Who is typically responsible for ensuring data quality and adherence to standards within data governance?

• A. Data Steward
• B. Chief Financial Officer
• C. Chief Marketing Officer
• D. External Auditor

Answer: (A)

In data governance, data quality and adherence to standards are primarily the responsibility of the data steward. The data steward acts as the custodian of data assets, translating business rules into concrete data standards, definitions, and quality metrics. They oversee data quality across the data lifecycle, monitor for quality issues, enforce conventions, and coordinate with data producers and consumers to ensure consistent, compliant use of data. This role sits at the intersection of business and IT, ensuring that data remains accurate, complete, and usable for analytics and decision-making. Executive roles like the Chief Financial Officer or Chief Marketing Officer focus on financial and marketing outcomes, not the day-to-day governance of data. An external auditor provides independent assurance about controls and compliance, but they don’t manage ongoing data quality; their job is to assess and verify that governance practices are effective.