Data Governance Matters

I hate it when words just disappear. Maybe they meet up with all those socks that go missing from washing machines. Anyway, somewhere there are a few hundred “brilliant” words written on this topic that have somehow disappeared from this post. I won’t be able to recreate them, but I’m writing something else in this space in their place…

As memory serves, I wrote an ode to my dear friend and colleague Anne Marie Smith, PhD, who has been pondering a question that I know many of us have been wondering about. What are our obligations, as people who manage and govern data, regarding the usage of that data?

Yes, yes, we’re supposed to make it fit for use. But what if our users want to do something with it that violates a corporate policy, or an ethical principle, or a standard, or a process. What if they (or others from the business) don’t understand ramifications, but we do? Is it time for Data Governance workers to serve in some sort of advisory role?

Anne Marie will be sharing her ideas during a “Meet the Expert” session of the Data Governance & Stewardship Community of Practice (www.DataStewardship.com) on Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 11:00 AM EST (GMT-5). It’s free, but registration is required. I hope you’ll join us.

I know I have a few questions for Anne Marie regarding potential roles for people in our field as the world works its way out of the economic crisis. And I know she has some thoughtful ideas about other ramifications of knowing what we know.

By the way, if you’re wondering if this is “the” Anne Marie Smith - yes it is. Principal Consultant for EW Solutions. Many leadership roles in DAMA. Editor of the  Real World Decision Support journal. Involved in the EIM Institute. Presenter at many many data-related events given by MIT, DAMA, Wilshire Conferences, etc. Highly involved in the Data Governance & Stewardship Community of Practice. One of the most thoughtful people I know. I’m sure this tough concept is gonna seem more traversable after she speaks.