Hong Kong stands out as an innovator among data governance initiatives worldwide for its unique approach to an often contentious issue: PersonalDataProtectionPolicy (PDPO). This policy defines “personal data” as information which can be linked back to an identifiable individual, in line with Hong Kong Bill of Rights which states no one shall be subjected to “any unwarranted interference with his privacy in his enjoyment of family life, home life or correspondence”.

PDPO requires data users to inform individuals prior to collecting personal data the purpose(s) and categories of individuals to whom it will be shared, as well as prohibits collecting it for unrelated reasons or use, even within organizations. Furthermore, this law prohibits publicly displaying individual names with their HKID numbers in any public forum.

To ensure the success of a data governance program, it’s essential to have both a vision and business case that aligns with organizational data goals. A vision will outline its overall strategic objective while the latter identifies specific individuals (roles), technologies and processes necessary for supporting it.

As part of any data governance initiative, it’s crucial that a team be formed. This team should include both business and IT subject matter experts; business stewards should possess sufficient IT knowledge while IT stewards must understand how business processes, decisions, and interactions impact your data. Senior business systems analysts or enterprise architects often serve as excellent stewards.

Your team should include a data governance leader to coordinate tasks and communications among stewards as well as with executive sponsors and steering committee members, drive audits and metrics assessing program success and ROI and manage any necessary audits or metrics that assess them. In order to optimize these functions, Equinix Hong Kong offers easy access to an abundance of businesses, networks and IT providers for your team to connect with easily.