How is data governance best described?

How is data governance best described?

• A. A set of technical specifications for software.
• B. An external regulatory requirement with no internal role.
• C. A process for deleting old data only.
• D. A policy framework for data ownership, quality, privacy, access, and accountability across the organization.

Answer: (D)

Data governance is a policy framework that defines how data is owned, managed, protected, and used across the organization. It assigns clear ownership and stewardship roles, sets data quality standards, establishes privacy and security requirements, and specifies who can access data and under what conditions. It also creates accountability by outlining responsibilities, decision-making processes, and oversight. This integrated approach keeps data accurate, consistent, secure, and accessible to authorized users while ensuring regulatory compliance. That’s why this description best captures governance: an organization-wide framework for ownership, quality, privacy, access, and accountability. The other options miss the broader, coordinated nature of governance—they focus on technical specs, imply governance is only an external rule with no internal role, or limit governance to deleting old data.

Data governance is a policy framework that defines how data is owned, managed, protected, and used across the organization. It assigns clear ownership and stewardship roles, sets data quality standards, establishes privacy and security requirements, and specifies who can access data and under what conditions. It also creates accountability by outlining responsibilities, decision-making processes, and oversight. This integrated approach keeps data accurate, consistent, secure, and accessible to authorized users while ensuring regulatory compliance. That’s why this description best captures governance: an organization-wide framework for ownership, quality, privacy, access, and accountability. The other options miss the broader, coordinated nature of governance—they focus on technical specs, imply governance is only an external rule with no internal role, or limit governance to deleting old data.