Develop and Maintain
a Data Governance Program
Develop and Maintain a Data Governance Program
An Olympic coach knows the rules of their sport. Rules help athletes, coaches, judges, and fans understand what moves can be taken, when, and who can complete certain activities. In a sense, the rules of the sport outline responsibilities, as well as opportunities for players.
When it comes to data use in higher education, there is currently no standard rulebook. There are, however, generally accepted best practices that can help the institution’s data champion develop data governance policies and procedures customized to their institution’s needs and culture.
The Develop and Maintain Data Governance Program plays are designed to help the data champion design, implement, and monitor data-related policies, procedures, and job functions to ensure data are collected, managed, and used in ways that respect data producers and support data consumers.
Team Plays
The Joint Statement on Analytics asserted that “analytics is a team sport.” Three plays that are repeated throughout the playbook emphasize and provide guidance for this.
The Assemble and Manage Teams for Analytics Initiatives play provides guidance to data champions, and perhaps executive sponsors, as they build the right teams for various analytics initiatives. This play can be conducted multiple times—for different analytics efforts or as needed with existing efforts.
The Executive Sponsor Checklist details the role of a senior leader before, during, and after analytics strategies or efforts.
Explore Typical Analytics Job Responsibilities is a resource for data and analytics positions in higher education.
Plays
Define Data Governance Roles
Write a Data Governance Charter
Facilitate a Data Steward Self-Assessment
The Change With Analytics Playbook currently has 16 plays in total with three in the Develop and Maintain Data Governance Program section. Although these plays can help an institution make significant progress, there is other work to be done that is currently beyond the scope of this playbook.
We encourage you to join our community in continuing the development of the playbook. Please reach out to us (info@changewithanalytics.com) with suggestions for plays that should be added, alternate approaches to plays that have worked for your institutions, and examples of how these efforts have had propelled your efforts to support students and fulfill your college or university’s mission.