Data Governance is a collection of practices and processes which help to ensure the formal management of data assets within an organization. Data Governance often includes other concepts such as Data Stewardship, Data Quality, and others to help an enterprise gain better control over its data assets, including methods, technologies, and behaviors around the proper management of data. It also deals with security and privacy, integrity, usability, integration, compliance, availability, roles and responsibilities, and overall management of the internal and external data flows within an organization.

Other Definitions of Data Governance Include:

• “Data Governance is the exercise of authority and control (planning, monitoring, and enforcement) over the management of data assets.” (DAMA International)
• “Data Governance is a system of decision rights and accountabilities for information-related processes, executed according to agreed-upon models which describe who can take what actions with what information, and when, under what circumstances, using what methods.” (Data Governance Institute)

Some Benefits of Data Governance Include:

• Lower costs associated with other areas of Data Management.
• More accurate procedures around regulation and compliance activities.
• Greater transparency within any data-related activities.
• Help with instituting better training and educational practices around the management of data assets.
• Increase in value of an organization’s data.
• Ability to provide standardized data systems, data policies, data procedures, and data standards.
• Better resolution of past and current data issues.
• Improved monitoring and tracking mechanisms for Data Quality and other data-related activities.
• Overall enterprise revenue growth.