Data Governance Bodies
Connect strategic direction, tactical coordination and daily execution.
Resolve decisions at the lowest level with the authority and capability to act.
of the Data Governance Board.
Board
Resolve cross-domain conflicts, ownership
gaps and material exceptions.
Forum
expectations and role coverage. Prepare
roadmap proposals and Board decisions.
Groups
and operational contributors
and coordinate implementation.
Data Strategy, Policy & Standards
Connect business outcomes to shared requirements and practical daily work.
Data Strategy
Vision, choices, priorities
and intended outcomes.
Data Management Policy
Accountability and requirements
across the data lifecycle.
Data Management Standards
Consistent requirements,
controls and measures.
Procedures & Guidance
Activities, templates and
evidence for daily work.
12 standard groups across four foundations
Data Governance
Ownership Management
Data Language Management
Data Services Management
Data Quality
Observability Management
Management (DQIM)
Reporting
Data Operations
Management
Management
Management
Management
Insights Management
Making Management
Data Protection
Management
Management
Data Journey
Start with the business process. Keep meaning, accountability and controls visible as data is created, moved, used and retired.
From Source to
Target
Business Processes
Understand the process and
information requirements.
Data Dictionary
Agree business terms
and definitions.
Data Model
Define entities, relationships
and structures.
Create & Modify
Capture and update
data at the source.
Analyse & Profile
Identify quality patterns,
issues and gaps.
Ingest
Bring data into the
required platforms.
Harmonise
Align, validate and transform
for consistent use.
Consume
Use data in operations,
reporting, analytics and AI.
Retain & Dispose
Archive or delete under
approved requirements.
Data Journey: Source to Target
A simple view of how data moves from operational sources to business use, with controls throughout the Data Journey.
Set the business context
01 Business Processes
Define the business activity and data needs.
02 Data Dictionary
Agree business terms and definitions.
03 Data Model
Describe entities and relationships.
Move data from source to target
04 Source
Create & modify data
in operational systems
05 Analyse &
Profile
Identify quality issues
and resolve them
06 Ingest
Bring data into
the data platform
07 Harmonise
Align and transform
for consistent use
08 Target /
Consume
Use data in reports,
operations, analytics & AI
Ownership, catalogue and controls support the whole data journey.
09 Retain & Dispose
Keep data as required;
then archive or delete it.
Ownership, catalogue and controls support the whole data journey.
Data Ownership
Assign business accountability, decision rights and daily responsibilities for data.
Strategic Data Owner
Business Domain
Owns domain direction, business priorities and resources. Resolves decisions requiring strategic authority.
Tactical Data Owner
Subdomain or agreed local scope
Turns direction into agreed requirements and actions. Oversees standards and quality expectations.
Data Steward
Data entities and assets
Maintains definitions and metadata, monitors quality and coordinates issue resolution.
Supporting data roles
Data Maintainer
Keeps source data current and correct. Applies authorised changes and fixes problems at their source.
Data Customer (consumer)
Uses data for an approved purpose, understands quality and use conditions, and reports suspected issues.
Data Asset Owner
Accountable for a dataset, business term, report, KPI or other asset's meaning and suitability within delegated authority.
Each role has a defined scope and authority. A person may hold several roles through explicit appointment.
Regulations & Standards
Regulations and principles that inform the DGU approach to data governance, accountability and controls.
GDPR · Personal data
EU regulation protecting personal data and individuals' rights, with rules for how organisations process and safeguard personal information.
BCBS 239 · Risk data
Basel Committee principles for banks' risk data aggregation and reporting, supported by strong governance, data quality and architecture.
DORA · Digital resilience
EU regulation strengthening digital resilience in financial services through ICT risk management, incident reporting, testing and third-party oversight.
SOX · Financial reporting
US legislation improving corporate reporting and accountability, including executive certifications and internal controls over financial reporting.
AI Act · Responsible AI
EU regulation applying a risk-based approach to AI, with requirements supporting safety, transparency, trustworthy data and human oversight.
NIS2 · Cybersecurity
EU directive strengthening cybersecurity in critical sectors through risk management, incident reporting and management accountability.