What it means
Data owners are accountable for decisions, while stewards translate those decisions into definitions, quality rules, handling practices, and issue resolution across daily operations.
Why it matters
AI, analytics, cybersecurity, privacy, and business operations all depend on data that is understood, governed, and fit for its intended use.
Practical focus
- Assign accountable owners and active stewards
- Maintain authoritative definitions and lifecycle rules
- Connect classification, quality, access, privacy, and retention
- Resolve cross-domain issues through a defined governance forum
Common mistakes
- Naming owners without decision authority
- Treating governance as a metadata project
- Separating privacy and security from data quality
- Allowing every team to redefine shared data independently
Certification relevance
This subject appears in or supports the following certification bodies of knowledge: