Data Stewardship

What is a Data Stewardship?

Data Stewardship provides Office of Data Governance a framework for caring about our data to ensure consistency, accuracy and quality. An effective Data Stewardship structure is collaborative with shared responsibilities between executive sponsorship, senior leaders, business functions, information technology, and anyone who interacts with data.

Office of Data Governance

WashU’s Office of Data Governance (ODG) provides strategic direction, tactical leadership and administrative support to facilitate an enterprise approach to our Data Governance Program. The ODG is strategically aligned to provide our vision and guiding principles to support a robust, innovative, shared decision-making framework leveraging our people, processes and technology to effectively and properly manage our data as a strategic asset, while simultaneously formalizing new and existing best practices.

WashU’s, Office of Data Governance (ODG) strives to achieve a people-first approach. A core foundational tenant of our Data Governance Program is developing a comprehensive Data Stewardship community, comprised of business experts committed to using data as a competitive asset. These leaders focus on improving WashU’s data quality and process effectiveness by optimizing operational and business outcomes, contributing to the improvement and trustworthiness of our enterprise data.

Each Data Stewardship community will complete the ODG’s Onboarding & Training Program and proceed with ongoing collaboration with the ODG to promote maturity of data literacy across the institution.

Data Governance Executive Council

The Data Governance Executive Council is comprised of Executive Sponsors and senior leaders who have strategic planning, policy development and data management responsibilities for their data domain.  The Office of Data Governance (ODG) will be ex-officio members. 

Data Stewardship Steering Committee

The Data Stewardship Steering Committee is comprised of Data Administrators and Data Stewards who hold operational management responsibilities for a functional area’s data. The Office of Data Governance (ODG) will be ex-officio members.

Executive Sponsors

Executive Sponsors are University Officers and/or senior leaders provide executive level support and guidance for Data Governance activities within their respective data domain.  Executive Sponsors are accountable for planning and oversight of the subsets of Institutional Data in their areas. Executive Sponsors have the highest level of accountability for the management of Institutional Data to promote proper access, accuracy, privacy, integrity, security and availability of the data for which they have responsibility.  Executive Sponsors have responsibility for the activities of their designated Data Administrators, Data Stewards, Data Coordinators, and others to whom have been granted authority and access to University data.  Executive Sponsors are members of the Data Governance Council.

Data Administrators

Data Administrators are responsible for planning, policy, and oversight of the subsets of Institutional Data within their data domain. Data Administrators are responsible for establishing business processes applicable to Institutional Data within their data domain. Among the roles defined by this Policy, the Data Administrator has the second highest level of accountability for the management of Institutional Data, by promoting proper access, accuracy, privacy, integrity, security and availability of the data for which they have responsibility. Data Administrators have responsibility for the activities of designated Data Stewards, Data Coordinators, and others to whom they grant authority and access.  Data Administrators are either members or advisors to the Executive Committee.

Data Partners

Data Partners include business and IT individuals who support our Data Governance Program with cross-functional expertise.  Data Partners may assume strategic or technical roles. They may be responsible for the management and security of data systems and the delegation of authority to individuals in such roles. Data Partners coordinate with Data Stewards and other individuals with administrative responsibilities for Institutional Data to ensure appropriate access rights and permissions are granted for the use of Institutional Data.

Data Ambassadors

A Data Ambassador is recognized as a data leader within their data domain for overall Data Governance activities. Data Ambassadors provide both strategic and tactical leadership, guiding their Stewardship structure to ensure the execution of day-to-day Data Governance activities.

Data Stewards

Data Stewards, by virtue of their position or delegated authority from Data Administrators and are Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) with strategic planning, standard-setting, and oversight responsibilities for University Data for their area of responsibilities. 

Data Coordinators

Data Coordinators are Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) designated by Data Administrators or Data Stewards and have operational responsibilities for the data in a particular subject area. Data Coordinators have day-to-day responsibilities for managing administrative processes and establishing business rules for effective data management.

Data Users:

Data Users: Anyone who inputs, updates, manages, reports, accesses, and relies on University Data.  This includes, but is not limited to, all employees, faculty, staff, students, contractors, volunteers, trustees, and affiliates.

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