At a recent AASCIF Data Track Zoom session, I had the opportunity to co-present with a State Fund colleague on a topic we’ve both lived deeply: how to build data governance that actually works. Not the kind that looks good in policy docs or gets announced at a town hall, but the kind that sticks. The kind that changes the way organizations use, trust, and think about data.
What became immediately clear in the session was this: nearly everyone had tried something related to data governance. And nearly everyone had seen it struggle. It wasn’t for lack of effort, or even executive interest. The issue, as always, was in the execution.
The Illusion of Starting with Tools
Most governance efforts start from the wrong end of the map. Organizations buy a shiny new tool—a data catalog, a quality dashboard, a metadata harvester—and expect it to create structure. But tools reflect structure; they don’t create it.
At Datagize, we anchor governance on three forces: People, Process, and Technology. But what makes that model work is the sequence in which they show up. It starts with principles: clear statements about how your organization believes data should be used, protected, and trusted. Then come the structures—your charter, your roles, your escalation paths. Only after that scaffolding is in place should technology enter the picture.
Skipping this sequence leads to shelfware, not stewardship.
What Actually Worked
In one engagement with a State Fund, we led with principles and purpose. That meant defining beliefs about openness, data risk, and accountability. We then co-created a governance charter and formed a data governance committee composed of business and technical leaders across the organization. The right people were critical—not just role-fillers, but passionate, well-positioned individuals who could influence change.
From there, we prioritized high-impact data domains, focusing first on areas like claims, underwriting, and policyholder services where inconsistencies had real-world consequences. Only once those foundations were in place did we select a data cataloging tool to support the structure we had already built.
The result? Shared definitions. Certified datasets. Self-service reporting. And most importantly, business ownership of data.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Governance fails when:
- IT tries to own it instead of enabling it
- The organization tries to boil the ocean instead of starting small
- ROI is assumed, not shown
The big question to ask is: Where is data causing rework, disputes, or decision delays? That’s where governance needs to start.
Also: remember that governance committee members have full-time jobs. Respect their time. Use working sessions to energize documentation and decision-making.
What Made It Stick
What worked in this engagement wasn’t magic. It was:
- Executive sponsorship
- Tangible early wins
- Clear roles and decision rights
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Alignment among governance, analytics, and modernization
The client embedded governance into the day-to-day. Jira tickets now include governance metadata. Tableau dashboards are tied to certified datasets. Governance isn’t a side job—it’s part of the workflow.
And trust? That grew because the people using the data were the ones shaping its meaning.
What’s Next
Governance isn’t standing still. AI and automation are pushing data to its limits. Regulators are shifting from trusting policies to requiring proof. Cloud platforms expect you to arrive with a model, not build one on the fly.
Governance must evolve. That means:
- Investing in maturity, not headcount
- Integrating DG into analytics and AI planning
- Embedding governance into the tools people already use
- Upskilling your people to steward data with confidence
Our Approach
At Datagize, we built the DG Accelerator for organizations that need to move fast. It’s a five-week sprint with structure, working sessions, and real decisions—not just theory. But we also offer a Collaborative Roadmap for those who need to move together, aligning gradually and building buy-in along the way.
Both work. The key is setting the right pace.
Let’s build governance that lasts—not as a checkbox, but as a competitive advantage.
Want to dig deeper? Reach out to start your own Trench Tale.
