Tag Archives: Data governance

04.20.22

Everyone is a Data Steward. No, Really – We Mean Everyone!

Pyramid chart of data governance operating model for Lincoln Land Community College. The bottom level is operational: data stewards, business level specific. The level above that is tactical: data subject matter experts (SMEs), cross business unit. Along the operational and tactical levels are data governance work teams. At the top of the pyramid is the strategic level: data governance council, strategic enterprise. Above that is the executive level, president's cabinet. Along all four levels are communications and escalation/approval path.A data steward is someone with formal accountability for data in the organization. In our data governance model, everyone employed by LLCC is considered a data steward. How is this possible? Everyone working at LLCC has a relationship to our data. Since you have a relationship to our data, you are formally accountable for the relationship. Therefore, everyone is a data steward.

Operational Layer

LLCC’s data governance operational model categorizes data stewards as one of three types– data definers, data producers and data users. Which roles apply to you?

Data Stewards are:
Data Definers – Define the data that will be used by the organization, how that data will be used, and how that data will be managed
Data Producers – Create, update, delete, retire, archive the data that will be managed
Data Users – Use data to perform job and execute processes; maintain integrity of data usage

  • Create, review, approve data definitions
  • Maintain the integrity and quality of data definitions
  • Produce, create, update, delete, retire, and archive the data in your domain
  • Ensure integrity and quality of the data created or updated in your department or process
  • Assist your Data Subject Matter Expert (SME) in identifying and classifying data access levels
  • Assist your Data Subject Matter Expert (SME) in identifying and documenting regulatory and legal/risk issues, including data retention requirements
  • Support and share knowledge with other stewards
  • Communicate new and changed business requirements to individuals who may be impacted
  • Communicate concerns, issues, and problems with data to the individuals that can influence the needed change

Work on the front line? You have accountability for entering data appropriately and accurately. Creating a new field or value in Colleague? Those defining data have accountability for making certain that they are not redefining (for the umpteenth time) something that has been defined previously. Using a dashboard or report to make an operational decision? You have accountability for how the data is used, knowing the rules that guide use, and knowing that you can review the “data about our data” to improve your understanding of the data and how it can (and cannot) be used.

LLCC employees that define, produce and use data should be held accountable for how they define, produce and use the data. This may sound like common sense to many, but this is not always our reality at LLCC. As a result, the Data Governance Council (DGC) is leading efforts to formalizing data stewardship to ensure that our data is properly governed. We hope that sharing the operational layer chart will begin to shape an understanding of your data governance role(s) and why the DGC considers everyone a data steward.