Data Governance: The Data User Manifesto

Written By: Garth Gehlbach

One of the driving ambitions of the WGU Data Governance mission is satisfying the core set of needs for the data user. We have labeled this set of needs “The Data User’s Manifesto” and use it as a simple articulation of our North Star goals with respect to data. The Manifesto states that a user should be able to:

• Know what data the enterprise manages
• Know what the data means
• Know where the data is stored
• Know how to get the data
• Know permitted uses of data
• Know what decisions have been made about data
• Know who else is interested in the data
• Know all facts of business significance about the data
• Know who to contact if there are issues with the data

While excellence in Data Governance is a multi-year journey, WGU has already seen the impact a clear mission statement like the Data User’s Manifesto can have on focusing efforts within the organization and selecting technology that can best support the realization of that mission.