Set Up Your Data Governance Training Matrix

A successful organization needs to have trained employees. And part of this, you need know who you are training and what you need to train them on. Everybody does not need to know everything. Every data user needs to understand data governance. There are many components of data governance and data intelligence. Therefore, the need for a data governance training matrix. This matrix is done by a data governance team or committee. Having this matrix will aid in the onboarding of new employees. This blog post will discuss what needs to be done to create a data governance training matrix that will benefit your organization.

We like this quote by Albert Einstein. “The only thing that you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library.” Every data user should know where to go for data governance-related information and where to go to make data requests. We call these points of engagement. We have broken down the creation of a data governance training matrix into three parts.

First, decide what needs to be trained regarding data governance. The training items should be broken up into two sections – introductory (high-level) and advanced.

Here are some suggestions for introductory training items:

• Location of data governance webpage, site, or portal including access to documentation, how to contact data governance team, data governance team members, introduction to data governance, and reason for data governance at the organization
• Business glossary including how to access and how to request changes
• Data system inventory including how to view the specific data system owner and how to request access to a particular data system
• Data policies including how to access and how to request clarifications
• Data quality including how to make data quality issue requests
• Reference data including how to request changes to reference data
• Data requests including how to request new reports or integrations

Here are some suggestions for advanced training items:

• Business glossary including how to write a business glossary entry and get it approved as well as resolving collisions of definitions
• Data system inventory including how to write or update a data system inventory entry
• Data policies including how to write a data policy and how to assign data policy attributes
• Data quality including the process to resolve data quality issues, the setting up of data quality rules and how to do data quality assessments
• Data processing catalog including how to write report specifications and close out data requests
• Data Governance tool administration including the adding of users and reviewing the status of data governance-related content.

Second, decide who needs to be trained. This depends on the organization’s data governance structure. Every organization has data users, and every organization has data stewards. Sometimes you have functional and technical data stewards. And usually there are folks that are responsible for the management and oversight of the data governance efforts at the organization. The training for each group is different. Initially keep it simple and just have a few groups.

Third, put together what needs to be trained with who needs to be trained into a matrix. Suggest putting what needs to be trained in the left-hand column of the matrix and who needs to be trained in the upper row of the matrix. Suggest putting the introductory training items first in the left-hand column and the advanced items after them.  Suggest putting the data users in the second column and then marking them that they need the introductory training items. In most cases, all the identified training groups will need the introductory training items. Continue marking the necessary training items for each training group until done. Update this training matrix when new groups are identified and when new training items are identified.

We hoped this blog post helps you in setting up your data governance-related training at your organization. People are key in the success of the data governance efforts. For additional people-related data governance resources, check out this blog post.  And additional resources on training and communication regarding data governance can be found here. 

IData has experts who can assist organizations with implementing and maintaining data governance.  If you would like to see the Data Cookbook in action or need assistance in your data governance and data intelligence efforts feel free to
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