Written by Yejide Adewakun, Data Management and Governance Lead
Imagine the University’s library without a proper cataloguing system. Books are everywhere. Some exist in different versions, others are duplicated, some have missing titles and there is no clear way to know which copy is the most up to date or where to find the right materials for a course.
Now picture a well-organised library. Every book is catalogued. Students and staff know exactly where to find what they need. That is what data governance does for our data. It brings order, clarity, and trust, ensuring the right people have access to the right data at the right time.
Across the University, data is relied on every day to support planning, service delivery, and decision-making. However, data can become confusing when it appears differently across systems, when definitions are unclear, or when it is not obvious which version of the data should be relied on. When this happens, people end up working from different versions of the truth, making it harder to work confidently with data.
As we continue to rely heavily on data to support our academic, operational, and strategic priorities, having a clear and consistent approach to how it is managed has never been more important. This is where data governance comes in.
What Is Data Governance?
Data governance is the way we manage data across the University to make sure it is accurate, secure, accessible, and used responsibly. It provides a framework that helps us understand:
- Who is responsible for different types of data
- What we can do with data and how it should be used appropriately, in line with policies, processes, and GDPR requirements
- How data should be handled to keep it accurate, consistent, and secure
- Why it matters to support good decisions, meet compliance and statutory requirements, and deliver services effectively
Data is one of our important assets. When it is well managed, it becomes a strategic tool that helps us deliver a better experience for students, staff, and the wider university community.
Why Does Data Governance Matter?
Data governance matters because it helps us use data confidently, responsibly, and effectively in everything we do.
It helps us to:
- Improve the student and staff experience: When data is accurate and accessible, students and staff can rely on systems to work smoothly. Good data governance helps reduce errors, delays, and confusion.
- Support better decision-making: Reliable data enables leaders, teams, and departments to make informed choices. Whether it is planning resources, evaluating performance, or shaping strategy, trusted data is essential for better decision-making.
- Meet compliance and reporting obligations: We must report data to external bodies like HESA. Data governance ensures that these reports are accurate, timely, and meet regulatory standard. This reduces risk and maintains the university’s credibility.
- Deliver services more efficiently: When data is well-managed and consistent across systems, processes run more smoothly. This means less duplication, fewer manual fixes, and faster delivery of services.
- Treat data as an important asset that supports our institutional goals: Data is not just information. It’s a strategic resource. By managing it properly, we can unlock its full value to support teaching, research, student success, and operational excellence across the University.
Data Governance Is a Shared Responsibility
You don’t need to be a data expert to be part of data governance. If you work with data in any form, take a moment to think about the data you use, where it comes from, and what happens when something doesn’t look right. Those everyday questions and conversations are where good data governance really starts.
Data governance also helps clarify roles, such as who is accountable for key datasets, who supports day-to-day data quality management, and who looks after the systems that hold our data. This clarity makes it easier to know where decisions sit and how issues are resolved.
Where to Find Support
Unsure who to speak to, need support, or want to raise a data-related question? Data Connect is here to help. You can find guidance, updates, and resources on Data Connect’s Data Governance page.
By working together, we can ensure our data is trusted and well managed. We can also ensure it is able to support excellent teaching, research, student outcomes, as well as the day-to-day running of the University.
To stay up to date with the work across Digital Transformation, join our monthly Digital Demo sessions, held on the second Tuesday of every month.
Take a look at our 2030 Digital Strategy.
Read our previous blog post to learn about how we’re strengthening risk management across Digital.