This tool forms high level guidance on data sharing in government. It aims to frame the problems inherent in data sharing in such a way as to enable senior leaders to make informed decisions about data exchange projects and the teams needed to run them. Data sharing projects require expertise in technology, data, policy, and governance, but individuals come to them with their own priorities, and so this document aims to put the need for that broader expertise in context. It forms the introductory part of a suite of guidance and tooling aimed at exploring those problem spaces in more depth, including the Data Sharing Governance Framework and the [https://api.gov.uk/sc/] (Data Standards Catalogue)