Knowledge Base

A high-level directive that states management goals and expectations for legal, regulatory, and organizational requirements. Policies align to enterprise principles and set mandatory direction for how data is governed and used.

A rule or set of rules that define the expected actions required to comply with associated policies. Standards are subject to compliance audits.

Recommended best practices that help implement a standard or interpret policy, or fill gaps where policy is silent. Guidelines are advisory—compliance is not enforced.

Documentation of how data moves and changes from its origin to downstream use—including custody, transformations, and controls. Lineage maps system-to-system flow with metadata so teams can verify what was delivered matches what was consumed, support impact analysis, and manage operational risk. It is broader than data flow alone and distinct from traceability and provenance, though related.

A role responsible for day-to-day quality, metadata, and standards for a data domain on behalf of the data owner.

A specialized glossary for data-related terms, metrics, and classifications. It may overlap with a business glossary but focuses on aligning teams on how data is defined—such as customer segments, revenue calculations, and reporting metrics.

A formal statement of business objectives and priorities, the data scope needed to achieve them, and the principles for how that data will be defined, managed, and used.

A responsibility matrix for process stakeholders: Responsible (does the work), Accountable (owns the outcome), Consulted (provides input), and Informed (kept updated). Extended variants add further accountability categories.