Data is the lifeblood of organizations, and it should be managed like the valued asset it is. Establishing data strategy and governance comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Data governance provides the process and procedures to effectively manage it. Often, these terms mean different things to different organizations, and many organizations struggle to get their data strategy and governance initiatives up and running. Once they do, they struggle to sustain the momentum of their initial efforts.
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Every organization should consider a cross-functional data governance team that includes, at the very least, representatives from your membership, marketing/communications, and IT departments. The data governance team is responsible for developing and enforcing policies to keep the organization’s data clean and updated. To be successful, the team must have the full support of leadership to ensure that the entire organization follows sound data collection and management practices. No exceptions.
One of the data governance team’s first assignments is to conduct an audit of existing data sources. The goal of an audit is to answer the following key questions:
- What data do you have now and where does it reside?
- Who is using that data and how?
- What are the common types of data used across the organization?
- What shape is the data in? Is it complete, clean, and current?
- What data will you keep and for how long?
- What data will you purge and stop collecting?
Other functions of the data governance team include making sure your organization stays in compliance with privacy laws such as the European Union’s GDPR, state regulations such as California’s CCPA, and the inevitable federal regulations. The team should also focus on moving your organization to a culture of data transparency. You must tell members and constituents why you want their data, what you will do with it, and how those actions will improve the member, attendee, or customer experience. When they understand your motives, they’re more likely to share information with you.
An organization-wide, holistic approach to data helps eliminate silos. The data governance team ensures that staff have access to the data they need to accurately understand members and customers, gain insight, and make data-informed decisions. Poor quality data will result in poor understanding and potentially poor decisions.
DelCor’s Data Strategy and Governance assessment and methodology will help provide guidance for moving an organization’s data initiatives forward, including the following:
- Provide the recommendations to establish a data strategy which aligns to the organizational strategy
- Assess and recommend an appropriate data governance structure
- Understand the organizational pain points regarding the use of data
- Assess the current data practices and standards to determine which are working and where critical gaps reside
- Advise on best practices for addressing identified gaps in data governance and data privacy
- Develop processes for governing the identification, collection, and use of metadata
- Develop processes that track data quality
- Assist with developing processes for data security and compliance
Questions? Contact DelCor now!
Other Data strategy and Governance Resources:
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Data, Data, and More Data (Podcast)
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The Data Manifesto (Podcast)
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Society of Women Engineers Data Governance Assessment (Case Study)
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Data Governance in Action: How to Tame the Data Deluge and Make Better Decisions (Blog)
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California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and New York Shield Act for 501(c)s (Blog)
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A Guide to GDPR for Associations and Nonprofits (Blog)
