by Angela Guess
According to a new article, “Data governance is the crux of any enterprise data management strategy. Data Governance refers to the overall management of the availability, usability, integrity, and security of the data employed in an enterprise. A sound data governance program includes a governing body or council, a defined set of procedures, and a plan to execute those procedures. In practical terms, that means putting personnel, policies, procedures, and organizational structures in place to make data accurate, consistent, secure, and available to accomplish business goals.”
It continues, “Effective data governance makes meaningful and correct data available to business and hence it makes business process more efficient by saving money, allowing re-use of data, and supporting enterprise analytics. However, data governance requires more than just a few members of the IT staff with a project plan. It requires participation and commitment of both IT and business management, as well as senior-level executive sponsorship and active consultation with various business communities of interest.”
The writer notes, “In my last company, data governance was planned, managed, and implemented through a three level structure: (1) The Executive Data Governance Council provides strategic direction, ensuring that data governance efforts address all relevant and mission-critical needs of the enterprise. It manages data governance as an integrated program rather than as a set of unconnected projects. (2) The Strategic Data Governance Steering Committee carries out plans and policies to implement guidance from the Executive Data Governance Council. It prioritizes data governance efforts and communicates with stakeholders, users, and other communities of interest. (3) The Tactical Data Governance working group implements plans and policies developed by the EDM Governance team, and analyzes and resolves any tactical problems that arise.”
photo credit: quinn.anya
