In response to questions that have been asked about terms I have used in the past ... This article briefly describes two terms that I use often while implementing Non-Invasive Data Governance™ Programs.  Click on these links to learn more about Governing Data, Non-Invasive Data Governance™ and specific Messages to Share with Your Management regarding the implement of Data Governance Programs.

Data Governance Documentation (meta-data) and Role-Based Activities, when aligned with a Non-Invasive Data Governance Operating Model of Roles and Responsibilities, are the bolts that hold Data Governance together.  Let me explain.

Data Governance Documentation is a by-product of implementing a Data Governance program.  No matter what approach you use, the information that you collect about the stewards of the data to build the program will be vital to improving communications, coordination and cooperation around the definition, production and usage of your data.  There are many types of Data Governance Documentation (and I welcome you to share some of them with me in response to this article).  In this article I am going to focus on the "who" aspect of this meta-data.

Most organizations that have started down the path to implement Data Governance programs recognize that there is more than one data steward for each type of data that is governed.  In the olden days (I jest) there were many large organizations that assigned a single person to be the "data steward" of something as simple as "Customer" (I jest again).  Since many subjects of data are defined multiple times over, there are likely multiple people accountable for that data's definition.  The same could be said about the production and use of that data.  Organizations should know who is defining the same (or similar) data, who is producing and who is using similar data.  This information is meta-data.  Data about the data but more specifically data about the people associated with the data.  This is Data Governance Documentation.

Many organizations have multiple types of stewards as well.  If you look at the Operating Model that I use, you will see stewards in the Operational and Tactical level.  There are Data Domain Stewards, Data Definers, Data Producers and Data Users.  Almost anybody in the organization can be considered a steward and be held accountable for the data handling.  At least they should.

So ... If you have numerous stewards for each type of data, ... and you have several different types of stewards, the information about the stewards and who is accountable for data will become cumbersome and difficult to manage.  It makes sense to record that information somewhere and there should be a strategy to harvest and make use of this information.  This is Data Governance Documentation.

Collecting all of this information in a repository or Common Data Matrix (my chosen method at least when starting a program) will immediately add value.  In fact, ... I venture to state that data quality cannot be managed, data definition, production and usage cannot be managed, decisions about the data and from the data cannot be managed, and certainly risk cannot be managed effectively without Data Governance Documentation.

Role-Based Activities are the specific formalized actions and responsibilities directly associated with Roles defined in a Data Governance Operating Model. The ability to formally hold people and positions accountable for following the Role-Based Activities will play a pivotal role in the success of Data Governance.

If you follow the Non-Invasive Data Governance™ approach, you likely know that I do not (initially) recommend redefining your methodology, your processes, and your business functions.  If you set out to redefine these things, that approach will certainly be viewed as being Invasive.

Rather, I recommend that you look at your existing metodologies and processes to leverage what works well while assessing if the proper people and roles are involved and being held accountable for the activities that make up the methodologies and processes.  This approach is much less invasive.

Many organizations start out by creating a Data Governance Activity Matrix (2 dimensional) that outlines the steps of the methodology or process down the left side of the matrix, and the roles of the Data Governance Operating Model across the top.  Where a step (row) meets a role (column) in the matrix (at a block), record what the role-based activities are necessary to assure that the data is being governed properly and by the appropriate person or role.

This sounds pretty simple because ... it is.  Without role-based activities for the methodologies or processes clearly defined, shared, approved (if need be) and communicated, Data Governance cannot and will not exist.  At least not for an extended period of time.

I hope that these quick definitions of Data Governance Documentation and Role-Based Activities give you something to think about.

One final word ... Data Governance Programs that include clearly defined Data Governance Documentation and Role-Based Activities as a key part of their action plan have a higher likelihood of sustained success. 

And think about cost associated with defining, recording and making this information available ... very small.  If you are interested in speaking with me about this subject, please send me an email request and I will be glad to schedule time with you.