Data Governance

The overall management framework for ensuring data is properly controlled, protected, and used throughout an organization. Data governance establishes policies, procedures, standards, roles, and responsibilities for data handling. It addresses data quality, accessibility, usability, security, and compliance. For privacy, data governance includes identifying data owners and stewards, documenting data flows and inventories, establishing data classification schemes, defining access controls and security requirements, implementing retention and disposal procedures, managing vendor relationships, and monitoring compliance. Effective data governance requires executive sponsorship, cross-functional collaboration, clear accountability, documented policies, regular audits, and continuous improvement. Governance structures often include data governance committees, data stewards for different business areas, and escalation procedures for data-related decisions. Strong data governance is essential for privacy compliance, risk management, and maximizing data value while respecting privacy.