Skip to content

Regional Scaling of Data Governance

Overview

As Nissan North America (NNA) expands its data governance practices, a structured approach is required to scale from the local US implementation to North and South America.
Regional scaling ensures consistency, compliance, and operational efficiency, while respecting local regulations and business practices.

Purpose

  • Provide a framework for replicating local governance initiatives across multiple regions.
  • Align governance policies with regional legal, regulatory, and business requirements.
  • Establish roles, responsibilities, and oversight for regional operations.
  • Ensure data quality, security, and compliance standards are maintained consistently.
  • Support interoperability of tools, processes, and data catalogs across regions.

Key Considerations

  1. Regulatory Alignment: Each country may have unique privacy and data handling laws (e.g., CCPA in US, PIPEDA in Canada, LGPD in Brazil).
  2. Cultural & Organizational Differences: Governance adoption strategies must consider regional business cultures and operational structures.
  3. System & Tool Variations: MDM, ERP, and BI systems may differ across regions; integration strategy is required.
  4. Data Localization Requirements: Some countries mandate local storage or processing of certain data types.
  5. Resource Availability: Regional staffing and expertise may vary; training and support plans are essential.

Regional Governance Model

Level Roles & Responsibilities
Local (US) Establish baseline governance policies, operational procedures, and tool adoption. Serve as the model for regional rollout.
Regional Lead / Governance Coordinator Oversee regional implementation, adapt policies to local requirements, coordinate with local data owners and stewards.
Regional Data Owners & Stewards Execute governance practices within the region, monitor data quality, enforce security and privacy controls.
Regional IT / System Admins Ensure systems, MDM tools, and integrations operate consistently and securely across countries.
Executive Sponsors Support funding, monitor adoption, and provide oversight for cross-border compliance.

Phased Approach to Scaling

  1. Assessment & Planning
  2. Evaluate current local governance implementation.

  3. Identify regional gaps in regulations, systems, and resources.

  4. Policy & Process Adaptation

  5. Tailor policies, classification standards, and procedures for local legal and operational contexts.

  6. Role Alignment & Training

  7. Assign regional roles for data owners, stewards, and system admins.

  8. Conduct training and change management programs.

  9. Tool & System Integration

  10. Extend MDM, catalog, and quality tools to regional systems.

  11. Ensure interoperability, data synchronization, and monitoring.

  12. Pilot & Validation

  13. Roll out governance in one region as a pilot.

  14. Validate processes, measure adoption, and adjust policies.

  15. Full Regional Rollout

  16. Implement across all regions, monitor KPIs, and ensure compliance.
  17. Establish feedback loops for continuous improvement.

Visual Representation

flowchart TD
    A[Local US Governance Implementation] --> B[Assessment & Planning]
    B --> C[Policy & Process Adaptation]
    C --> D[Role Alignment & Training]
    D --> E[Tool & System Integration]
    E --> F[Pilot & Validation]
    F --> G[Full Regional Rollout]
    G --> H[Continuous Improvement & Feedback]