Data Governance is the framework of policies, responsibilities, standards, and processes used to manage data throughout its lifecycle. It defines who can access data, how it should be collected and maintained, what makes it trustworthy, and how sensitive information must be protected. Governance brings consistency to how data is handled across an organization.
A practical example is establishing rules for customer data so that different departments use consistent definitions, access permissions, and retention requirements. Data Governance often involves data owners, stewards, quality controls, metadata management, and compliance practices. It works closely with data security, privacy, data quality, and master data management.
