Data Governance · Ownership · Component
The handover
What happens to ownership when someone changes role — because it lapses silently and nobody notices for a year.
The deliverable
What it is
Data ownership is not part of most leaver processes, which means it lapses at exactly the moment the knowledge leaves with the person.
The consequence is discovered a year later when a definition question has no answer and nobody knows who decided the current one.
One level in
What it is made of
Each element is a constituent part of the component. Follow one to see the attributes it carries.
The context
What the new owner needs to know.
3 attributes: Known quirks · Accepted problems · Open decisions
Learn
Compare the ownership register against the staff list. It takes minutes and always finds something.
The other components in ownership
The owner
Who is accountable for the data set being right — a named person in the business, since a technical function cannot judge whether a value is correct.
LearnThe custodian
Who operates the system it lives in — a distinct role from the owner, and conflating them means nobody judges correctness.
Learn