Data Steward

Definition

A data steward is an individual responsible for managing, overseeing, and ensuring the quality and integrity of data within an organization. This role is crucial in establishing data governance policies, maintaining data accuracy, and addressing common data quality issues. By acting as a bridge between data users and technical teams, a data steward ensures that data is both reliable and accessible for decision-making processes.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Data stewards are often tasked with identifying and resolving data quality issues such as inconsistencies, duplicates, and inaccuracies.
2. They play a vital role in the implementation of data governance frameworks by defining roles and responsibilities related to data management.
3. Data stewards must communicate effectively with both technical teams and end-users to ensure that data requirements are understood and met.
4. Training and educating staff on best practices for data entry and management is a key responsibility of a data steward.
5. They may also be involved in the creation and maintenance of documentation regarding data sources, processes, and standards.

Review Questions

• How does a data steward contribute to improving the overall quality of data within an organization?
  • A data steward contributes to improving the overall quality of data by actively identifying and resolving issues such as inaccuracies or inconsistencies. They implement best practices for data management, ensuring that everyone in the organization understands the importance of maintaining high-quality data. By facilitating communication between different departments, they help create a culture of accountability regarding data usage, which ultimately leads to more reliable information for decision-making.
• Evaluate the role of a data steward in relation to the principles of data governance and its impact on organizational success.
  • The role of a data steward is integral to the principles of data governance, as they are responsible for enforcing policies that ensure proper data management. Their involvement helps ensure compliance with regulations and improves the integrity of the organization's data assets. This impact on organizational success can be seen through better decision-making capabilities driven by accurate and high-quality data, leading to improved operational efficiency and competitive advantage.
• Synthesize how effective communication skills enhance a data steward's ability to address common data quality issues.
  • Effective communication skills are essential for a data steward as they need to collaborate with various stakeholders across the organization. By clearly articulating the importance of data quality issues to both technical teams and end-users, they can foster a shared understanding of best practices in data management. This synthesis allows them to effectively advocate for necessary changes or improvements in processes that will address these common issues, ultimately leading to a more cohesive approach to maintaining high-quality data.

Related terms

Data Governance: A set of processes and policies that ensure data is managed properly throughout its lifecycle, aiming to ensure data quality and compliance.

Data Quality: The condition of a dataset regarding its accuracy, completeness, reliability, and relevance for its intended use.

Metadata:

Data that provides information about other data, helping users understand the context, purpose, and constraints of the primary data.