Roles and Responsibilities

Below is a common set of roles and responsibilities associated with a dataset. Each role participates in one or more of the phases of the data lifecycle. Your dataset may use more roles.

We reference these roles throughout the "how to" for the "Plan and Define" phase.

We summarize the roles in the table below. Read each section for details on key responsibilities.

Role	Responsibility
Business Data Steward	The person accountable for the program or service that manages the data throughout its lifecycle. In some cases, the Business Data Steward may be a cross-department team.
Data Steward	The person with day to day management responsibility for the data. This person has the greatest knowledge of the dataset.
Data Custodian	The person responsible for the technical environment (e.g. database). The Data Custodian and Steward may be the same person for small teams.
Data Producer(s)	The people who collect or obtain the data.
Data User(s)	The people who use the data. A dataset may have more than one key user group.

NOTE: A person could be one or all of these roles depending on the complexity of the data and the technical environment.

Business Data Steward

The person accountable for the program or service that manages the data throughout its lifecycle. In some cases, the Business Data Steward may be a cross-department team. Key responsibilities include:

• Approve the organizational need for the data

• Oversee engagement with major stakeholder groups to ensure data meets their needs

• Approve and oversee implementation of requirements for data throughout its lifecycle

• Oversee adherence to enterprise data, technical, security, and architectural standards and requirements

• Review expected impact of data as well as costs of data quality problems

• Ensure program is responsive to issues or concerns with the data

Example: The program manager or executive.

Data Steward

The person with day to day management responsibility for the data. This person has the greatest knowledge of the dataset. Key responsibilities include:

• Manage data throughout its lifecycle and per requirements

• Consult with major stakeholder groups to ensure data meets their needs

• Ensure data meets enterprise data, technical, security, and architectural standards and requirements

• Advise business stewards on data requirements, including proposed changes

• Advise on technical environment

• Track data quality and take action to ensure data meets quality requirements

• Provide training and/or support to data producers or users

• Respond to requests for data and/or questions about the data

• Create metadata and other documentation as needed

• Communicate changes and other relevant information to appropriate stakeholders

• Elevate issues or concerns with the data to the Business Data Steward

Example: The program analyst or administrator.

Data Custodian

The person responsible for the technical environment (e.g. database). The Data Custodian and Steward may be the same person for small teams. Key responsibilities include:

• Advise business and data stewards on technical issues for dataset

• Develop and maintain technical environment, database and services to meet data requirements

• Develop and provide documentation for technical environment and services

• Advise on enterprise requirements

• Elevate issues or concerns with the data to the appropriate roles

Example: The database administrator.

Data Producer(s)

The people who collect or obtain the data. Key responsibilities include:

• Obtain data per requirements

• Advise on data requirements and collection methods, including improvements

• Respond to questions and requests about data collection methods

• Elevate issues or concerns with the data with the appropriate roles

Example: The frontline staff that process requests and enter them into the database form.

Data User(s)

The people who use the data. A dataset may have more than one key user group. Key responsibilities include:

• Describe data use cases and communicate data needs with the business and data steward

• Advise on data requirements

• Use data responsibly and in a way that is consistent with its purpose

• Elevate issues or concerns with the data with the appropriate roles

Examples: The program analyst and manager, the Controller's office, data analysts from other departments, etc.

Examples

Role	Simple example (eviction notices)	Complex example (city facilities)
Business Data Steward	Deputy Director of the Rent Arbitration Board	Director of Real Estate and Director of Capital Planning
Data Steward	Same as Business Data Steward	Capital Asset Systems Manager in Capital Planning
Data Custodian	Contractor who manages the database	IS Business Analyst in Public Works
Data Producers	Staff at the Rent Board input data by reviewing copies of eviction notices filed with the rent board	Individual departments reporting annually and coordinated by the Data Steward
Data Users	No business processes dependent on the data; Range of general users who consume data to understand trends etc	Formal user group with period meetings