Creating an Exceptional Data Governance Program at Your Organization

If you’re collecting, storing, sharing, or otherwise processing data (specifically personally identifiable data), then having a strong data governance program is fundamental to your success as a business.

Data governance is a foundational pillar set out in our Digital Consumer Intelligence (DCI) Maturity Model, and something we ask about in our DCI Assessment to help organizations identify their strengths and weaknesses.

Pillar graphic shows data governance alongside the other five pillars: culture of data, speed to insight, experimentation, insights flow, and voice of the customer strategy

Governance sits alongside other key pillars like culture of data, experimentation, and speed to insight. These act as building blocks for DCI, each working both independently and together to create a healthier organization that’s closer to its consumers’ wants and needs.

In this guide we’ll take you through:

How data governance looks across the different stages of DCI maturity
How governance interacts with and supports the other pillars of DCI
Quick tips for improving data governance at your organization, no matter where you’re at right now

You’ll be guided along the way by Jennifer Tierney, VP of Privacy, Compliance, and Risk at Brandwatch, who acts as our Data Protection Officer. She’s passionate about data and AI ethics.

“Personal data is a major commodity in today’s economy, and companies hold a responsibility to treat that data with care and respect. Not only should you be certain about what your data responsibilities are, but you must also have processes in place that you can act on when needed.”

— Jennifer Tierney, VP of Privacy, Compliance, and Risk at Brandwatch

As Tierney explains, data governance is about more than fulfilling obligations. In fact, there are all kinds of benefits compliance can bring to a business.

“More than anything, a robust and transparent governance program is about building and maintaining trust,” she says. “Your customers will be able to trust that they can get access to the insights and services they need without worrying about the safety of their data or the data they’re accessing. They can trust that they’re working with an organization that’s compliant and risk-free.”

Getting governance right means you’ll be set up to grow your business because all the foundational protections are in place. “Your employees and customers will know that they can get what they need, they can rely on the quality of the data, and they know that it’s being treated responsibly,” Tierney says.

Read on to find out how to level up on data governance at your organization. And, if you haven’t already, we’d encourage you to check out our DCI Assessment to help you identify exactly where you can improve your organization’s performance in governance and in other key areas.

The Digital Consumer Intelligence Assessment

Find out how your organization scores across key areas and access the resources you need to level up with DCI.

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What data governance looks like across different stages of DCI maturity

DCI Maturity can be measured across four key stages. We call the earliest stage ‘Monitoring’ and the most advanced stage ‘Embedded digital consumer intelligence’. Here’s what data governance looks like for organizations at each stage of maturity.

1. Monitoring (early stage)

At this early stage, we would expect to see that different departments in the same company work from different data sources and use various tools and pieces of software to accomplish the same goals.

They may not have any sort of company-wide training regarding data privacy or compliance, and they likely do not have a data protection officer overseeing the organization’s governance journey.

At this point, there is a lot of work to be done to get to the most mature stage. That said, organizations here can start small. Mapping out data flows is a great place to begin, and questions like these can help:

Where is data coming from?
How is it being stored?
Who is handling the data, and who is it being sent to?
What is done with the data, both while it’s in use and when it’s no longer needed?

2. Developing intelligence (developing stage)

Companies at this stage will have a general understanding of what their obligations are, but are likely still working to mitigate risks and improve operational efficiencies as opposed to leading in the field.

There might be a privacy program at the company, but there’s not a dedicated resource or enough resources to meet all governance needs. It may also mean that processes around privacy and compliance are manual and poorly documented.

To move on from this stage, training and consistent messaging are key. The goal should be for every customer and employee to be confident in and empowered by your data governance stance.

3. Digital consumer intelligence (advanced stage)

Organizations at this advanced stage will likely have appropriate documentation around governance programs and dedicated governance resources throughout the company.

Employees and customers know they can trust the company’s approach to data to be fair and accurate. There is a comprehensive knowledge of the standards that apply to the organization, and the future needs of the business can be anticipated based on the global privacy landscape.

Following from what we said at the previous stage, organizations that are advanced might offer role-specific training to employees, and maybe even customers, to enable them to be confident data stewards.

To excel at data governance, it’s time to start implementing regular privacy and compliance audits. This can happen once a year and will ensure priorities are kept up to date and risks are managed appropriately.

4. Embedded digital consumer intelligence (mature stage)

At this stage, organizations will have privacy at their core. Their employees all know and believe in the value of privacy by design and by default. They will have married their governance approach to their ethical stance and work to go above and beyond regulatory requirements.

These companies are leaders in their space, and drive their industries towards a more just and equitable data environment for data subjects.

This is the time to share your data governance excellence with the wider world. Tierney encourages data governance experts from organizations at this stage to share their approaches and opinions (at conferences, in writing, in the Brandwatch Community, and more) to help advance the field.

How does governance work alongside the other pillars of DCI?

As mentioned above, governance sits alongside the five other pillars of DCI and helps organizations to succeed at each of them. Data governance is the most important of all our pillars – without it, all the others are negatively affected.

DCI pillar	How data governance works alongside it
Information flow	Good governance ensures that data is appropriately accessible, regulated, and safe to share. Understanding how data flows within your organization and what tools you use is critical to a strong data governance program.
Speed to insight	Governance provides access to a regulated pool of data without compromising on trust and the rights of data subjects. Always remember to check the privacy and compliance stance of your data sources to ensure that the data you use has been collected and processed lawfully.
Culture of data	A culture of data cannot exist or be scalable without solid data governance policies and processes in place.
Experimentation	Data governance provides a safe framework for the exploration of new data sources or research methods. If you plan to experiment with data, having a solid governance foundation will ensure that you always treat the data responsibly and within the bounds of applicable regulations.
Voice of the customer strategy	Data governance makes sure you have access to relevant consumer data while not transgressing any privacy terms or laws. Understanding your governance obligations helps you keep the rights and expectations of consumers top of mind.

5 quick tips for improving data governance at your organization

1. For organizations at the earliest stage: Map out your data flows

Figure out where you get data from, where you store it, what you do with it, who you share it with, and what happens to it when you no longer need it.

Make sure that for all the personal data you process you have a legal basis for that processing.

2. For organizations in the developing stage: Create a company-wide privacy and compliance training program

Regular training and consistent messages are what set companies with exceptional data governance apart.

“Every employee and customer should feel empowered by and confident in their understanding of your governance stance,” says Tierney.

3. For organizations moving into the advanced stages: Conduct an annual privacy and compliance audit

“In my opinion, there is no better way to understand the state of your governance program,” says Tierney.

“And for extra points, put together an executive summary of your findings to present to your most important stakeholders.”

4. For mature organizations: Look for ways to lead within your space

“There are so many ways to be a leader, so find a way that works for you and your business,” says Tierney.

She suggests:

Creating thought leadership pieces
Sharing your opinions with your network
Joining a panel at an event
Submitting a proposal for a conference
Joining the discussion on the Brandwatch Community

5. For all organizations: Understand the laws and regulations that apply to you

“The world of data governance is changing every day,” Tierney explains. “Each year there are new requirements rolling out and new standards being adopted.”

It’s important to keep abreast of what’s happening and how it applies to you. Here are a few ways you can get started:

Subscribe to privacy and data protection newsletter
Attend a compliance webinar
Look for communities related to your industry on LinkedIn and see what your peers are doing