Without Data Governance principles and policies in place, members of the Data Governance team are left with no standards for how to define data, how to identify appropriate sources for reporting and compliance activities, and who is responsible for the associated technical and business processes.Data Governance principles and policies establish the core objectives and basis for measuring compliance. Principles and policies identify the roles and responsibilities and are used for communications and education throughout the enterprise.

A key aspect of creating Data Governance principles is to make them short and sweet so everyone can remember! The principles establish the data culture, drive desired outcomes and form the Data Governance roadmap. Data Governance policies can then be developed for multiple principles and are used to measure Data Governance compliance. The policies outline the What, Why and Who level and support the operating procedures and standards. Implementing both Data Governance principles and policies into practice provides your team with the guidance and knowledge necessary to succeed.