Masterclass AMA Session. People and process: Fundamentals of a governance organization
Summary: The Collibra Community held a session on the fundamentals of governance organizations, with speakers Simila Sivanandan and Jodi Morton addressing various queries. gdesmedt1 appreciated the session's insights, while Community_Lauren inquired about stakeholder roles, resistance to governance initiatives, and communication strategies, to which Simila and Jodi provided detailed responses. Both highlighted the importance of clear communication, simplified processes, and involving key stakeholders to ensure successful governance implementation. Discussions also covered building executive buy-in, explaining data governance concepts, and how to transition effectively during organizational changes, with thorough advice from both speakers.
Hey Collibra Community! 👋
Thanks for joining our session, People and Process: Fundamentals of a Governance Organization! Now's your chance to ask any questions to our speakers, Simila Sivanandan and Jodi Morton.
Let’s keep the conversation going and learn from each other. 🚀
Fowaz Ikram
·1 year agoFor organizations that are moving from being "process driven" to "outcome driven"....how does the definition of flexibility change....what compromises (and affordable losses) does the DG team have to make when engaging with business?
Unavailable member
·1 year agoSpeaking to how to engage leadership, what are some tactics that you found to demonstrate ROI in setting up data governance program?
Simla Sivanandan
·1 year agoI strongly recommend checking out this session dedicated to ROI - https://www.collibra.com/resources/showcasing-the-business-value-of-data-governance-use-cases/U4Nzc5MT
Jodi Morton
·1 year agoIn a past data governance program we did a few things early on:
1) Surveyed data owners, data stewards and data users asking approx 10 questions to get qualitative feedback. Questions were like: How much time do you spend finding the data you need? How often is the data you use incorrect or unavailable? What's your biggest pain point? The survey was not a scientific study, but rather to get a baseline "pulse" from a broad group via a quick survey. We then repeated the survey a few times over the first year of the program and shared the results with the Data Council and other senior leaders tying improvement to the data governance program.
2) As we started work on projects we counted everything we could in the current state: how many times does data move, number of manual controls/interventions, number and frequency of data quality issues, how often and for how long was data unavailable and why, how long does it take to provide reporting, analytics, insights, etc. Then we measured the same for the target state to show the improvement in automation, data quality and availability, etc. We also worked to quantify the amount of time saved, and reduction in cost to change in future projects (ie future cost avoidance). We established target state KPIs and measured and reported on them as part of a periodic business reviews.
3) We tied the data governance program to the business strategy - connected the dots to show how the data governance program connects to the business strategy. Then was we implemented the data governance roadmap, we worked with the business to identify success stories where the work we were doing directly and positively impacted the business. Where we could we tied this to revenue, cost reduction, direct impact to the P&L. We used a monthly newsletter to share these successes broadly and also reported to the Data Council and other senior leaders. Communication is key!
Pfizer _KV
·1 year ago · EditedThanks for a great session, Simila and Jodi! What are the recommended best practices for managing change when onboarding a large number of users (300+) transition from a different data catalog into Collibra?
Simla Sivanandan
·1 year ago@Pfizer _KV Thank you! Welcome onboard!
Highlight what’s changed and what remains the same to help users feel comfortable with the new system. Provide clear, simple training resources—videos, guides, and FAQs—so everyone can get up to speed quickly. Create a support system with designated champs or go-to people who can help answer questions. And keep communication flowing.
Jodi Morton
·1 year ago · EditedHello - I suggest starting small and scaling fast. Identify a small group of early adopters to test out the new catalog, run through training, FAQs, etc. With those early adopters, create a champions network to lead adoption within smaller groups/teams. Create a communication plan so that folks know the onboarding approach, when they can expect to be engaged, provide periodic (maybe weekly) updates that include metrics, success stories from the users, lessons learned, etc.
Unavailable member
·1 year agoCan you please explain , how we can differentiate Data Governance vs Data Quality vs MDM. Please try to explain as simple as possible.
Jodi Morton
·1 year agoData governance is the overarching term that includes the policies, standards, people, and processes to ensure fit-for-purpose management and usage of data. Within data governance you will have policies, standards, processes and technology that ensure quality data is available for authorized users. One of the processes and technology tools that maybe implemented to provide quality data is master data management. So data governance is the umbrella program, and data quality will be a swim lane of the data governance program, and master data management is a way to deliver high quality data.
Unavailable member
·1 year ago · EditedHow large should we want the overlap between people and processes be? Is there an idea mix?
Unavailable member
·1 year ago · EditedHow can you approach data governance during an acquisition when the acquiring company believes their data management practices are the best, but they don't align with your organization's standards and compliance requirements?
Unavailable member
·1 year agoYou talked about the people aspect of governance - besides data stewards - what other roles are typically involved?
Simla Sivanandan
·1 year agoIt takes a village to get to successful outcomes - Along with data stewards and owners, it’s crucial to involve data consumers like BI Analysts, data scientists, and other business users who rely on accurate data for decision-making. These folks need to understand governance policies so they can trust the data they're working with. Engaging them helps ensure that data governance supports real business needs and isn't just a back-end process
Unavailable member
·1 year agoHow do we build executive buy-in for data governance?
Jodi Morton
·1 year agoStart by connecting the data governance program to the business strategy and outcomes. How does have a strong data governance support the goals and objectives of the business? Create a simple visual to connect the dots from the business strategy to the data governance program and use it is presentations, in internal communications, etc. Assess the current state and identify the pain points and opportunities where data governance will make a positive difference - quantify the positive difference of data governance to address those pain points. Then start small and scale fast. Find opportunities for quick wins so you can show value early to build momentum and support for the data governance program. Develop a communication plan for executives to upskill them on data capabilities and terminology. Connect those data capabilities to business outcomes and value.
Unavailable member
·1 year agoHow should we communicate data governance policies and procedures to all employees?
Simla Sivanandan
·1 year agoUse as many ways as possible - send emails, share quick guides, create short videos, and run fun workshops. Use team meetings or casual lunch sessions to talk it through and answer questions. Make everything easy to find on your internal portal and break it down into bite-sized chunks for easier learning. And, throw in some cool rewards or challenges to keep people engaged and excited!
Unavailable member
·1 year agoAny advice on how to overcome resistance to data governance initiatives?
Simla Sivanandan
·1 year agoFocus on showing how data governance actually makes people’s jobs easier, not harder. Involve key stakeholders early on to get their buy-in and address concerns before they become bigger issues. Make sure the rules are simple and practical, so it feels like part of the workflow, not extra work. And celebrate small wins—recognizing success helps build momentum and turn skeptics into supporters.
Unavailable member
·1 year agoHow do we ensure that all stakeholders understand their role in the data governance framework?
Simla Sivanandan
·1 year agoStart by clearly defining responsibilities in a way that ties back to their daily work. Keep communication simple and engaging—use team meetings, quick training sessions, and real-world examples to show the impact of good governance. Make it easy for people to follow by embedding governance into existing workflows instead of adding extra steps. And most importantly, create a feedback loop so stakeholders feel heard and can help shape the process instead of just following rules.
Jodi Morton
·1 year agoSimla - love your response above, especially making it easy! I'd add that in developing the data governance policies and standards, stand up a data governance working group with representation from across data owners, data stewards and data users. Empower the data governance working group to define the key roles in data governance and the respective roles & responsibilities of each of those roles. I have used a matrix to provide a simple visual of the roles and their respective responsibilities and interactions.
G DS
Admin1 year ago · EditedThanks for a great session,@simlasivanandan and @Jodi Morton! 🙌 Really insightful take on building strong governance foundations—appreciate the practical tips. Looking forward to learning more from the community!