Information Governance, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 2Information Governance, IT Governance, Data Governance: What's the Difference?

There has been a great deal of confusion around the term information governance (IG), and how it is distinct from other similar industry terms such as information technology (IT) governance and data governance. Some books, articles, and blogs have compounded the confusion by offering a limited definition of IG, or sometimes offering a definition of IG that is just plain incorrect, often confusing it with data governance. Even so-called “experts” confuse the terms!

So in this chapter we will spell out the differences and include examples in hopes of clarifying what the meaning of each is, and how they are related.

All three terms are a subset of corporate governance, and in the above sequence, become increasingly broad in their approach. Data governance can be seen as part of IT governance, which is also a part of a broader program of information governance.

We will now delve into more detailed definitions and a comparison of the three.

Data Governance

Data governance expert Robert Seiner, author of the book Non-Invasive Data Governance, and also the editor of The Data Administration Newsletter for over 20 years, pioneered the concept of “non-invasive data governance.” In his approach, Seiner focuses on what can get done toward improving data governance without major disruptions to the business or redesigning business processes. Bob offers his definition of data governance: “Data governance ...