Home 5 The Data Governance Basics 5 Definitions of Data Governance

Definitions of Data Governance

Here’s a short definition of Data Governance:

“Data Governance is the exercise of decision-making and authority for data-related matters.

Definitions of Data Governance

Here’s a bit longer definition:

“Data Governance is a system of decision rights and accountabilities for information-related processes, executed according to agreed-upon models which describe who can take what actions with what information, and when, under what circumstances, using what methods.”

When you refer to governance, be careful! Depending on the context, “Data Governance” could refer to:

  • organizational bodies
  • rules (policies, standards, guidelines, business rules)
  • decision rights (how we “decide how to decide”)
  • accountabilities
  • enforcement methods for people and information systems as they perform information-related processes.