Data Governance Interview Debbie Carless

As part of my job I come across so many people that I know have great Data Governance stories to tell and Debbie is one of those people.

Like many of us Debbie has had a winding career, often steered by opportunities that she hadn’t planned to take. Debbie has worked in maintenance and estate management mostly, in all types of business, from a Formula 1 engine manufacturer (where everything needed doing yesterday) to education providers (where everything seems to take ages).  She likes sorting things out, and implementing things, such as software or management systems to make sense of chaos.

Debbie describes herself as a very social person and enjoys working with people., she cares about any problems colleagues experience and has a natural leaning towards wanting to help.

On top of that, Debbie is also a musician, which lends itself to wanting order, structure, systems, and rules.  

This all adds up to make Debbie very good at her most recent role of Data Governance Manager for Solent University, so I was thrilled when she agreed to be interviewed to share her insights with you:

How long have you been working in Data Governance?

I will have been the Data Governance Manager at Solent University for three years in June 2024.  This is my first Data Governance Role.   However, I’ve always worked with data. I was a consultant for a software company for 6 years and set systems up for our customers from scratch.  I would now say I was a data steward and data producer, always looking for efficiencies (importing or integrating data) and methods to ensure data quality.  I liked to be confident that the work I did was accurate, as best as I could tell.  So, I think without knowing it, I’ve always worked in Data Governance to some extent! 

Some people view Data Governance as an unusual career choice, would you mind sharing how you got into this area of work?

I was inspired to apply to be Data Governance Manager because I wanted to be in the middle of a huge transformation planned at Solent University.  A complex project started in 2020 to change our student records system which included other projects to change all of the system integrations, reports and to implement data governance.

I had been working in Estates and Facilities at Solent University and I read the vacancy for Data Governance Manager with great interest, and was excited at the potential of being at the heart of making the changes needed to deliver the projects.  I was concerned that the role would be quite technical (which I am not) but the line manager assured me that it wasn’t.  She also confirmed that it was more important to be able to talk in a non-technical way to people at all levels and that someone who was happy to engage with our staff was more important.  I am a people person, so I felt I fit the bill and applied.

What characteristics do you have that make you successful at Data Governance and why?

I never forgot how I felt when I was invited to my first data governance meeting, about 6 months before I was appointed Data Governance Manager.  The data governance project, which was aligned to the new student records system project, had already started with the support of Alex Leigh of the Leigh Partnership and yourself Nicola.   My first thought was “now what are you going to tell me I can’t do?!”  I never forgot that feeling, almost groaning at the prospect! 

When I took up the post I genuinely didn’t want people to groan if I asked them to work on data governance with me.  I like people, so I enjoyed finding data owners, chatting to them about their data problems, mapping their data and working with them to get to the bottom of their issues.  I set out with some promises, like “I will never take more than an hour each time we meet” and “I’ll do all the typing” and “I promise to make it fun”.  Much of this was completed on Microsoft Teams thanks to a pandemic.  

However, I much prefer working with people in person.  So, one year into my new role I invited Alex and his colleague Rav Ubhi-Adams to the campus and setup two days of topical workshops that people could pick and mix to attend.  I was greatly encouraged that many my colleagues participated, and we gained a great deal from the sessions.  This format was working, so I decide to hold a monthly on campus workshop, picking topics based on questions I needed to answer.  Topics included “What is a student?”, “How can we get more data savvy?” and “What are your data barriers?”.  Colleagues attended from across the university community, so I trusted this process to help identify what I needed to work on as well as getting agreement of terms in our data glossary.

Eventually, I developed a brand.  I chose “Data Matters” for anything about data governance, because it covers all data matters and it does matter and it doesn’t make people run a mile!  Inspired by suggestions from other data governance professionals I created an emoji of myself and used it in my quarterly newsletter in a Sway.

Finally, when people ask me what I do, I tell them I am to data what a conductor is to an orchestra.  A conductor pulls the orchestra together; don’t play any instruments; rehearse each section in turn, sort out the tricky bits, then pull the full group together to work on the performance.  A data governance manager pulls the data stewards together; doesn’t edit any of the data; does workshops to build understanding and shares that through engaging and fun channels to change the culture.

Are there any particular books or resources that you would recommend as useful support for those starting out in Data Governance?

Alex Leigh!  He is so knowledgeable and encouraging.  Without Alex, I’d be nowhere!

Your Introduction to Data Governance training was a catalyst to building my confidence.  You helped me realise that a data governance framework is a management system for data.  That helped structure my thoughts in the early stages of our implementation.

Your YouTube videos and blogs.  I use these quite a bit in my workshops.  You explain things so clearly – “How to write a data definition” and “Data Literacy or Data Fluency” are my regular go tos.

My colleagues.  It is important that you talk to data stewards and data owners, especially if you don’t understand something.  There is a mountain of knowledge in your workplace that you can tap for free!

What is the biggest challenge you have ever faced in a Data Governance implementation?

I have implemented data governance just once.  The biggest challenge for me what to learn what I was supposed to be doing.  This was complex and although I was confident I could set up a management system, the hardest part of all was deciding what that should include and how we would do it.  Part of that involved getting our newly formed Data Executive Board to understand it’s purpose.  At first I expected the board to tell me what they wanted, but it was for me to set the direction, develop the understanding and set our goals.  I actually lost sleep over this.  I was given my biggest ever professional insult (“show some leadership”) and nearly chucked in the towel but with some excellent coaching from two inspirational leaders I got a grip!  I think the biggest lightbulb moment was when I realised “I own this”.  It was up to me to find what would work for us and do it!

Is there a company or industry you would particularly like to help implement Data Governance for and why?

I don’t expect to move from Solent University before I retire but I would like to mentor other data governance managers in the future.  If I was to pick an industry it would of course be higher education, but I also know the services sector and the Formula 1 racing business quite well so I would be more than happy to revisit these.

What single piece of advice would you give someone just starting out in Data Governance?

If you are in Higher Education talk to Alex Leigh about supporting you.  Also, I recommend attending your Introduction to Data Governance course.  That was so valuable to me, it added some structure to the mountain I was about to climb.  And finally, embrace the business sector networks available to you, such as the Higher Education Data Governance Network, where you will meet people with experience and expertise that are very happy to share. 

Finally, I wondered if you could share a memorable data governance experience?

I’ve recently sent out our latest data maturity assessment survey.  I was reviewing this around the time I was dealing with some data quality issues in our student records system (yes, the new one – it went live in August 2023).  The survey is split into sections and one of them is called “Data is managed”.  I had to look twice, because I though it said “Data is damaged” which made me laugh out loud.  I shared my joke with Rav Ubhi-Adams, who was setting up the survey for me on behalf of Alex Leigh. She said, “I have a feeling that a lot of people will connect with that language!!”  So, I thought I’d share it here.  Data is never perfect, but in our experience having a Data Governance manager that can facilitate resolving the issues elevates our chances of trusting it.  The survey will tell me if it’s working!

Getting Started in Data Governance: A Step By Step Guide to My Training Course

One of the biggest challenges with Data Governance is knowing where to begin

There's loads of information available on data governance, but much of it can be conflicting and overwhelming to sift through. That's what prompted me to make a training course specifically designed to combat information overload and give those tasks with delivering Data Governance for their organisation a clear simple view of what it is all about. 

Through 21 years of experience in designing and implementing Data Governance frameworks, I've cultivated a practical approach that guides you through every step necessary to effectively create and deploy a Data Governance Framework tailored to your organisation's needs.

Lots of people ask me about the training so I decided to write this blog post to explain what happens at my training sessions in a little more detail. 

What happens on Day 1? 

The course spans two days and participants have the option to attend either or both days. 

Day 1 is a structured training day where we focus on the Getting Started in Data Governance course, aimed at simplifying the process of designing and implementing a Data Governance Framework. We cover things like the relationship between Data Governance and Data Quality, the foundational elements of a Data Governance Framework and practical implementation strategies. 

While Day 1 is structured, there are still ample opportunities for discussion. In fact, I find lots of really interesting topics come up in these sessions. For example, at the latest training session, we found ourselves discussing resistance to traditional data governance role titles, questioning “do they only exist to help us data governance practitioners make sense of our work environment?” 

We agreed that the most important thing is that individuals know what their responsibilities are and that this may or may not directly align with their job titles. 

An example of a Day 1 discussion: what to do first as a data governance practitioner

At every course I like to present the question of ‘What first?’ for discussion because it can be a confusing task for beginners in data governance and therefore one worth talking through. To begin with, I always suggest identifying roles and responsibilities at the outset – even if they need to be reassigned later on. It’s a foundational piece, promoting accountability and speeding up decision-making.

Next, I recommend the establishment of a Data Quality Issue Resolution Log. From my experience, it is important that, while some issues may lack clear solutions at the moment, we prioritise and track them for future resolution when resources and expertise become available.

Then we considered the massive challenge of selecting which data to prioritise. We talk about identifying the most critical data items; those crucial for legal or business reasons. Additionally, focusing on data items causing the greatest current challenges can be useful, as resolving these could potentially yield significant positive impacts.

We chat through all of this and much more on Day 1. In addition, everyone who joins us on Day 1 also gets a copy of the actual checklist that I use when helping clients design and implement Data Governance frameworks. 

Day 2 and beyond

On Day 2, the focus is on addressing the actual challenges that participants either foresee or are currently grappling with. This comes in the form of a Data Governance Clinic which is a workshop format where you get the opportunity to share the challenges you are experiencing with your Data Governance initiative and get pragmatic solutions. You also get the opportunity to share knowledge, insight and network with others.

The Data Governance Clinic is all about turning theory into practical actions and all participants get the opportunity to ask detailed questions about implementing Data Governance in their organisation and receive advice on how to overcome the challenges they are facing.

Day 2 holds a special place for me as no two sessions are ever the same and it consistently keeps me on my toes, serving as a reminder of the creativity I've had to employ in overcoming obstacles throughout my career. I often share the sentiment that I made all the mistakes early in my professional journey so that others don't have to experience the same pitfalls!

Overall, I like to try and ensure my training sessions provide relevant, practical insights and strategies for effective data governance in today’s business landscape. 

I really enjoy helping people become successful at Data Governance and if the course sounds like something you would find useful I would love to see you at the next session, be it online or in person. Click below to find out more about the next Getting Started in Data Governance training sessions. 

And please feel free to get in contact if you have any questions about the training.

Is Data Governance a Service or an Enabler?

In the realm of data management, the debate over whether data governance is primarily a service or an enabler has sparked discussions and diverse opinions. So I decided to, conduct a poll on LinkedIn, seeking insights from the Data Governance community to understand their perspective on this question. 

The results were interesting: 

• 83% considered data governance an enabler.

• 12% viewed it as a service.

• And 6% expressed indifference to the terminology.

Before we take a little deep dive into these differing views, let's understand how data governance can be viewed as a service or as an enabler.

Data Governance as a Service

"Service" in a business context refers to a system of delivering value to an organisation by facilitating outcomes the business wants to achieve. Services are provided to support the organisation's operations, goals, or objectives in a way that enhances efficiency, effectiveness, or competitive advantage. 

When we talk about Data Governance as a service, we mean it's a structured approach to managing data assets across the organisation that provides a comprehensive approach. 

Viewing Data Governance as a service emphasises its role in providing essential capabilities and support to every part of the business, much like any other critical service such as IT or HR. 

Data Governance as an Enabler

So what is an "enabler" in a business context?  It is a term usually used to refer to a tool, process, or system that facilitates or makes it possible for the business to achieve its goals, improve its operations, or gain a competitive advantage. It's something that empowers the business to perform better, more efficiently, or more effectively. 

Data governance acts as an enabler by providing the framework and guidelines necessary for managing data effectively, supporting better decision-making and operational efficiency. 

Describing Data Governance as an enable changes it from being seen as a regulatory compliance necessity into a strategic enabler that supports the overall objectives of the business.

Service or Enabler?

So, which is it? 

Well, although the votes indicated Data Governance as an enabler was the winner, the comments on the poll revealed diverse perspectives on whether data governance is an enabler, a service or even whether it mattered! Some people who responded coined the phrase 'an enabler of service,' indicating that data governance enables the service of data management. 

Others rejected both labels, insisting on its necessity as part of business as usual, not a special entity in its own right. Opinions also ranged from viewing it purely as a compliance requirement to acknowledging its broader role in organisational dynamics.

Whatever the opinion, everyone who answered was able to make a good case for Data Governance being an enabler and a service.

So while it was great to get an insight into others’ thoughts on the matter it didn’t really achieve a wholehearted consensus!

My Two Cents

For what it's worth, I think you could easily call it either, but rather than being constrained by labels, I believe that data governance should be called whatever is needed to ensure its acceptance into your organisation. Whether it's viewed as a service, an enabler or simply a business necessity for corporate strategy, the ultimate goal is to harness its potential and deliver value for your organisation.

Whether you view it as a simple necessity or something grander, one thing that can be agreed upon is the need to get your organisation's data governance approach right. I can help you with this. 

If you want to find out how, please book a call with me using the button below.

Data Governance Interview with Nicole Hartley

Nicole is a data governance professional with extensive experience spanning a number of years working on large projects.  Her experience covers all aspects of data governance as well as the tools and technology to support governance processes and data quality.

How long have you been working in Data Governance?

I worked in a dedicated data governance role for 11 years but even prior to that data was always a core part of my career in one way or another. 

Some people view Data Governance as an unusual career choice, would you mind sharing how you got into this area of work?

I started out my career as a business analyst where I worked on many projects across different industries.  I always enjoyed collaborating with the business and being able to bridge the gap between the business and IT to ensure automated solutions met the needs of the business. Data was often at the heart of these projects and I was at times responsible for data migration and cleansing activities, so I have seen first hand the issues caused by having bad data!  I then made what felt like a natural progression into a Data Governance role.

What characteristics do you have that make you successful at Data Governance and why?

I strongly believe that my Business Analysis background gave me many of the core skills that I needed in a data governance role. Communication is a key part of the role and being able to adapt your communication style depending on your audience is essential.  Another useful characteristic is being able to get into the detail of the business processes and asking the right questions to help tease out the information you need. 

Are there any particular books or resources that you would recommend as useful support for those starting out in Data Governance? 

I have to confess, during my career I didn’t use any specific resources, I just built upon the skills I already had and then learned from experience along the way.  Being able to reflect and understand what worked well and what didn’t work so well is a great way to learn and develop.

What is the biggest challenge you have ever faced in a Data Governance implementation?

It can be challenging to get people on board with data governance in the early stages, particularly before any tangible benefits can be demonstrated, but being an advocate for data governance and communicating effectively at all levels of the organisation can really help with gaining momentum.

It takes time to build trust, but it is crucial that you involve the right people from the outset and take them with you on the data governance journey.

Is there a company or industry you would particularly like to help implement Data Governance for and why?

I have worked in many industries but I would be particularly interested in getting involved in the healthcare industry, where having good is critical.

What single piece of advice would you give someone just starting out in Data Governance?

Take the time to do the groundwork first.  It is so important to get a good understanding of the business objectives and find out what the organisation is looking to achieve from a data governance initiative.  Do your analysis on the data and the processes and ask lots of questions!  Getting this right will set you on the right track for delivering data governance that will bring the desired benefits to the business.

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Getting the data fundamentals right at the Ministry of Justice

Over the past couple of years I have run a number of Data Governance Training sessions to help the Data Improvement Team at the Ministry of Justice as they embarked on their Data Improvement programme.

So, I’m thrilled that today’s blog is a guest post by Sarah Blake, Deputy Director of Data Improvement at the Ministry of Justice sharing their progress to date and plans going forward:

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) launched its Data Strategy in August 2022 and since then we’ve been making progress against the goals we set out. We’re also looking to the future - planning our roadmap for the next three years to deliver critical data improvement work and understanding how we will monitor and measure our progress.

In this post we’ll look at our work in the MoJ, and in a future blog we’ll share plans for data improvement in the wider criminal justice system.

Better data and skills to enable better decision-making

Data underpins our work in delivering justice outcomes. It helps us measure the impact of policy interventions, gives us operational insight into prisons and probation, and deliver better services for our users – along with so much more. Yet too often, our data is fragmented, hard to share and not exploited to its fullest extent. 

The Data Improvement team is focused on improving the quality of data, access to data and the data skills of staff, so that MoJ and the wider criminal justice system will make better decisions based on data and improve the outcomes for the millions of people that rely on the justice system. 

We are creating the foundations for our colleagues – in data science, data linking, analysis, operations and more – to be able to deliver the data-driven insight the MoJ relies on. 

Our three-year strategy 

Our roadmap outlines our data improvement strategy for the next three years. As with any roadmap, we have most confidence about the activity that’s coming up in the near future, and our work in the next few months will inform our work over the coming years. 

Phase 1 – Prototyping

Following on from our discovery work, we’ve been developing prototypes of processes and tools to improve data quality, access to data and data skills. For the next few months, we’ll continue to test these solutions with users and iterate them. We will:

• Test our data management policies (including data quality, data ownership, data standards and data cataloguing standards) by initially selecting one dataset in MoJ and working to measure and improve the quality of that data.

• Support the Electronic Monitoring team to access and collect high quality data and feeding data requirements into new systems. Embed data management principles including ways to manage data issues through improvements to process and governance. You can read the full Electronic Monitoring data improvement plan here. 

• Improve our strategic approach to data architecture across MoJ by hiring data architects. 

• Put in place a new MoJ Data Board that will report to our Executive Committee and ensure we’re getting senior stakeholder input into our work. 

• Work with Digital teams and Data and Analysis colleagues to refine the process by which data user needs are considered for new projects and changes to existing products, and improve the quality and reliability of data that analysts have access to.

• Test our new approach to publishing statistics in a more efficient way and which better meets user needs, and putting it into production on two publications.

• Work with Learning & Development teams to improve data skills for two cohorts within MoJ and support that with cultural nudges and interventions, further testing our data proficiencies tooling and our data culture framework. 

Phase 3 – Scaling by empowering others

Once we have confidence in our approach and our skills, we can support other teams to lead within their own area.  We can enable them to use their subject matter expertise and our processes and tools, alongside our advisory and consultancy support, to solve problems for themselves. We expect this phase to start in mid-2025.

Talk to us

Getting the fundamentals right in data is an important topic and there are growing number of government teams working on these complex issues. If you’re looking into any of these issues or solutions, please get in touch so we can continue to collaborate across the criminal justice system and public sector, and share lessons learned. 

To deliver this ambitious programme, we’ll need passionate data professionals to join our growing team. If you’re interested in working with us to solve some knotty problems, keep an eye on Civil Service Jobs or email us for an informal chat.

Guest blog written by Sarah Blake – Deputy Director, Ministry of Justice (30 January 2024).

Who Should Be Involved in Your Data Governance Framework?

When designing your data governance framework, a mistake I often see is that not enough consideration is given to who should be involved in the process. This can lead to issues and less than smooth implementation of your Data Governance Framework.

So, I thought I'd take the opportunity to explain in this article just some of the important roles of the people who should be involved in the design and implementation of your organisation's data governance framework.

Data Owners 

It's perhaps unsurprising that data owners are the first role I'm including as part of the team involved in designing a data governance framework. In fact, they are one of the most important roles. Whether you're doing much work in their area initially or not, it's crucial to keep them up to speed on what you're doing and how things are progressing. 

A good way to do this is by setting up a data governance committee or forum. This allows you to involve your data owners, engage them, keep them updated and get their input into what will and won’t work.  You can find more information about Data Governance Forums here.

Project Manager

Next is the all-important project manager. Whether you have the luxury of a formal project manager or someone chosen from your team, you need someone who is responsible for ensuring that your initiative is planned, monitored and reported on appropriately.

If you don't have a dedicated project manager and are instead looking to utilise someone already in your team, consider your data governance manager. 

Now, me mentioning this role may of course cause confusion as I repeatedly state that Data Governance is not a project and I would urge you not to call it that.  However, at the start of your Data Governance initiative, it is likely that you will need a “project like” phase with tasks and target dates needing to be planned and managed and those are tasks handled with expertise by a Project Manager.

Project Data Governance Manager 

You might be wondering why I have made this a separate heading when I was just talking about it in the above role. And the reason is that while utilising your data governance manager as your overall project manager can be a great idea, it must be noted that the two roles require very different skill sets. 

A project manager's role is to design and implement a framework. Therefore, they will need skills such as stakeholder management and change management which require impeccable communication and persuasion skills. 

On the other hand, your day-to-day data governance manager has skills such as carrying out routines, monitoring and reporting on the framework and often they lead the data quality team too. 

If your data governance manager is to also be your project manager then you must ensure they also have project management skills. Sometimes it is the case that a person will thrive in both roles. However, if you don't have the right person for this then you can utilise two separate people from your team to carry out the two different jobs. Just make sure you get your business's usual data governance manager involved at the right stage of implementation for a smooth transition. 

Business Analyst 

Having business analysts involved is invaluable in helping to understand what the current state of affairs is and provide valuable insight into the current state of data at your organisation. Their input will help you design and implement the framework as well as make a start on documenting what data you have where. 

Enterprise Data Architect 

An enterprise data architect, or any type of data architect really, can offer brilliant support to your initiative as they have a bank of useful information and knowledge about your organisation, which can help with influencing stakeholders and identifying problem areas with data. This role does not need to support your initiative on a full time basis but will definitely prove useful in those initial stages where you find yourself needing to persuade others of the work you are doing. 

Final thoughts 

Overall, when it comes to the people working on your data governance framework it's important to realise that there are other people, not just the business as usual roles of Data Owners and Data Stewards, which you should consider involving. That's not to say that the people already on your team don't have these skills, and if they do then by getting them involved in a way which utilises such skills is likely to make your Data Governance initiative more successful.

So, keep an open mind, look out for support and input from anyone expressing enthusiasm about the initiative. Pay attention to who you're getting involved and when to ensure success! 

If you want to find out how I can help you design and implement a Data Governance Framework successfully please book a call with me using the button below.

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Data Governance Interview With Justin York

I thought it was time that I interviewed Justin York for my blog. I have known Justin for many years and he was my first Data Governance Coach Associate. You’ve possibly seen guest posts he has written in the past or seen him delivering Data Literacy courses for me, so I thought it was time to ask him to share how he got into Data Governance and to share some insights from his many years of Data Governance experience.

After a long military career in army logistics, with the final 15 years working in Data Management, Justin moved into consulting and eventually moved more into Data Governance. Justin has since worked in a myriad of businesses all with different challenges. Justin is also a qualified coach and said he enjoys the engagement with people whether on a contract or simply in day-to-day life.

How long have you been working in Data Governance?

I have been working in Data Governance formally (under that title) for around 16 years, however, I have been engaged with the ownership of data and the decision-makers for around 20 years or so.

Some people view Data Governance as an unusual career choice, would you mind sharing how you got into this area of work?

I have worked for a long time in the realm of information/Data Management and while employed on a contract at the UK Ministry of Defence met Nicola Askham and at that point realised that much of the work that I have been doing could loosely be called Data Governance.

The real realisation was that all the challenges that we face around data come under people and whether that’s Data Management or Data Governance you need to get them to understand what you need from them and why. So working under the Data Governance umbrella seemed the most logical step.

What characteristics do you have that make you successful at Data Governance and why?

Primarily I enjoy the engagement with people and the vast majority of the challenges involved in Data Governance spring from people after all people touch the data at all points of its journey and systems generally (notwithstanding the magic of AI) do what their human masters instructed them to do so if there’s a fault that was generated by a human.

So my key skills are engagement with and fast understanding of people and what makes them tick, coupled with excellent levels of patience and the ability to communicate across all levels and explain just what Data Governance is, its benefits and the way that people can engage.

Are there any particular books or resources that you would recommend as useful support for those starting out in Data Governance?

There are so many books out there and all sorts of models and to be honest, while I keep up with the latest trends I don’t tend to read a lot of books and to be fair many of them either reiterate the same material with a different name or refer to well-established materials. I use the DAMA DMBoK as a useful reference and then I typically use my own experience and adapt that to individual organisations’ needs where I work.

What is the biggest challenge you have ever faced in a Data Governance implementation?

Buy in from the management or the people on the ground, Data Governance initiatives to many are just another fad that will pass with time and so with their busy existences, they try to ignore it and get on with their busy jobs. However, they fail to understand what the benefits are such as giving them more time back to do more in their busy jobs, so I think it’s turning the supertanker of suspicion is the biggest challenge.

Is there a company or industry you would particularly like to help implement Data Governance for and why?

I have a particular interest in aviation so I would like to get some work in an airline or manufacturer or space.

What single piece of advice would you give someone just starting out in Data Governance?

Expect the journey to be difficult and challenging because people generally won’t welcome you with open arms.

Finally, I wondered if you could share a memorable data governance experience (either humorous or challenging)?

There are two:

• While working at a financial services organisation on director was quite challenging and dismissive of the Data Governance work and would not engage. Eventually, we had a couple of options, one was to go over his head which may create additional friction and the other was that we recognized that his data was not critical to the project so we simply sidelined him.  The strange thing was that when he was sidelined and the rest of the organisation kept moving forward he wanted to be involved rather than be left out.

• On a different contract I was faced with a member of the management who stated “We don´t need Data Governance as we already do it”, so I asked him to describe what it was that he did in that line and he replied, “well its what we do”, the defence rests!

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Defining Data Definitions and How to Write Them

Have you ever stopped to wonder what a "data definition" actually is? It's one of those terms that we often toss around in the world of Data Governance, but it's surprising that until now, no one has actually asked me to break it down. When I got an email with this query, I had a bit of an "Aha!" moment. I thought to myself, "Surely, I must have tackled this topic ages ago," but guess what? I hadn't!

Now, "data definitions" might sound a tad on the technical side, but they're an essential piece of the Data Governance puzzle. You might be wondering, "Why didn't this person just Google it?" Well, let me tell you, I did. I braved the labyrinth of Google search results, and honestly, I wouldn't recommend it. It spat out some super technical gibberish, like, "a data definition is the origin of a field that references a data domain and determines the data type and the format of data entry."

The reason these Google results—and others like them—are about as clear as mud is that they're designed to describe data definitions in the context of something called a "data dictionary." But data dictionaries are all about the nitty-gritty technical stuff—like where data lives in a database and its techy constraints. It's not exactly the thrilling stuff business users are itching to know.

So, when we talk about data definitions in the Data Governance realm, we're not diving headfirst into the deep end of tech talk. We're all about making data accessible to the people in your business who need to use it and gain insight from it. We're talking about the entries that populate your data glossary or data catalogue.

Ever notice that in organisations, people often throw around the same terms, but their interpretations can be like comparing apples and oranges? That's where data definitions come to the rescue. We're here to extract those varying interpretations, decide on one common definition, document them, and get everyone on the same page because when stakeholders aren't on the same wavelength, you end up with reports and decisions that are about as reliable as a chocolate teapot.

Now, some data terms are like old friends—easy to define, and everyone's on board. Think "date of birth," "first name," and "last name" in systems with personal info. You could define those in your sleep, and everyone in the organisation would nod in agreement. But then you dive into the murkier waters of terms like "customer…” that's when things can get a bit iffy. What does "customer" mean to you? And what about Bob from accounting? His definition might be worlds apart.

So, the name of the data definitions game is making sure your organisation understands its data inside and out. A big chunk of that process involves pulling those data definitions out of people's heads, getting them down on paper, and achieving a group thumbs-up on what these terms really mean.

Now, I know you might be thinking, "Crafting data definitions sounds like a colossal headache!" But trust me, it's not rocket science. When I talk about a data definition, I'm simply talking about a short, sweet phrase or a couple of sentences that lay out what an item is and what it's all about. No need to overcomplicate things.

Here's a trick I use with my clients: I ask myself, "Could someone who knows nothing about this organisation and its inner workings read this definition and get it?" If the answer is a resounding "yes," then you've nailed it.

Now, here are some practical tips for fantastic data definitions:

• Keep It Simple: Your definitions should be clear and straightforward. No need for data Shakespeare here—simplicity is your friend.

• Plain Language: Avoid techy talk and opt for plain language that even your grandma could understand.

• Stay Objective: Write definitions from a neutral standpoint. Ditch the department-specific biases.

• Team Effort: Get the relevant people in on the definition action. Consensus is the name of the game.

• Put It to the Test: Before you pop the champagne, test your definitions with non-experts. If they scratch their heads, it's back to the drawing board.

• Amp Up the Info: Consider adding extra tidbits like data lineage and usage to your definitions.

In a nutshell, data definitions are the unsung heroes of Data Governance. They bridge the gap between IT and a diverse range of stakeholders.

I hope that was helpful and don't forget if you have any questions you’d like covered in future videos or blogs please email me - questions@nicolaaskham.com.

Or you’d like to know more about how I can help you and your organisation then please book a call using the button below.