Executive Sponsors
Data Governance Executive Sponsors Meeting January 9, 2007
Feedback based on Meeting Notes
From Lynne Personius - 01/16/2007 - Fw: Some relevant comments regarding the data steward's role
Claudia Imhoff provided insight into the area that Monty Young suggested needs your attention.
Refer to:
The Data Administration Newsletter
DATA STEWARDSHIP: FINALLY A PROCESS FOR ACHIEVING DATA INTEGRITY
http://www.tdan.com/i002fe03.htm
Claudia Imhoff, Intelligent Solutions, Inc.
First, Imhoff suggests that there are certain qualities to keep in mind as you choose data stewards. First and foremost, they need to be well respected because they have a thorough knowledge of how things really work in our organization. If they fully understand processes and procedures in our environment, they will not come up with impossible rules or definitions for our data. Imhoff tells us that interpersonal skills are really important since the data steward might be in the situation of trying to facilitate agreement between two differing groups. She says that data integration can be a "highly charged issue, affecting the very core of how a company will continue to do business. Because of this, the Data Steward must be able to reach a consensus whenever possible or at least a reasonable compromise. Secondly, these resources often must perform the difficult role of Organizational Change Agent, smoothing the way for changes that will inevitable happen as integration of data occurs."
In her final note on the role, she tells us that "For Data Stewardship to succeed ... a new incentive paradigm must be developed - one that rewards people on the basis of horizontal integration rather than only vertical or "bottom line" success. As long as a department or division is solely focused on its bottom line, it will see no benefit in changing its business practices to integrate data and business rules with another department or division. The new incentives should be driven by the success of the groups to resolve integration issues, to develop unified definitions, to change business practices to conform to new standards, etc."
Obviously, Monty is right on about the fact that we need to provide specific guidelines for the Data Stewards, and to make sure that those guidelines are recognized broadly. Let's discuss when we meet in February.
From Monty Young/UNLV - 01/12/2007 11:31 AM -- January 9 meeting comment
Dawn asked me to review the meeting notes and comment.
I would offer the following specifically in regards to the new 'horizontal component' and what might make this silo-crossing
possible for newly minted Data Stewards:
1. "TALK BOUT IT" -- PR campaign - perhaps ask Lori Temple for tips on communication strategies, and,
2. "TEACH BOUT IT" -- Define the authority and chain of command for the Data Steward. (For example, if
Academic Resources is experiencing months of delays in getting simple demographic information updated
on faculty hires with another departments data base, when does the Data Steward take the matter to
the Data Governance Executive group for arbitration and which Exec. to contact.)
3. "PAY FOR IT?" -- Since this process will introduce new responsibility or call for expanded/extended effort,
at what point would formalization of the Data Steward role in HR-speak be appropriate? (Would the Exec
group advise HR on the the percent of time needed for this role on a case-by-case basis?)