Everybody is a Data Steward – Get Over It!

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Copyright © 2018 Robert S. Seiner – KIK Consulting & Educational Services / TDAN.com
Non-Invasive Data Governance™ is a trademark of Robert S. Seiner & KIK Consulting
#RWDG @RSeiner
Real World Data Governance
Everybody is a Data Steward. Get Over It!
Monthly Webinar Series Hosted by DATAVERSITY
Robert S. Seiner – KIK Consulting / TDAN.com
January 18, 2018 – 2:00 p.m. EST

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Real-World Data Governance
Current Events

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• In this webinar, I will discuss:
– Why the “Everybody is a Data Steward” Approach is Different (and Better)
– How to Recognize the Data Stewards
– Formalizing Accountability Based on Data Relationships
– Coverage of the Entire Organization
– Leveraging the Technique to Sell Stewardship
Agenda for Today’s Webinar

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• Start with the definitions …
– Data Governance
• Data Governance is the Execution and Enforcement of Authority
Over the Management of Data and Data-Related Resources.
– Data Stewardship
• Data Stewardship is the Formalization of Accountability
Over the Management of Data and Data-Related Resources.
– Data Steward
• A Data Steward is a person in the organization that is held formally
accountable for their relationships to the data.
– Does “Formalization of Accountability” mean there already is accountability?
– Can we take advantage of that existing level of accountability?
The “Everybody is a Data Steward” Approach

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• Best Excuses for Why this Approach Won’t Work
– “If everybody is a data steward than nobody is a data steward.”
– “How can it be Non-Invasive if everybody is a data steward?”
– “We can never educate everybody.”
– “That will be too big and will make data governance too expensive.”
– “We don’t have the people.”
– “People don’t have the time.”
– “Our data is governed just fine the way it is.”

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• What exactly is the “Everybody is a Data Steward” approach?
– First of all, it is not really called that.
– I use the term Non-Invasive because the program does not (necessarily)
give people more work to do or interfere (invade) in their existing jobs.
– The effort required to be a data steward depends on organizational
activities.

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• What exactly is the “Everybody is a Data Steward” approach?
– People have relationships to data.
– They define, produce and use data as part of their jobs.
– They should follow the appropriate guidance associated with these actions.
– It is not difficult to get management to agree to this concept.
– The question becomes “How do we do that?”.

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• People do three things with data.
• People define, produce and use data as part of their everyday job.
• This includes all kinds of data – metadata, master data, big data …
• This includes all kinds of actions – acquire data, model data, produce reports …
• Simply stated, all activities fall under one of these heading.
• Nobody is going to deny this fact.
• Management will tell you that everybody must protect sensitive data.
Formalizing Accountability Based on Data Relationships

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• For the sake of this webinar, let’s call these people:
– Data Definers
– Data Producers
– Data Users

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• Recognizing Types of Data Stewards
– Operational Data Stewards
• Data Definers
• Data Producers
• Data Users
– Tactical Data Stewards
• Data Domain Stewards
• Enterprise Data Steward
• Subject Matter Experts
• Data Steward Coordinators

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• Data Definers – People who define data as part of their job.
– Who are these people – do you have a record of their names?
– What data do these people define – do you have a process for this?
– How are these people defining the data – does it compare to best practice?
– Are these people being held formally accountable for defining data?
– Why does it matter?

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• Data Producers – People who produce data as part of their job.
– What data do these people produce – do you have a process for this?
– How are these people producing the data – does it compare to best practice?
– Are these people being held formally accountable for producing data?

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• Data Users – People who use data as part of their job.
– What data do these people use – do you have a process for this?
– How are these people using the data – does it compare to best practice?
– Are these people being held formally accountable for using data?

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• Ten Things to Consider …
1. Per source of data – identify who is accountable
2. Per data subject area – identify who is accountable
3. Per system of data – identify who is accountable
4. Data Governance should help accountable people be (held) accountable.
5. Accountable for the definition, production and use of the data.

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• Ten Things to Consider …
6. What value does improving the enterprise view of the data bring?
7. “Nobody is accountable.”
8. Is that what Management thinks?
9. Then how are decisions made? Are decisions made?
10. Are these people the Data Stewards?

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• Who is a Data Steward?
– A Data Steward can be anybody in the organization (business or technical)
that defines, produces, and/or uses data as part of their job if they are held
formally accountable for what they do with the data.
• Everybody is a Data Steward. Get Over It!
– A Data Steward is a person that defines, produces or uses data as part of
their job and has a defined level of accountability for assuring quality in the
definition, production or usage of that data.

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• Held Formally Accountable for Following the Rules
– Definition Rules
• New Data Vs Existing Data
• Logical & Physical Data Modeling
• Recognize the System of Record
• Business Glossary
– Production Rules
• Data from Inside
• Data from Outside
• Data Movement (ETL)
– Usage Rules
• Business Rules
• Classification and Protection
• Compliance and Regulatory

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• Recognizing Types of Data Stewards
– Operational Data Stewards (Operational Level)
• Work in a Business or Technical Unit
• Have Hands-On Knowledge of the Data They Use & Used By Their Unit
• Define, Produce, Use Data Associated With Their Job
– Data Domain Stewards (Tactical Level)
• Work in a Business or Technical Unit
• Recognized as a Knowledgeable Individual or Decision Maker …
• Leaders Toward Continuous Improvement …
… for Data in a Specific Domain

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• The data governance approach you select is based on how you associate people
with their data stewardship roles.
• There are three approaches to data governance:
– The Command-and-Control Approach – Assign people to be data stewards.
– The Traditional Approach – Identify people to be data stewards.
– The Non-Invasive Approach – Recognize people as data stewards.
• For more see TDAN.com articles & RWDG webinars (June 2017).
Coverage of the Entire Organization

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• Command-and Control Approach
– Assign people to be data stewards.
– Not practical to assign everybody.
– Immediately feels as though the steward work is over-and-above.
– Define “Owners” as data stewards.
– Are they the only people with formal accountability for data?

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• Traditional Approach
– Identify people to be data stewards.
– People typically must accept the role of the data steward.
– “If you build it, they will come.”
– Define “Owners” as data stewards.
– Are they the only people with formal accountability for data?

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• Non-Invasive Approach
– Recognize people as data stewards.
– Recognized based on their relationship to data.
– Market that people are already doing this work (or should be).
– Defined as “Everybody is a Data Steward”.
– Does this cover the entire organization with formal accountability for data?

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• Get Leadership to Concur
– That everybody who defines data should be accountable.
• For following procedure
• For sound business definition
• For recording metadata
Leveraging the Technique to Sell Stewardship

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– That everybody who produces data should be accountable.
• For quality
• For understanding impact
• For gathering all necessary data

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– That everybody who uses data is accountable.
• Isn’t this a given?
• Not optional
• Data must be protected.

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• Make certain everybody follow the Bill of “Rights”
– Getting the “Right” People
– Involved at the “Right” Time
– In the “Right” Way
– Using the “Right” Data
– To Make the “Right” Decision
– Leading to the “Right” Solution
– … Most of the Time

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• Get Management to Embrace Different Perspective
– We ARE already governing data (but we are doing it informally).
– We CAN formalize how we govern data by putting structure around what
we are presently doing.
– We CAN Improve:
• How We Manage Data Risk & Secure Data
• Data Quality & Provide Quality Assurance
• Coordination, Cooperation, Communications Around Data
– We DO NOT Have to Spend A Lot of Money.
In fact … Data Governance only costs the time we put into it.
– We NEED structure. We should consider a Non-Invasive approach.

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• Communicate Perspective Effectively
– Different message for each different audience
– Different timing for each communication type
– Different tool of delivery

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• Seiner’s Rules for Becoming a Data Steward
1. A Data Steward can be absolutely anybody.
2. Being a Data Steward describes a relationship to data and is not a position.
3. A Data Steward is not hired to be a Data Steward.
4. A Data Steward does not need to have the title of “Data Steward”.
5. A Data Steward does not have to be told how to do their job.
6. Public or Industry Data Steward Certification is a load of bunk.
7. There is more than one Data Steward for each type of Data.
8. Data Steward training should be focused on “Formalizing Accountability”.

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#RWDG @RSeiner
• In this webinar, I discussed:
– Why the “Everybody is a Data Steward” approach is different (and better)
– How to recognize the Data Stewards
– Formalizing accountability based on data relationships
– Coverage of the entire organization
– Leveraging the technique to sell stewardship
Today’s Webinar

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• Questions and Answers
Summary

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• Robert S. Seiner
KIK Consulting & Educational Services – KIKconsulting.com
The Data Administration Newsletter – TDAN.com
Post Office Box 112571, Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania 15241
412.220.9643,
rseiner@tdan.com
@RSeiner @TDAN_com
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Everybody is a Data Steward – Get Over It!

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