7 - Data Governance

Abstract

Managing the organizational framework for defining, agreeing to, and instituting best practices associated with improvements in data quality requires a governance framework that empowers the proper staff members to ensure the most effective use of the enterprise information assets. This chapter introduces governance policies that include a data quality charter, a suggested organizational structure, roles and responsibilities, and workflows for participant activities to provide comprehensive oversight for enterprise information quality. An enterprise data governance model must incorporate technical leadership, oversight, steering, and stewardship to ensure that responsible managers are accountable for high quality data. The management of data quality must incorporate the participation, collaboration, and oversight from all the participants. Processes must be in place to establish data quality goals in relation to both business objectives and internal and external constraints; integrate methods for measuring, auditing, and reporting data quality metrics; and develop protocols for responsibility and accountability for issues resolution. Processes to address these organizational requirements are embodied within a governance framework for data quality management and oversight across the enterprise. Governance is introduced at various data touch points throughout the data life cycle to ensure consistency and conformance to the defined business rules and to measure the degree to which line-of business activities comply with the desired level of the data quality maturity model.