What is the difference between a Data Owner and a Data Steward?

The roles of data owners and data stewards are distinct yet complementary, each contributing to the effective management and governance of organizational data assets.

Understanding the differences between these two roles is crucial for establishing clear accountability and responsibility within data governance frameworks.

Let's look into the nuances of data ownership and data stewardship to delineate their respective roles and responsibilities.

Data Owner vs. Data Steward: Clarifying Roles

1. Data Owner:

Definition: The data owner is a senior-level individual or a designated department within an organization who holds ultimate accountability for a specific dataset or data domain.

Responsibilities:

• Strategic Decision-Making: Data owners are responsible for making strategic decisions regarding the management, usage, and governance of their assigned data assets. They determine the overall objectives, priorities, and policies governing the data within their domain.
• Accountability: Data owners bear the ultimate responsibility for the accuracy, integrity, and security of the data under their purview. They ensure that the data meets quality standards, regulatory requirements, and business needs.
• Authorization: Data owners have the authority to grant or revoke access permissions for their data, defining who can use, modify, or share the data based on business requirements and security considerations.
• Example: In a healthcare organization, the Chief Medical Officer may serve as the data owner for patient medical records, overseeing their management and ensuring compliance with privacy regulations.

2. Data Steward:

Definition: The data steward is an operational role responsible for the day-to-day management, maintenance, and governance of specific datasets or data domains.

Responsibilities:

• Operational Oversight: Data stewards oversee the operational aspects of data management, including data quality, documentation, metadata management, and access control.
• Data Quality Management: Data stewards monitor and maintain the quality of the data within their domain, implementing data quality checks, cleansing processes, and validation rules.
• Documentation and Metadata Management: Data stewards create and maintain documentation, metadata, and data dictionaries to provide comprehensive insights into the structure, meaning, and lineage of the data.
• Example: A data steward in a financial institution may be responsible for managing customer account data, ensuring its accuracy, completeness, and compliance with regulatory requirements.

Key Differences and Complementary Roles

While both data owners and data stewards play critical roles in data governance, their responsibilities and focus areas differ significantly. Data owners are primarily concerned with strategic decision-making, accountability, and authorization, while data stewards focus on operational oversight, data quality management, and documentation. Together, they form a cohesive governance structure, with data owners setting the strategic direction and data stewards implementing operational processes to achieve the desired outcomes.

The distinction between data owners and data stewards lies in their scope of responsibilities and level of authority within the data governance framework. By understanding the unique roles and contributions of data owners and data stewards, organizations can establish clear accountability, promote effective data management practices, and harness the full potential of their data assets.

Series:

1. What is Data Governance?
2. What goes into Data Governance?
3. What are the business benefits of Data Governance?
4. Is Data Governance a program or a project?
5. How do I help business managers understand the importance of a Data Governance initiative?
6. How do you implement Data Governance?
7. How do you measure Data Governance success?
8. Why does Data Governance fail?
9. What’s the difference between Data Governance and Data Management?
10. What is a Data Owner?
11. What is a Data Steward?
12. What is the difference between a Data Owner and a Data Steward?
13. What is Data Quality and how is it measured?
14. What is Data Maturity and how do you measure it?
15. What is Data Lineage?
16. What is a Business Glossary?
17. What is the difference between a Business Glossary and a Data Dictionary?
18. How do I build a Business Glossary?
19. How do I prioritize Critical Data Elements?
20. When should I buy a tool to help govern my data?