Going Rogue in the Age of Data Democratization
Guest columnist: Dale Amburgey, Assistant Director of Institutional Research, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Data democratization is one of those terms that is increasing in popularity, especially in conference presentations. And, in theory, it is a really good thing. Think about it, having your data accessible to everyone has to be good for the individual, good for the organization, and good for society as a whole. I think back to Saturday mornings in my youth when watching television I would inevitably see NBC’s public service campaign “The More You Know”. Data democratization is exactly that… the more accessible an organization’s data, the more you know.
However, what happens when an employee or group decide to go rogue with the data. How do you handle a situation where the data are used for an unintended purpose? One of the vulnerabilities of data democratization is that those entrusted with the data are assumed to use it for good instead of evil. Nevertheless, when they stray from the accepted policies of data usage, there have to be repercussions.
These situations highlight the essential relationship between data democratization and data governance. Just as data democratization breaks down the barriers to access for organizational data, data governance establishes the ground rules for utilization and understanding of those data. Increasing levels of data democratization require a corresponding alteration to the organizational data governance structure to accommodate expanding access to data.
One of the primary goals of data democratization is to tear down the barriers that exist within organizations that we, as higher education professionals, know exist on campuses across the country. As these silos begin to crumble, our data governance frameworks must serve a dual purpose. In one sense, data governance must provide an environment of vetted data with a well-defined lineage. Conversely, it must also identify penalties that may occur for blatant disregard of policy or procedural usage. Because, data democratization can bring great power and, as a well-known superhero quote goes, “with great power comes great responsibility”.