Governance

data steward

Operational manager for data quality and metadata.

How the laws define this

Designated within an organization as an official or appointed role, a data steward is universally responsible for practical, day-to-day data management, ensuring data quality, maintaining documentation or catalog metadata, and enforcing compliance with governance rules. The regulatory frameworks diverge primarily on the operational focus and administrative scope assigned to the role. Under Order of the Minister No. 385/NQ, the National Data Governance Strategy, and the National Data Governance Interim Regulations, stewardship is centered directly on tactical dataset handling, including data quality, classification, metadata management, and access controls. In contrast, Order of the Minister No. 90/NQ expands the role into an administrative compliance function, requiring the official to complete data passports, perform internal verification of SDU entries against local systems, coordinate with service integrators, and oversee staff training. Additionally, while Order of the Minister No. 385/NQ obligates the steward to act as directed by a data owner, the National Data Governance Strategy and National Data Governance Interim Regulations assign direct authority to define or approve access policies.

Synthesised from the 4 statutory definitions below. Each one is quoted in full, with its source.

How jurisdictions differ

What is distinctive in each definition, binding law in force first.

Jurisdiction	Instrument	Status	What is distinctive
Saudi Arabia	National Data Governance Interim Regulations (including Open Data, Data Sharing, Freedom of Information and Personal Data Interim Regulations)	In Force	Specifies entity-appointed role with day-to-day tasks including classification, custody, access approvals, and ensuring compliance with NDMO stewardship obligations and data-sharing arrangements.
Kazakhstan	Order of the Minister No. 385/NQ - On Approval of Requirements for Data Management	Repealed	Focuses on operational role managing a specific data asset, with emphasis on documenting provenance, implementing classification and lifecycle procedures, and supporting discovery and reuse under data owner direction.
Latvia	National Data Governance Strategy	Draft	Emphasizes designated individual within data holder organisation responsible for dataset quality, access policies, governance compliance, and coordinating metadata, documentation and stewardship practices.
Kazakhstan	Order of the Minister No. 90/NQ (23 February 2024) — On Amendments and Additions to Order No. 385/NQ (On Amendments and Additions to the Ministerial Order of 14.10.2022 No. 385/NQ)	Repealed	Defines as designated official ensuring compliance, maintaining data passports and catalog entries, verifying SDU entries, coordinating with operators, and overseeing staff training and internal acts.

What it triggers

In Saudi Arabia, under the National Data Governance Interim Regulations, a Data Steward must handle day-to-day data management tasks including classification, custody, quality, access approvals and compliance with stewardship obligations and data-sharing arrangements.
In Kazakhstan, Order No. 385/NQ required until repealed a data steward to manage data assets by ensuring quality, documenting provenance and metadata, implementing classification and lifecycle procedures, and supporting discovery and reuse.source
In Kazakhstan, Order No. 90/NQ required until repealed a data steward to ensure compliance, maintain data passports and catalog entries, verify SDU entries, coordinate with operators, and oversee staff training.source
In Latvia, the National Data Governance Strategy draft sets out that a data steward within a data holder organisation manages dataset quality, enforces access policies, ensures governance compliance and coordinates metadata practices.source

Definitions (4)

An operational role charged with the day-to-day management of a data asset, ensuring data quality, documenting provenance and metadata, implementing classification and lifecycle procedures, and supporting discovery and reuse as directed by the data owner.

Order of the Minister No. 385/NQ - On Approval of Requirements for Data Management (Приказ Министра №385/НҚ «Об утверждении Требований по управлению данными»)Definition 1 of 4

A designated responsible official within an organization charged with ensuring compliance with the Requirements, completing and maintaining data passports and catalog entries, performing internal verification of SDU entries against local systems, coordinating with the operator/service integrator, and overseeing staff training and internal acts related to data management.

Order of the Minister No. 90/NQ (23 February 2024) — On Amendments and Additions to Order No. 385/NQ (О внесении изменений и дополнения в приказ Министра от 14.10.2022 №385/НҚ)Definition 2 of 4

A designated individual within a data holder organisation responsible for managing dataset quality, defining and enforcing access policies, ensuring compliance with governance rules and coordinating implementation of metadata, documentation and stewardship practices for the dataset.

National Data Governance Strategy (Nacionālā datu pārvaldības stratēģija) - (in development)Definition 3 of 4

A Data Steward is an entity-appointed role responsible for day-to-day data management tasks, including classification, custody, quality, access approvals and ensuring compliance with stewardship obligations and data-sharing arrangements as set out by the NDMO.

National Data Governance Interim Regulations (including Open Data, Data Sharing, Freedom of Information and Personal Data Interim Regulations)Definition 4 of 4

Not to be confused with

data owner

Data owner is the official accountable for data value and classification, while data steward handles operational day-to-day management and compliance tasks under the owner's direction.

data trustee

Data trustee acts as a neutral intermediary managing rights, consent and access, unlike the data steward who performs internal operational management within an organization.

Questions and answers

What tasks does a data steward handle under Saudi regulations?

The Data Steward is responsible for day-to-day data management including classification, custody, quality, access approvals and ensuring compliance with NDMO obligations and data-sharing.

How does the Kazakhstan definition of data steward differ from others?

It portrays the data steward as an operational role for a specific data asset, focusing on provenance documentation, lifecycle procedures and supporting reuse as directed by the data owner.

What does the Latvian strategy say about data stewards?

It describes a designated individual in a data holder organisation managing dataset quality, access policies, governance compliance and coordinating metadata and stewardship practices.