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What is Data Stewardship

Definition

Data stewardship is the operational role within governance where designated stewards take responsibility for specific data domains, ensuring definitions are correct, quality is maintained, access is appropriate, and governance policies are applied day to day to the data they own.
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  • Gives each data domain a named, accountable owner
  • Turns governance policy into hands-on daily enforcement
  • Provides a clear contact for questions about a dataset
  • Keeps definitions and quality from drifting over time

Real World Example

A retailer assigns a steward to the product domain who approves new category definitions, reviews quality alerts on the product master, and signs off on access requests, keeping that domain trustworthy and well-governed.

FAQs

What does a data steward do?

A steward maintains definitions, monitors quality, manages access, and enforces governance for a specific data domain.

How does stewardship differ from ownership?

Owners hold ultimate accountability, while stewards handle the hands-on, day-to-day management of the data.

Why is stewardship important?

It makes governance real by assigning people responsible for the accuracy and meaning of each data domain.

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