by Angela Guess
James Powell recently interviewed Jim Orr, author of Data Governance for the Executive, regarding why executives need to understand Data Governance. In the interview, Orr stated, “To be honest with you, I actually despise the term data governance because it does not accurately reflect what the discipline is trying to accomplish nor does it resonate in the business community. Data governance is about managing far more than the data in order to optimize data outcomes. It now involves cross-functional business process, people, technology, business alignment, and more. For many, the word data reflects IT-centric responsibilities and governance comes across as a bureaucratic term. Collectively, the term and the program struggle to gain acceptance in many organizations, certainly at a corporate level. Rather than data governance, this discipline is becoming more about ‘information asset management.’”
Asked if executives need to truly understand data governance, Orr responded, “No. In fact, a well-run data governance program does not need executive participation, certainly not in the daily process. The book is intended to raise executive awareness on how data governance drives overall business performance. By elevating the understanding among business leaders, organizations can better position themselves to manage (govern) their data assets to take advantage of business opportunities.”
photo credit: Jim Orr
