Effective Data Stewardship

This chapter will provide you with an overview of effective data stewardship. It will cover the principles of data stewardship, such as defining core principles, designing the data domain, and establishing data ownership. It will also discuss how to handle data incidents and what good data stewardship looks like, such as transparent communication accountability and continuous upskill training. By the end of this chapter, you will have more understanding to become a proficient data steward.

Let’s deep dive into these topics for effective data stewardship:

• Establishing data stewardship principles and standardizing data incident management
• Defining and implementing data ownership
• Defining a target state –What does good data stewardship look like?

Establishing data stewardship principles and standardizing data incident management

Data stewardship principles serve as the foundation for the effective management, control, and protection of an organization’s critical data assets. These principles provide a direction that guides the development of policies, procedures, and practices to ensure data is used and maintained in a manner that aligns with the organization’s objectives. Importantly, the data steward plays a pivotal role in this setting. As custodians of data, they are responsible for its quality, integrity, and security. They foster collaboration among data producers and consumers, ensuring everyone adheres to these principles. Thus, establishing robust data stewardship principles is not just a nice-to-have but a critical component in the successful realization of a company’s data-driven agenda. The importance of these principles and the role of data stewards become even more significant as we move toward...

Defining and implementing data ownership

Data ownership is a fundamental element of data governance that refers to the assignment of responsibility for data quality, integrity, and security to specific individuals or teams within an organization. This concept goes beyond the mere possession of data, extending to encompass responsibility for its appropriate use, its protection, and maintenance of its accuracy and reliability. The importance of data ownership cannot be overstated. It fosters accountability, ensures compliance with data standards and policies, and facilitates efficient decision-making.

In the context of data governance, data ownership is pivotal. It is the backbone that supports data policies, standards, and procedures, ensuring they are effectively implemented and adhered to. It empowers individuals or teams, known as data owners, with the authority to make decisions about the data they oversee, including who can access it, how it can be used, and how it should be...

Defining a target state – What does good data stewardship look like?

Defining a target state is essentially creating a clear vision of what an optimized data governance and stewardship program looks like. It involves setting specific goals and KPIs that reflect the organization’s data management aspirations. This vision should encapsulate the desired data quality, compliance, security, and accessibility, among other critical factors.

The target state plays a pivotal role in shaping the data stewardship program. It serves as a guidepost, providing direction and clarity to the various data stewardship initiatives. It sets the bar for what the organization aims to achieve, enabling data stewards to align their efforts with these goals and measure their progress.

Understanding the level of data complexity

Before we define the target state of data stewardship, let’s align on the various levels of data complexity in the data journey. As organizations evolve...

Summary

Data stewardship principles are the backbone of a robust data governance framework. The design of an organization’s data policy should balance between safeguarding data assets and empowering the organization to leverage data optimally.

Data IM is one of the essential facets that ensures swift and effective responses to data breaches or other incidents. A well-defined process outlining roles, responsibilities, investigative steps, mitigation strategies, and stakeholder communication is crucial. Further, the implementation of data ownership is vital for efficient and effective data management. It assigns clear responsibilities, enhancing accountability and ensuring that data is used to its full potential.

However, it is important to remember that these guidelines are not universally applicable in their raw form. Every organization has unique needs, so the data policy, IM, and data ownership principles should be customized accordingly. Moreover, these principles are...