Informatiegovernance

Informatiegovernance is a framework for managing information assets across an organization to maximize value while mitigating risk and ensuring compliance. It integrates people, processes, and technology and aligns information decisions with corporate governance and strategy.

Core components include a policy framework and standards for data classification, retention, and privacy; data stewardship and ownership assignments; data quality management; metadata management; records management; and information lifecycle management from creation to destruction. Security and access controls, along with privacy protections, are embedded throughout.

Governance structures typically feature an information governance council or steering committee, with defined roles such as data owners, data stewards, information security professionals, legal and compliance staff, and IT. These roles establish decision rights for policy creation, data usage, risk assessment, and exception handling.

Common frameworks and standards referenced in information governance include DAMA-DMBOK, ISO 8000 for data quality, and ISO 38500 for corporate governance of information. Compliance considerations draw on laws and regulations such as the GDPR, CCPA, and sector-specific requirements.

Benefits include improved data quality and decision making, stronger regulatory compliance, better risk management, and potential cost savings through reduced data redundancy and more efficient data use. Challenges can involve organizational silos, unclear ownership, data quality issues, aging IT systems, and measuring ROI.

Maturity in information governance ranges from policy creation and data inventories to formal lifecycle management, enterprise-wide data catalogs, and automated controls. Implementation is tailored to organizational size, data complexity, and regulatory obligations.