Data Governance

What is it?

Data governance is the framework that defines the who, what, where, how, when, and why of managing and utilizing data within an organization. It encompasses the policies, roles, processes, and standards necessary to ensure that data is accurate, consistent, secure, and used responsibly.

Data governance frameworks go beyond simply setting rules - it involves answering critical questions including:

• What data is being collected and stored?
• Where is data being stored and how is it maintained?
• Who has access to specific types of data?
• When and with whom can it be shared?
• How are these decisions made?
• What are the goals with data use or sharing?

Your organization’s data governance policies should align with its values and commitments to the community. This means ensuring data practices are equitable, responsible, and not only beneficial but also designed to minimize harm and risk for the communities you serve.

Why is it important?

Without clear policies and oversight, organizations face significant risks such as data breaches that compromise information, non-compliance with regulations such as GDPR and CCPA, and poor decision making due to lack of oversight over the data. Effective data governance mitigates these risks by ensuring that data is good quality, secure and used ethically in turn building trust with stakeholders.

Data governance frameworks allow you to:

• Ensure #Transparency: Clearly communicate with your partners and community about how the data will be used and shared in order to increase trust.
• Safeguard Sensitive Data: Implement measures to protect personal information and prevent misuse.
• Define Clear Boundaries: Specify what data can and cannot be used for in agreements with partners and defines boundaries for users, permissions, and roles.

Mentioned and additional resources:

• For more on data governance layers (regulatory, organizational, technical), read Data Collaboratives with the Use of Decentralised Learning by Maciej Zuziak.
• For an organizing logic for data governance, read Polycentric governance of organizational data ventures byOlivia Benfeldt.
• For a lighter take on the importance of data standards, check out this Standards webcomic from XKCD.