Relational database design considerations for beneficial ownership information
1. Introduction
This guidance note provides technical guidance on considerations for relational database design when building a system that holds beneficial ownership information. In particular, it focuses on the requirements for publishing data to meet the Beneficial Ownership Data Standard (BODS). Most of these recommendations will also suit the creation of any system which aims to ingest declarations of beneficial ownership and create auditable records.
This note is designed for use by technical professionals, especially those with a role in the database design and technology architecture of company registers and/or sector registers that will publish to BODS.
Open Ownership’s (OO) Implementation Guide contains best practice on implementing beneficial ownership transparency, including system design. The Open Ownership Principles (OO Principles) are a well-known framework for effective beneficial ownership disclosure.
This note is designed for the Opening Extractives programme which is an ambitious global programme aiming to transform the availability and use of beneficial ownership data for effective governance in the extractive sector.
The programme combines political and technical engagement, to support countries implementing beneficial ownership reforms and to enable the use of the data by governments, civil society and companies. Findings and evidence from the programme will be communicated globally, leveraging the tools and knowledge developed to drive impact beyond the focus countries.