Data Owner vs. Data Steward

Attribute	Data Owner	Data Steward
Responsibility	Ultimate responsibility for the data	Responsible for managing and maintaining the data
Decision-making	Makes decisions regarding data access, security, and usage	Implements decisions made by the data owner
Accountability	Accountable for the data's accuracy and integrity	Accountable for implementing data policies and procedures
Permissions	Grants and revokes access permissions to data	Manages user access and permissions

Data Owner

A data owner is an individual or entity that has overall responsibility and accountability for a specific set of data within an organization. The data owner is typically a senior-level executive or manager who has the authority to make decisions about how the data is collected, stored, used, and shared. One of the key attributes of a data owner is that they have the ultimate authority over the data and are responsible for ensuring that it is used in a way that aligns with the organization's goals and objectives.

Another important attribute of a data owner is that they are responsible for defining and enforcing data governance policies and procedures within the organization. This includes establishing data quality standards, data security protocols, and data access controls to ensure that the data is accurate, secure, and accessible to those who need it. The data owner is also responsible for resolving any conflicts or issues related to the data and ensuring that data-related decisions are made in the best interest of the organization.

Additionally, a data owner is responsible for communicating with stakeholders within the organization to ensure that they understand the importance of data governance and compliance. This includes working closely with data stewards, data custodians, and other data management professionals to ensure that everyone is aligned on data-related goals and objectives. The data owner is also responsible for monitoring and reporting on the organization's data governance efforts to ensure that they are meeting established standards and objectives.

Overall, the key attributes of a data owner include having ultimate authority over a specific set of data, defining and enforcing data governance policies and procedures, resolving data-related conflicts and issues, and communicating with stakeholders to ensure alignment on data-related goals and objectives.

Data Steward

A data steward is an individual who is responsible for managing and overseeing a specific set of data within an organization. Unlike a data owner, a data steward does not have ultimate authority over the data but is responsible for ensuring that it is managed and used in accordance with established data governance policies and procedures. One of the key attributes of a data steward is that they are responsible for implementing and enforcing data governance policies and procedures within their area of responsibility.

Another important attribute of a data steward is that they are responsible for ensuring the quality, security, and integrity of the data within their area of responsibility. This includes monitoring data quality, identifying and resolving data issues, and implementing data security protocols to protect the data from unauthorized access or use. The data steward is also responsible for working with data owners, data custodians, and other data management professionals to ensure that data-related goals and objectives are met.

Additionally, a data steward is responsible for documenting and maintaining metadata about the data within their area of responsibility. This includes documenting data definitions, data lineage, data usage, and other important information about the data to ensure that it is well-managed and understood by stakeholders within the organization. The data steward is also responsible for providing training and support to users of the data to ensure that they understand how to use it effectively and in compliance with data governance policies and procedures.

Overall, the key attributes of a data steward include implementing and enforcing data governance policies and procedures, ensuring data quality, security, and integrity, documenting and maintaining metadata about the data, and providing training and support to users of the data.

Conclusion

While data owners and data stewards both play important roles in managing and overseeing data within an organization, they have distinct attributes and responsibilities. Data owners have ultimate authority over a specific set of data and are responsible for defining and enforcing data governance policies and procedures, resolving data-related conflicts and issues, and communicating with stakeholders to ensure alignment on data-related goals and objectives. Data stewards, on the other hand, are responsible for managing and overseeing a specific set of data within an organization, implementing and enforcing data governance policies and procedures, ensuring data quality, security, and integrity, documenting and maintaining metadata about the data, and providing training and support to users of the data.

By understanding the attributes and responsibilities of data owners and data stewards, organizations can ensure that their data is well-managed, secure, and used effectively to support their goals and objectives.