Recommendations for good data governance

Building on the analysis, we make the following recommendations for organisations in relation to data governance.

Provide greater education and training to members of the organisation, including senior leadership, on:

• Identifying the various data assets of the organisation
• Quantifying the value of data assets held by the organisation
• Identifying the level of risk associated with each such data asset.
  

Develop guidelines for designing, implementing and maintaining an effective data governance framework, including:

• Identifying the parties within the organisation who are responsible for data
  
• Delineating the nature and extent of their responsibilities
  
• Enacting policies and oversight mechanism to support safety and trust
  
• Formalising lines of reporting and accountability, including to the board.
  

Create mechanisms for collaboration between all relevant parts of an organisation, including:

• Delineating the respective roles of technical, financial, risk management, legal, administrative, human resources and others
  
• Developing a reporting and accountability framework that connects the work of these different domain experts to a central cohesive data management and security plan.
  

Implement methods to measure the success of data governance frameworks, including:

• Aligning these measures to an organisation’s existing governance and privacy reporting policies and procedures

• Updating the data governance framework, as needed, in light of evolving technologies and emerging threats.

For any assistance with addressing the data governance needs of your organisation, do not hesitate to contact your local PKF Audit and data governance expert.