Starting a data governance program…

Enterprise Data management(EDM) refers to the ability of an organization to precisely define, easily integrate and effectively retrieve data for both internal applications and external communication.  EDM emphasizes data correction, consistency, precision, granularity and meaning and is concerned with how the content is integrated into business applications as well as how it is passed along from one business process to another.

Data governance is the crux of any enterprise data management startegy. 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. 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.

In my last company, data governance was planned, managed, and implemented through a three level structure:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Communication is very important for successful data governance. To succeed in a data governance program, management bodies and  implementation team(s) must tell stakeholders what steps are being taken and why, must inform all relevant communities of interest about how data governance will benefit them, and must listen to stakeholders and communities of interest to incorporate their ideas and feedback into the data governance program. Input and feedback makes governance efforts more effective in achieving mission-critical goals and is vital for successful data governance.

Data Governance program needs continued interest and participation from business. Data owners should be from business side not from IT and they should be able to demonstrate the need, business value of data & ROI achieved by a data governance program.