Effective data governance depends on clear roles, shared accountability, and collaboration across the institution. As McMaster continues to strengthen its approach to managing institutional data, the Data Governance RACI Model provides a transparent framework that clarifies who is responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed in the management of university data assets.
This page outlines the roles and responsibilities that support McMaster’s Data Governance Program. The model is designed to ensure that data across the university is trusted, well-managed, secure, and used responsibly to support decision-making, operations, research, and institutional planning.
The Data Governance RACI Model helps the McMaster community:
Clarify ownership and accountability for institutional data
Support consistent data management practices across functional areas
Strengthen collaboration between business units, technology teams, and governance bodies
Improve data quality, transparency, and trust
Ensure alignment with privacy, security, and institutional policies
Data governance at McMaster is not the responsibility of a single office or team. Instead, it is a shared institutional practice involving leadership, data stewards, system owners, and data users across the university. The roles described on this page illustrate how different groups contribute to ensuring that institutional data is accurate, accessible, protected, and used appropriately.
The framework also supports the implementation of key governance tools and practices, including the Data Cookbook, institutional data standards, data classification guidelines, and stewardship processes.
This page is intended to help members of the McMaster community understand how they participate in the data governance framework, whether as a data steward, system owner, data consumer, or institutional leader.
Data Governance RACI Matrix
The terms ‘functional area’ and ‘domain/subdomain’ are used interchangeably.
The term ‘Data Steward’ may refer to a Domain Steward or a Subdomain Steward.
Any of the activities listed under Domain Stewards may also apply to the Subdomain Steward if that activity has been delegated to them by the Domain Steward.
Domain Stewards
All Domain Steward activities may be delegated to a Subdomain Steward or Data Custodian at the Domain Steward’s discretion.
Responsible for
What is a Data System?
A data system is generally defined as any structured environment or platform designed to collect, store, process, manage, and provide access to data. To qualify as a data system, it typically meets most of these criteria:
Key Characteristics of a Data System
Examples
Data Governance Council (DGC): Oversees the processes required to manage, protect, and access institutional data assets. The DGC will consult on processes, tools, and practices to ensure data quality, security, privacy, and compliance while maximizing the value derived from data across the institution.
Domain Steward: Responsible for overseeing the use, integrity, and governance of data within their domain, including data quality, classification, and authorized use. They ensure domain data is accurately defined, appropriately modeled, and available in alignment with institutional policies, and champion data governance practices.
Sub-Domain Steward: Subject area expert for their data sub-domain, guiding domain stewards, approving data definitions and specifications (data processes), recommending data use, reviewing access, and leading initiatives to improve data integrity and support data governance efforts.
Data Custodian: Subject matter expert responsible for managing data entry, reporting, and operational procedures, providing guidance to stewards, and ensuring responsible data management within their area.
Data System Steward: Accountable for the approved use, documentation, security, and governance alignment of data within an institutional data system, ensuring compliance with data classifications, steward decisions, and institutional data standards.
Data Consumer: Accesses and uses university data in accordance with institutional policies and approved access conditions. They are accountable for using and sharing data responsibly, in alignment with the requirements established by the Data Steward at the time access was granted.
Data Creator: Responsible for creating or capturing university data in accordance with established standards and procedures, ensuring that data meets institutional quality standards, accuracy, and consistency requirements at the point of creation.