Data Steward
A Data Steward is a knowledge worker who can perform data stewardship tasks (responsible for ensuring the quality and fitness for purpose of the organization's data assets).
- Context:
- They can often play the role of Data Analyst.
- They can range from being a Domain-Focused Data Steward to being an Enterprise Data Steward.
- They can work independently and collaboratively on multiple projects.
- They can contribute to moderately complex aspects of a project.
- They can require several years of related experience.
- They can communicate to different audiences with the level of detail expected by that audience.
- They can work closely with technology enablement partners to design, create and deploy data governing processes.
- They can have strong communication, organization, time and project management skills.
- …
- Example(s):
- …
- Counter-Example(s):
- a Data Architect.
- a Data Engineer.
- a Data Entry Clerk.
- See: Master Data Management, Data Governance, Data Custodian, Data Quality, Stewardship, Data Modeling Task.
References
2021
- (Wikipedia, 2021) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/data_steward Retrieved:2021-11-16.
- A data steward is an oversight or data governance role within an organization, and is responsible for ensuring the quality and fitness for purpose of the organization's data assets, including the metadata for those data assets. A data steward may share some responsibilities with a data custodian, such as the awareness, accessibility, release, appropriate use, security and management of data. A data steward would also participate in the development and implementation of data assets. A data steward may seek to improve the quality and fitness for purpose of other data assets their organization depends upon but is not responsible for.
Data stewards have a specialist role that utilizes an organization's data governance processes, policies, guidelines and responsibilities for administering an organizations' entire data in compliance with policy and/or regulatory obligations. The overall objective of a data steward is the data quality of the data assets, datasets, data records and data elements. This includes documenting metainformation for the data, such as definitions, related rules/governance, physical manifestation, and related data models (most of these properties being specific to an attribute/concept relationship), identifying owners/custodian's various responsibilities, relations insight pertaining to attribute quality, aiding with project requirement data facilitation and documentation of capture rules.
Data stewards begin the stewarding process with the identification of the data assets and elements which they will steward, with the ultimate result being standards, controls and data entry. The steward works closely with business glossary standards analysts (for standards), with data architect/modelers (for standards), with DQ analysts (for controls) and with operations team members (good-quality data going in per business rules) while entering data.
Data stewardship roles are common when organizations attempt to exchange data precisely and consistently between computer systems and to reuse data-related resources.Master data management oftenmakes references to the need for data stewardship for its implementation to succeed. Data stewardship must have precise purpose, fit for purpose or fitness.
- A data steward is an oversight or data governance role within an organization, and is responsible for ensuring the quality and fitness for purpose of the organization's data assets, including the metadata for those data assets. A data steward may share some responsibilities with a data custodian, such as the awareness, accessibility, release, appropriate use, security and management of data. A data steward would also participate in the development and implementation of data assets. A data steward may seek to improve the quality and fitness for purpose of other data assets their organization depends upon but is not responsible for.
2021
- https://www.salary.com/research/job-description/benchmark/data-steward-job-description
- QUOTE: Data Steward coordinates an organization's quality, security, and maintenance of data. Defines data elements and establishes policies and procedures related to the collection and accuracy of data, and performs tests on data systems. Being a Data Steward ensures sufficient data quality is maintained so that the data can effectively support the business process. Typically requires a bachelor's degree. Additionally, Data Steward typically reports to a manager. The Data Steward contributes to moderately complex aspects of a project. Work is generally independent and collaborative in nature. To be a Data Steward typically requires 4 to 7 years of related experience.
2021
- https://careers.bcg.com/job/12805BR/Data-Steward
- QUOTE: The BCG Data Stewards are responsible for the management and oversight of BCG’s data assets to provide the business with high-quality data that is trustworthy, secure, and easily accessible to appropriate users. Data Stewards will be aligned with specific functional areas (like “Finance” or “HR”) and be responsible for specific data domains within those areas (like “Client” or “Employee”). Data Stewards will collaborate with other business areas, IT, and the BCG Enterprise Data Organization on data-related projects. In addition to ensuring the accuracy and availability of data, Data Stewards will also develop new policies, new quality standards, and new workflow processes in their domain under the guidance of the BCG Data Owners.
- REQUIREMENTS
- Ensuring adherence to relevant data policies, standards, and guidelines
- Maintaining the data glossary, classification, and data quality standards of data elements across your specific data domain
- Maintaining metadata information according to stakeholder’s input and Data Owner approval
- Supporting the data modelling and data architecture team in defining and evolving the enterprise data landscape
- Supporting data quality, data security, data privacy, and data protection initiatives and monitoring relevant KPIs
- Communicating to senior executive teams, both written and verbal
- EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s or higher degree, preferably in mathematics, statistics, computer or data science or related fields
- 10 years' experience working in a data management role (Data Management / Office of the CDO or BI / Analytics team), with hands-on experience using Master Data Management and Data Governance tools
- Passion and interest in Data Quality, with demonstrated precision and attention-to-detail in solving problems
- Understanding of data management concepts and associated business processes and tools, specifically Data Modelling, Data Warehousing, and Data Quality
- Strong customer and business focus with demonstrated ability to form effective working relationships and resolve conflicts
- The Data Steward focused on finance related data domains requires an understanding of finance processes and experience working with financial data. The best candidates will have experience with applications like Oracle and Hyperion Planning.
- The Data Steward with focus on client and product data domains requires an understanding of marketing and product development processes and concepts and experience working with marketing data. The best candidates will have experience applications like MS Dynamics, Salesforce and SAP (or other ERP systems)
- The Data Steward with focus on employee related data domains requires an understanding of HR processes and experience working with HR data. The best candidates will have experience with HR applications like WorkDay.
1999
- (Zaiane, 1999) ⇒ Osmar Zaiane. (1999). “Glossary of Data Mining Terms." University of Alberta, Computing Science CMPUT-690: Principles of Knowledge Discovery in Databases.
- QUOTE: Data Steward: A new role of data caretaker emerging in business units. Individual takes responsibilities for the data content and quality.