Chapter 2 — Data governance: advanced seminar
Lesson map
Lesson 02 published. Map, example, EX008.
flowchart TD
N0["Learning outcomes"]
N1["2.1 Models of governance"]
N2["2.2 Where stewards fit"]
N3["2.3 Quality standards"]
N4["2.4 The seminar argument"]
N0 --> N1 --> N2 --> N3 --> N4
N4 --> EX["Worked example"]
EX --> Q["Exercise EX008"]
Logical drawing
flowchart LR
N0["Learning outcomes"]
N1["2.1 Models of governance"]
N2["2.2 Where stewards fit"]
N3["2.3 Quality standards"]
N4["2.4 The seminar argument"]
N0 --> N1 --> N2 --> N3 --> N4 --> Q["EX008"]
[Learning outcomes]
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v
[2.1 Models of governance]
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v
[2.2 Where stewards fit]
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v
[2.3 Quality standards]
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v
[2.4 The seminar argument]
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v
[Worked example] --> [Exercise EX008]
Learning outcomes
You will (1) compare governance models critically; (2) relate stewardship to decision rights and standards; (3) present a seminar argument.
2.1 Models of governance
In the advanced seminar, Tomás compares three views. DAMA-DMBOK2 presents governance as a function that sets policies, roles and standards for other data management areas. Khatri and Brown organise governance into decision domains, including data principles, quality, metadata, access and lifecycle, and ask who holds decision rights in each. ISO/IEC 38505-1 places accountability with the governing body, which directs, evaluates and monitors the use of data. He notes that the three views emphasise different levels: function, decisions and board accountability. Each view adds something.
2.2 Where stewards fit
Tomás maps stewardship onto each view. In DAMA terms, stewards carry out governance in daily work, such as defining address standards and resolving conflicts. In Khatri and Brown's terms, stewards may hold decision rights for quality within a domain, or only input rights while a council officer decides. In ISO terms, stewards act under direction from the governing body and report to it. He argues that the pilot's effect will depend on which decision rights stewards actually receive, not on the job title alone.
2.3 Quality standards
The seminar also covers quality standards. ISO 8000-1 gives an overview of the ISO 8000 series and its principles, including that quality is judged against stated requirements. Wang and Strong's dimensions show that users care about accessibility and timeliness, not only accuracy. For Arden, timeliness means how quickly a corrected address reaches every department. Tomás argues that his outcome, days to correct, is a timeliness measure grounded in requirements users actually state, such as residents expecting bins to be collected at their new home within a month.
2.4 The seminar argument
Tomás presents his argument: stewardship will shorten correction times only where stewards have decision rights over cross-department address standards and a channel to propagate corrections. Peers challenge him that council culture may matter more than structure. He accepts the point and adds culture as a competing explanation to examine later. Dr. Solberg praises his move from describing models to deriving a testable condition, which turns a seminar discussion into a research hypothesis the pilot can confirm or refute. Culture enters the design.
Worked example
Tomás compares DAMA, Khatri and Brown and ISO/IEC 38505-1, maps stewards to decision rights, frames correction time as a timeliness measure and derives a testable condition for stewardship to work.
Synthetic case. The seminar is synthetic; DAMA-DMBOK2, Khatri and Brown (2010), ISO/IEC 38505-1:2017, ISO 8000-1:2022 and Wang and Strong (1996) are real.
Errors and limits
Models describe ideals; real councils mix them.
Exercises
- EX008 — Three levels. Which levels do the three views emphasise? Rubric: 3 = function, decisions and board accountability;; 2 = all;; 1 = one;; 0 = none.
- EX009 — ISO verbs. What does the governing body do under ISO/IEC 38505-1? Rubric: 3 = directs, evaluates and monitors;; 2 = all;; 1 = one;; 0 = none.
- EX010 — Title not enough. Why might a steward title have no effect? Rubric: 3 = stewards may lack decision rights;; 2 = mentions rights;; 1 = vague;; 0 = none.
- EX011 — Timeliness. Which quality dimension is days to correct? Rubric: 3 = timeliness;; 2 = partly correct;; 1 = accuracy;; 0 = none.
- EX012 — ISO 8000 principle. Against what is quality judged in ISO 8000? Rubric: 3 = stated requirements;; 2 = partly correct;; 1 = vague;; 0 = none.
- EX013 — Peer challenge. What competing explanation did peers raise? Rubric: 3 = council culture;; 2 = partly correct;; 1 = vague;; 0 = none.
- EX014 — Testable condition. What condition did Tomás derive? Rubric: 3 = stewards need decision rights and a propagation channel;; 2 = both;; 1 = one;; 0 = none.
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