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Action Items

Action items track the follow-up tasks that emerge from governance meetings, ensuring decisions lead to concrete outcomes.

What is an Action Item?​

An Action Item is a specific task assigned during a meeting. It requires a clear, actionable description, is assigned to a specific person, is tracked to completion, and can be optionally linked to platform resources for context.

Creating Action Items​

During a Meeting​

To create an action item during a meeting, open the meeting detail page and find the Action Items section. Click Add Action Item, then fill in the description of the task, assign an owner (the person responsible), and optionally link it to a product, issue, or quality check before saving.

Quick Add​

For rapid capture during live meetings, use the quick-add field. simply enter the description, select an assignee from the dropdown, and press Enter or click Add. You can fill in additional details like links or deadlines after the meeting.

Action Item Fields​

Every action item contains a Description of what needs to be done, an Assignee who is responsible, and a Status (Open or Completed). It creates a timestamp for Completed At when finished and can hold an External Reference link if the task is tracked in an outside system.

You can connect action items to platform resources: link to a Product if the task relates to a specific data product, an Issue if it involves resolving a ticket, or a Quality Check if it involves a quality rule.

Managing Action Items​

Viewing Items​

In a meeting detail page, all action items are listed below the notes. The list shows the assignee's avatar and indicates the completion status of each item.

Editing Items​

To edit an item, click on it to open the details view. Modify any fields as needed and save your changes.

Completing Items​

When a task is done, find the action item and click the completion checkbox. The item is marked as complete and a timestamp is recorded.

Toggle Status​

Items can be toggled: check the box to complete the item, or uncheck it to reopen it if further work is needed.

Deleting Items​

To remove an action item, click the delete icon and confirm the removal. Note that deleting an action item removes it from the meeting record; for tracking purposes, it is often better to complete it rather than delete it.

Tracking Across Meetings​

Your Action Items​

To see items assigned to you, use the My Meetings filter to find relevant meetings, or use the Activity Center for a consolidated view of all your tasks.

Meeting History​

Previous meetings show their action items, allowing you to review what was decided, check completion status, and identify patterns or recurring topics across meetings.

Linked Resources​

Linking to Products​

When an action item relates to a data product, edit the item and select a product from the dropdown. This allows you to click and navigate directly to the product, provides context for the task, and shows the relationship in the meeting history.

Linking to Issues​

When an action item is about resolving an issue, edit the item and select an existing issue. This provides direct navigation to the ticket, tracks which meetings discussed the issue, and coordinates resolution efforts with governance discussions.

Linking to Quality Checks​

When an action item involves quality rules, edit the item and select a quality check. This gives easy access to check details, connects quality decisions to meetings, and documents the governance rationale for quality rules.

External References​

For tasks tracked in external systems, you can add an external ticket reference to the action item. This provides traceability when your organization uses external project management tools for execution.

Best Practices​

Be Specific​

Good action items are Actionable (clear what needs to be done), Assigned (someone is responsible), and Achievable (can be completed in a reasonable time). For example, use "Review and update customer_orders field descriptions by Friday" instead of "Fix data quality".

Assign Immediately​

Unassigned items often get forgotten. Always specify an assignee, ensuring they are in the meeting and have verbally agreed to the task.

Follow Up​

In subsequent meetings, review open action items, mark completed ones, and discuss any blockers on stale items.

Use connections to add value. Links provide context, enable one-click navigation, and build a robust audit trail.

Keep Items Focused​

Each item should represent one task. Split complex work into multiple items to make them easier to track, complete, and assign accountability for.

Meeting History​

Action item changes—creation, completion, and deletion—are logged and appear in the meeting's History tab for audit purposes.