Stewardship: “the management or care of something, particularly the kind that works.” (Vocabulary.com)

I think my favorite new term in the business vernacular is “Data Stewardship.”  I like how vocabulary.com emphasizes that good stewardship leads to things that work.

Extending the concept of stewardship to management of data, a recent article in AnalyticsIndia states:

One of the simplest definitions of data steward comes from the problem statement posed by authors Tom Davenport and Jill Dyché in their 2013 research study, ‘Big Data in Big Companies’:

“Several companies mentioned the need for combining data scientist skills with traditional data management virtues. Solid knowledge of data architectures, metadata, data quality and correction processes, data stewardship and administration, master data management hubs, matching algorithms, and a host of other data-specific topics are important for firms pursuing big data as a long-term strategic differentiator.”

The article defines four major areas of responsibility for a data steward:

1. Operational Oversight
2. Data Quality
3. Privacy, Security and Risk Managment
4. Policies and Procedures

The third area in this list strikes particularly close to home.  I like the fact that security and privacy are considered to be vital components of data stewardship.  I firmly believe they make data work (as vocabulary.com suggests).