Without a proper data governance process, big data projects can unleash
a lot of trouble, including misleading data and unexpected costs. The role
of data governance in keeping the big data house in order is just starting to
be understood given the relatively recent emergence of the technology and
its allocation to the IT department. Consequently, governance of big data
environments is at an early stage of maturity and there are few widespread
prescriptions for how to do it effectively. One fundamental problem is that
pools of big data are oriented more to data exploration and discovery than they
are to conventional business intelligence reporting and analysis.
Data governance programs provide a framework for setting data-usage policies
and implementing controls designed to ensure that information remains
accurate, consistent and accessible. Clearly, a significant challenge in the
process of governing big data is categorizing, modeling and mapping the
data as they are captured and stored, particularly because of the unstructured
nature of much of the information. Data often come from external sources,
and accuracy cannot always be easily validated; also, the meaning and
context of text data are not necessarily self-evident. For many enterprises,
big data involves a collective learning curve for all concerned: IT managers,
programmers, data architects, data modelers and data governance professionals.
To help ensure that the data are mapped properly, the task should be assigned to a senior data architect whose experience
and IT background will prove invaluable in this complex activity.
During the exploratory phase of big data projects, which defines expected business value and leads to formal initiatives,
enterprises should consider the fundamental questions (as articulated by IBM) within information management:
• Do we fully recognize the responsibilities associated with handling big data?
• How does big data change the traditional concept of information as a corporate asset?
• What are the emerging requirements around privacy?
• How do the big data technologies relate to our current IT infrastructure?
The discussion surrounding big data may raise more questions for the chief information officer (CIO) than he/she is
prepared to answer. Many enterprises justify the lack of adequate governance policies because they believe that big data
is “different” somehow, which is side-stepping the issue. Simply stated, as big data technologies become operational—
as opposed to exploratory—they need the same governance disciplines as applied to traditional approaches to data
management.
When implementing an information governance program, the current (as-is) state should be assessed and the future
(to-be) state should be developed. COBIT 5 can help the enterprise address this task and others inherent in governing
big data, ultimately guiding the enterprise’s efforts to create value by striking a balance between realizing benefits and
maintaining risk at an acceptable level.