata standard.

This session is focused on agency questions related to applying the standard to agency data inventories, metadata management processes, harvesting, validation, and display on Data.gov.

This meeting may also be used to raise questions about related metadata standards or implementation considerations.


Important Note

This is an office hours session, not a formal training or presentation.

No prepared presentation materials or scheduled instruction will be provided. Agencies are encouraged to bring questions, examples, implementation scenarios, or issues they would like to discuss.

The meeting is driven by participant questions and discussion. If no questions or discussion topics are raised by participants, the meeting may remain open in silence or conclude early.


Recurring Agenda

1. Opening and Welcome

  • Confirm the purpose of the office hours
  • Invite participants to raise questions or discussion topics

2. Agency Q&A on DCAT-US 3 Implementation

  • Questions about required, recommended, or optional metadata fields
  • Interpretation of DCAT-US 3 elements
  • Applying the standard to agency-specific datasets and catalogs
  • Handling edge cases or implementation challenges

3. Metadata Harvesting and Data.gov Display Questions

  • How agency metadata decisions may affect harvesting
  • Potential impacts on Data.gov display, search, filtering, or discoverability
  • Troubleshooting metadata visibility or quality issues

4. Related Metadata Standards or Policy Questions

  • Discussion of other metadata standards, mappings, or interoperability questions as time allows
  • Cross-agency considerations or common implementation patterns

5. Open Discussion

  • Additional questions from participants
  • Peer-to-peer sharing of implementation approaches or lessons learned

6. Wrap-Up

  • Identify any follow-up items, if applicable
  • Note questions that may need additional research or referral
  • Confirm the next office hours session

Suggested Use of Office Hours

Agencies may use office hours to discuss questions such as:

  • How should a specific DCAT-US 3 field be interpreted?
  • How should an agency apply DCAT-US 3 to a specific dataset, catalog, or inventory structure?
  • How might a metadata decision affect harvesting by Data.gov?
  • How might metadata display, search, filtering, or discoverability be affected on Data.gov?
  • What validation issues is an agency seeing?
  • Should a question be routed to the DCAT-US GitHub Issues page as a possible standards-level issue?
  • Should a harvest source change request be submitted?
  • What implementation patterns are other agencies using?

DCAT Interagency Info Sharing Session

Meeting Details

Meeting Name: DCAT Interagency Info Sharing Session
Format: Information sharing session with variable format, including presentation, demonstration, Q&A, and open floor discussion
Cadence: Monthly, on the second Thursday
Time: 12:00–12:50 p.m. Mountain Time
Time Zone: America/Denver

Google Meet:
https://meet.google.com/uat-sger-zhu

Dial-in:
+1 260-232-3104

PIN:
868 852 959#

More phone numbers:
https://tel.meet/uat-sger-zhu?pin=6856503468446

Recording and Notes:
This meeting will be recorded, and AI tools will be used to take notes.


Purpose

The DCAT Interagency Info Sharing Session is a recurring monthly forum for interagency information sharing related to DCAT, DCAT-US 3, metadata standards, agency implementation efforts, and related Data.gov harvesting and display considerations.

Unlike the bi-weekly office hours, this session may include prepared content, demonstrations, structured discussion, and participant Q&A. The format may vary each month depending on current topics, agency needs, implementation issues, and available presenters.

This session is intended to support cross-agency learning, coordination, and awareness as agencies work through DCAT-US 3 implementation and related metadata management activities.


Recurring Agenda

1. Welcome and Session Overview

  • Introductions, if needed
  • Review of the session purpose and format
  • Overview of planned topics or speakers for the month

2. Featured Presentation or Topic Discussion

  • Presentation on DCAT, DCAT-US 3, metadata standards, implementation practices, or related policy/technical topics
  • May include updates, lessons learned, issue deep dives, or agency use cases

3. Demonstration, Walkthrough, or Example Review

  • Live demonstration or walkthrough, as applicable
  • Examples may include:
    • Metadata records
    • Catalog implementation patterns
    • Validation approaches
    • Harvesting workflows
    • Data.gov display considerations

4. Agency Q&A

  • Questions about the featured topic or demonstration
  • Questions about DCAT-US 3 implementation, metadata standards, harvesting, or Data.gov-related impacts

5. Open Floor Discussion

  • Opportunity for agencies to raise related topics, challenges, questions, or information-sharing needs
  • Cross-agency discussion of implementation approaches, lessons learned, and common issues

6. Wrap-Up and Next Steps

  • Capture follow-up items, if applicable
  • Identify potential topics or presenters for future sessions
  • Confirm the next meeting date

Suggested Topics for Information Sharing Sessions

Topics may vary from month to month. Potential topics include:

  • DCAT-US 3 implementation approaches
  • Agency implementation examples or use cases
  • Metadata field interpretation
  • Metadata quality and validation
  • Harvesting workflows
  • Data.gov display considerations
  • Data.gov Harvester functionality
  • Inventory.data.gov workflows
  • Catalog behavior or display considerations
  • Transition approaches from DCAT-US 1.1 to DCAT-US 3
  • Lessons learned from agency implementation
  • Common implementation challenges
  • Updates to DCAT-US 3 resources
  • Related metadata standards or crosswalks
  • Questions that may need follow-up through GitHub issues, Data.gov tracking boards, or future meetings

Difference Between the Two Meetings

The two meetings are complementary but serve different purposes.

Topic Q&A Office Hours Info Sharing Session
Primary purpose Agency questions and implementation discussion Cross-agency information sharing
Cadence Bi-weekly Monthly
Presentation materials None scheduled May include prepared content
Training format Not a training session May include demonstrations or walkthroughs
Main format Open Q&A Presentation, demonstration, Q&A, and discussion
If there are no questions May remain open in silence or conclude early Generally follows planned topic or discussion format
Best for Specific implementation questions, troubleshooting, metadata interpretation questions Updates, examples, demonstrations, lessons learned, and broader discussion

Related Resources

Agencies may wish to review the following resources before attending either meeting.

DCAT-US 3 Updates

https://resources.data.gov/resources/dcat-us-3-updates/

Use this page for meeting schedule updates and related DCAT-US 3 engagement information.

DCAT-US 3 Implementation Guide

https://resources.data.gov/resources/dcat-us-3-implementation/

Primary reference for agencies implementing the DCAT-US 3 metadata standard.

DCAT-US 3 to M-25-05 Crosswalk

https://resources.data.gov/resources/dcat-us-3-crosswalk/

Reference for understanding how DCAT-US 3 metadata elements relate to M-25-05-related considerations.

DCAT-US 3 Technical Implementation FAQs

https://github.com/GSA/dcat-us/wiki/DCAT-US-3-Technical-Implementation-FAQ

Frequently asked questions related to technical implementation of the DCAT-US 3 metadata standard will be posted here as they are developed.

DCAT-US GitHub Issues

https://github.com/GSA/dcat-us/issues

Use this issue tracker to request or discuss changes to the DCAT-US metadata standard itself.

Current Harvest Sources

https://harvest.data.gov

Agencies can use this site to view their current harvest sources.

Harvest Source Validation Tool

https://harvest.data.gov/validate/

Agencies can use this tool to test whether a proposed or updated harvest source is expected to pass validation.

Harvest Source Change Request Form

https://touchpoints.app.cloud.gov/touchpoints/ffb7e9d0

Agencies should use this form to request a new DCAT-US 3 harvest source or a change to an existing harvest source.

Inventory.data.gov Access Request Form

https://touchpoints.app.cloud.gov/touchpoints/9145dd7e

Agencies can use this form to request access to Inventory.data.gov to create a DCAT-US 3 compliant file. Once an account is established, this same form must be re-submitted once per quarter to maintain access.


Notes About Meeting Updates

Any updates to the meeting schedule, meeting links, agenda approach, or related DCAT-US 3 engagement information will be posted at:

https://resources.data.gov/resources/dcat-us-3-updates/

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