Data Governance Course & Certification
Improve Your Know-How on Practical Data Governance
Learn how to implement a data governance program from scratch or improve the one you have.
Templates included!
Take advantage of the 10+ templates available to accelerate your data governance efforts.
Build up your practical knowledge and maximize your success
Implementing data governance can sometimes seem like you're trying to boil the ocean. How can you be successful at it?
Data governance is becoming a hotter topic by the hour. BusinessWire estimates its market to reach $15.1 billion by 2030. As companies aim to become more data-driven and prepare for the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI), the demand for scalable and successful data governance programs is skyrocketing.
AI is revolutionizing industries, but its success is entirely dependent on high-quality, trusted, and well-governed data. Without a strong data governance foundation, AI systems and anything based on data, for that matter, can fall victim to poor data quality, bias, and compliance issues, hindering their potential and jeopardizing trust.
As a result, more and more professionals, such as yourself, want to better understand data governance and how they could implement it in their organization. But how can they learn it? How do YOU learn it?
Other than learning on the job - which is time-consuming, sometimes nerve-wracking and not necessarily earning trust from our peers and leaders - there are very few good resources out there for current or future data governance professionals. In addition, most of the content and courses to be found are theoretical, hard to follow, as well as not actionable, nor practical.
But as organizations increasingly rely on AI and data-driven decision-making, their need and desire for you to implement a functional, sustainable, highly adopted and praised data governance program, has become unavoidable and imperative
If:
- You need a clear plan on how to effectively implement, improve and refine data governance in your organization;
- You want to stop wasting time on theoretical material, scattered information and guidance, or on what's not working;
- You feel you need more practical knowledge to successfully implement a data governance program...
It's time to learn from an award-winning data governance practitioner who can provide you with the practical steps, best practices, and templates to put together and implement a successful data governance program.
Practical Data Governance: Implementation
The purpose of this course is to build your practical knowledge and maximize your success as a current or future data governance professional. The lessons and materials provided will be instrumental in your planning and implementation of a data governance program. You will learn the practical steps, best practices, and templates to put together and implement your data governance program from scratch or improve the one you have.
Templates included!
Take advantage of the 10+ templates available to accelerate your data governance efforts.
Here’s What You’ll Get When You Sign Up
The Practical Data Governance: Implementation course provides you with the skills, the know-how and the templates to help you create a successful data governance program that follows best practices.
Templates
In addition to teaching you how you to best implement a data governance program, the course contains valuable templates, nowhere else to be found, that cover things such as the scope document, terms of reference, metrics scorecard, data policies, data standards, communication plan, data governance handbook, and more.
Some even have pre-filled versions. It doesn't get easier than this.
Award-Winning Implementations
The lessons draw from award-winning implementations of data governance programs, but also from the experience, mistakes and best practices made by data governance professionals.
Practical Takeaways
The lessons provide you with practical takeaways, advice and examples from real-life data governance implementations. All you need to do is apply these learnings to your specific needs.
On-Demand Learning
The course has about 4 hours of video content, plus written content, extra resources and templates. As always, you can take the course at your own time and pace. Remember that you'll have unlimited access to existing and future content and any upcoming updates.
Here’s what people are saying about course

Gabriel Reyes
Data Steward
Best data governance course out there
"This is a highly engaging course with a lot of practical takeaways. The templates alone are worth the investment, but the lessons, examples, and advice that George provides are invaluable.
In my pursuit of becoming a better data governance professional I've taken other courses, but this is by far the best data governance course out there."

Mahesh Rayappa Gundakalle
Senior Programmer Analyst
Very detail-oriented & easy to follow
"Very detail-oriented, easy to follow step by step instructions/content with corresponding templates for individuals ready to hit the ground running on their Data Governance journey.
Thank you for offering a practical course to learn and implement data governance."

Rachel McCranor
Reporting and Data Management Officer
AMAZING!
"I loved the amount of knowledge this course gave me. The delivery was so easy to comprehend and follow along. The short videos for each module was perfect for segmenting each topic and allowed me to take noted in between.
I can't wait to apply what I've learned and add more value to the organization I work for."
What's covered in the Practical Data Governance: Implementation course?
There are 8 modules, with a mix of video lessons, written content, real-life examples, templates, and extra resources to help you create and implement a successful data governance program.
The Basic Concepts
What to Expect
What is Data Governance
The Benefits of Data Governance
Pre-Implementation Steps
Performing Initial Assessment
4
Understanding the Drivers
How to do an Ad-Hoc Assessment
Data Sources Inventory and Data Flow (templates included)
Data Governance Maturity Model
Getting Buy-In
2
Creating the Business Case
Choosing and Securing a Sponsor
Setup the Data Governance Program
Program Setup Steps
6
Data Governance Scope Document (template included)
Data Governance Guiding Principles
Focusing Your Program the Right Way
Building a Data Domain Model
Data Governance Organizational Framework
Identifying and Assigning Data Stewards
Data Governance Council
4
Data Governance Council’s Responsibilities
Who to Include in the Data Governance Council
Creating the Terms of Reference (template included)
Data Governance Council Best Practices & Advice
Develop Metrics & KPIs
Metrics: Intro
Progress Metrics
Impact Metrics
Data Governance Scorecard (template included)
Develop Data Policies, Standards, and Processes/Workflows
Data Concepts for Data Governance
Data Policies
How to Write a Data Policy (template included)
Data Standards and Rules (template included)
Processes and Workflows (template included)
Data Classification
Select and Deploy Tools
Selecting a Data Governance Tool
Business Glossary
Data Dictionary
Data Catalog
Manage Change
Change Management Models
Communication Plan (template included)
Data Governance Handbook (template included)
Change Management Best Practices
BONUS
30/60/90 Day Plan for Data Governance (BONUS)
GenAI Prompts for Data Governance (BONUS)
How to Manage Different Types of People (BONUS)
Receive Your Certificate
Bonus
You'll get so much more in this course!
Besides building your practical knowledge in the data governance profession and teaching you how to implement a data governance program you will also benefit from the following:
Certificate
At the end of the course you can opt for a certificate of completion.
Share it on your social media, add it to your resume, print and hang it on your wall for all to see that you are a skilled data governance professional.
Free Access to the Teacher
In each lesson you can post your questions to be answered directly by the teacher, as well as fellow practitioners/ students.
You can add in your comments and your own learnings, as well, to contribute to the data governance course community.
An Entire Bonus Course Module
Besides the current lessons that will provide you with the step-by-step how-to and know-how to implement a data governance program, there is an entire bonus course module available with content to enhance your skills as a data governance professional.
About George Firican,
the Course Teacher
George is a passionate advocate for the importance of data, a frequent conference speaker and a YouTuber, being ranked among Top 5 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Big Data, Digital Disruption, Top 15 on Innovation and LinkedIn Top Voice.
His innovative approach to addressing data challenges received international recognition through award-winning program and project implementations in data governance, data quality, business intelligence and data analytics.
George advises customer organizations on how to treat data as an asset, and shares his practical takeaways on social media, at conferences, and various industry sites and publications.
George has been a data professional for over 15 years. One of his passions is to create informative, practical and engaging educational content to share with individuals such as yourself, and help organizations get more visibility on social media. George is the proud founder of LightsOnData.com and co-host of the Lights On Data Show podcast.


Here’s what people are saying about the course teacher

Luca de Joanna
Senior Business Data Lead
Recommend George's work in the data governance space
I'm really pleased and honored to recommend George's work in the data governance space.
Every article and video from George manages to perfectly describe and explain different areas in data governance and data intelligence, from master data to metadata management, from data quality to visualization, from business glossary to the data dictionary. All this with the business in mind, and not just as a technical exercise.
Thanks to George's work, regularly delivered to the public, I've been able to learn a lot and benefit from it in my daily job. [...]

Piotr Kononow
CEO
Professional educator on data management topics
I recommend George if you want a professional educator on data management topics.
But, don’t take my word for it – check out his impressive collection on educational Lights on Data videos on YouTube. [...]

Linda Davis
Metadata Governance Coordinator
Any student would be lucky to have him as an instructor
George is the type of person who is very professional and knowledgeable and, at the same time, friendly, easy-going and fun to be around. Any student would be lucky to have him as an instructor.
I'm looking forward to seeing him again at conferences, because his presentations are always such an eye-candy and full of no-fluff, practical content. [...]
Why this course is a great option for you
This online course is the smartest, most cost effective, and time saving option of learning how to implement a data governance program. It is developed to be a 1-stop-shop that includes:
- Real-life examples, relevant knowledge and best practices on implementing data governance
- Practical templates you’ll be able to use and adapt easily and right away to your own needs
- An engaging and fun learning experience with George Firican, your friendly data guy, who is great at turning dry knowledge into digestible and enjoyable bites
Plus this online course is the better way of learning:
- At your own pace
- From the comfort of your home or office, or anywhere you want to (it's mobile friendly, too)
- With unlimited access to the material
What would be the other options?
- Reinventing the wheel: This is probably the longest and hardest route to take as there will be quite a bit of trial and error. It’s time, money and energy consuming. Plus you can lose trust from your organization if this is not done right the first time around.
- Getting consulting services: The equivalent of consulting services hours (~ 4 hrs) would cost you anywhere between $750 to $2,100 or more. You probably would still have follow-up questions and if you wanted to revisit your learning, you'll need to book more hours.
- Learning from other sources: I think it's always good to learn from multiple sources, but if you've taken other data governance or data management courses then you know that they focus more on the theory than on the practical takeaways. Not to mention that you won't benefit from the templates available in this course.
- Hiring someone to setup your data governance program: It’s the most expensive approach and far from being fail proof, because ultimately no one knows the organization as you do. Additionally, you lose the business knowledge and control and you might be left with the challenge of maintaining something that wasn't built according to best practices. Not to mention that this engagement would end up costing you at least $50,000.
Practical Data Governance: Implementation Course
$
499
US
Popular
3 COURSE MEGA BUNDLE
Practical Data Governance: Implementation Course +
Business Glossary Course +
Data Governance Maturity Models Course
$797
US
Regular Price: $997
2 COURSE BUNDLE
Practical Data Governance: Implementation Course +
Business Glossary Course
OR
Practical Data Governance: Implementation Course +
Data Governance Maturity Models Course
$
697
US
Regular Price: $748
or
Part of Bundle
PRACTICAL DATA GOVERNANCE: IMPLEMENTATION
Available now at a great price
$499
US
Templates included!
Take advantage of the 10+ templates available to accelerate your data governance efforts.

100% Satisfaction Guarantee
If you've completed less than 25% of the Practical Data Governance: Implementation course and you don’t like it for any reason, feel it wasn’t worth your investment, or simply want a refund for no reason at all, we've got you covered. Purchase today and you can request a refund anytime within the next 30 days. Please note that refunds will only be provided if you have completed less than 25% of this course content. Our support team will process your refund, no questions asked.
Don’t wait! Look at what past students have to say about this course
Recommend it to others
I found the course provided a very well rounded foundation in Data Governance that I can take forward with me. Very glad I took this course and I would recommend it to others as well.

Brilliant strcuture, exceptional delivery and indeed a practical implementation!
The course surpassed my expectations and certain it will yours, its not a promise but an evidenced based fact. True to its title, the course is practical and refreshingly unconventional, yet remains easy to follow and understand. I recommend that prospective students have some foundational or theoretical knowledge beforehand. If that describes you and you're ready to get on board and not afraid to get your hands dirty, don't hesitate... join the family at LightsOnData! Captain George will blow your mind!!

Excellent course!!
Excellent course!

Great Course!
Great course to build a foundation and lot of reference documents to leverage in the development of your own custom program.

I highly recommend it
This course provided me with everything I needed to get started in my role as Data Governance Analyst. I especially liked the 30/60/90 Day Plan for Data Governance. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who is part of, or wanting to get more involved with Data Governance.

Data Governance You Can Actually Use
I found the course very practical and easy to follow. It focuses on what actually works in real-world data governance. I haven’t come across anything quite like it, and I learned a lot.

Just perfect!
The length and quality of the course is just perfect. I personally loved the Bonus section - very crisp. Apart from that it is hard to pick as it was beyond my expectation and it truly lived up to its title. The section that I struggled with was Business Glossary , Data Dictionary and Data Catalog. The concept was well explained, but I missed a bit of visual representation of how these 3 hold together . Overall I would say it is a great course and would highly recommend it.

Practical
I like the straight to the point practical talk from experience. Would be great if one can increase the speed of the video.

Incredible content
This was a great Data Governance course! Incredible content and well-delivered. The templates are so beneficial and incredible tools! Thank you!

Take this course!
I'm not going to lie; the data is a bit dry, but this is data governance. However, the material was presented in an organized and thoughtful way. I've asked others in my company who will be involved with our data governance program to take this course. I will definitely be using the templates as guides to build out my company's data governance program.

It captured all aspects
Course was quite elaborative and systematic approach towards implementing Data Governance supplemented with tools and artefacts and it did capture all aspects. Thank you for such a good course it was worthwhile to refresh all the concepts.

Data Governance Executive
This is an excellent course for beginners as well as experienced professionals. George is a specialist in making complex subject look very simple to understand. The templates provided are real bonus. I would strongly recommend this course for those who aspire to become data governance professionals.

Highly Relevant!
This course offered a comprehensive and well-structured curriculum that covered both foundational principles and advanced practices, making it highly relevant for professionals managing enterprise data. I particularly enjoyed the modules Pre-Implementation Steps and Develop Metrics & KPIs, as they provided practical frameworks /templates that I could immediately apply to our governance program. The teaching style was clear, engaging, and paced well for online learning, with a good balance of theory and case studies. I would recommend this course to others because it not only builds essential knowledge but also empowers you to drive real improvements in your organization’s data governance maturity.

Thank you

Clear, concise, and so well delivered!
Thank you so much for this brilliant course! My organization is just starting a Data Governance program (literally just scratching the surface!) and the whole concept is very overwhelming.
Your course was clear, concise, and so well delivered! I feel like I have a great starting point and really good first steps.
Thank you for all of your resources (this course, YouTube, the podcast, etc.). This information is invaluable!

Great practical examples
The course provided great practical examples for implementing a data governance program.

Thorough program
This is a great course for those who are wanting a comprehensive understanding of implementing Data Governance within their organizations! Really enjoyed the course.

Informative & Practical
The course was both informative and practical. As a leader in data and analytics, I found the content directly applicable to my work, enhancing our organizational strategies. The expertise of the instructors was invaluable, and the course has significantly contributed to my professional development. Highly recommended for those looking to advance in this field.

Templates were very helpful
Templates were very helpful

Totally worth it!
I really enjoyed the course and it gave me lots of thoughts and materials to work the data gov in my organization. It was totally worth it and excellently presented. Thanks!

A wonderful course
This course is wonderful for those who want to understand the concepts and terminologies of Data Governance and the practical steps and best practices.

Highly Recommend, Easy to understand, Excellent.
This course designed to provide me the knowledge and skills necessary to manage and protect data effectively.
It enables me with the tools and techniques to analyze and interpret data effectively, leading to more informed and strategic business decisions.

Excellent course
Excellent course, I really enjoyed the practical aspects of the course and it clearly helps to set up a direction in an organization willing to take Data Management practices to the next level. Thank you!

Great comprehensive course
I enjoyed this comprehensive course on data governance and creating a business glossary.

AMAZING!
I loved the amount of knowledge this course gave me. The delivery was so easy to comprehend and follow along. The short videos for each module was perfect for segmenting each topic and allowed me to take notes in between.
I can't wait to apply what I've learned and add more value to the organisation I work for.

Comprehensive Data Governance Overview
This course was great to get an understanding of data governance as my organization starts to implement its own program. The length is good and the examples provided helped reinforce the concepts. Thanks!

So insightful!
The course has really broaden my knowledge about implementing Data Governance. George has really done well in the course. God bless you for this, I think my money did not equate what I got from this course.

Great course!
Simply put, it was GREAT! Thank you!

Great Investment for Growth
We have started implementing the Data Governance Programme within a local bank and this course has helped tremendously in gaining knowledge to move this programme forward and growing it in the right direction.

From Clinical Research Data Expertise to Enterprise Governance: A course that bridges the gap
I found the course to have an excellent balance of breadth and depth, offering a comprehensive overview of data governance within a very manageable timeframe. I was able to complete it alongside my full‑time work over the course of a month, and the structure made it easy to progress steadily. The content was clear, practical, and immediately applicable, which aligns perfectly with the course’s promise. I especially appreciated the dynamic and accessible teaching style.
Thank you George for making the learning experience engaging and effective.

This course was great
This course was great. We have been working to stand up a strong Data Governance Process and this course provided great guidance for areas to concentrate on.

This was a great course
This was a great course. Brings the practicality of data governance into reality.

Data Governance - from theory to real world experience
This course helped me consolidate and structure my Data Governance expertise, adding depth and reinforcing a broader, more strategic perspective.
In a constantly (fast) evolving field, staying up-to-date is challenging, and following George across multiple platforms helps me anticipate what’s next and advise clients with greater clarity and confidence.

Excellent course!
The course was easy to understand, and the templates were very useful.

This was excellent!
I thought this was excellent. What I need to is further understand the number of FTE to standup a Data Governance office

Valuable frameworks and practical tools
I would highly recommend this course to others interested in data governance. It equips participants with valuable frameworks and practical tools that can be immediately applied, especially the deck and the filled-in samples provided during the course. They clarified the key content and highlighted the level of granularity necessary for certain documents. This practical approach made it easier to understand how to implement these concepts in real-world scenarios. Thank you!

Excellent
Excellent! Thanks for the very professional course.

Best course for Data Governance
Hands down, the best course for Data Governance.

Great course
Great course! Fits in well and expands my consulting background in IT Security & Audit, Data Privacy and now Data Governance.

Worth every penny
I am so glad that I found this course from George's videos on Youtube. The content was excellent and the perfect amount of time for each module. It allowed for me to fit it into my busy work and parenting schedule and get done in a timely manner. I like George's teaching style it makes the content easy to take in, understand and adopt. We are just starting our data governance program and I feel this course will help steer us in the right direction and course correct from where we currently are. I will definitely be recommending this course to my other coworkers and anyone else I know on a data governance journey.

10 out of 10!
10/10 course! I'd recommend this for those starting out in Data Governance or wanting a refresher. The templates are a bonus.

Highly recommended!
Great course!
Good coaching to implement a step-by-step and pragmatic approach. Highly recommended!

A great course!
This course was thoughtfully designed to help people understand data governance from scratch. George used illustrations that make each concept stick to the brain. Overall, it is a great course.

Well built and taught!
I found the course be well built and guided me through the different steps of data governance implementation. Working with data governance for years most of this knowledge was not new to me but I believe that the help in reenforcing this knowledge and expanding it to parts I didn't yet work with, will help me improve in future assignments. One thing I will use for sure is the templates, as most companies seem to lack good existing templates for data governance.

Very detail-oriented & easy to follow
Very detail-oriented, easy to follow step by step instructions/content with corresponding templates for individuals ready to hit the ground running on their Data Governance journey.
Thank you for offering a practical course to learn and implement data governance.

Worth the price!
A very enlightening, worthwhile, invaluable and enjoyable course on Data Governance. The several templates I now have access to alone is worth the price of this course. George is also an excellent teacher! Thank you.

Essential to boost data culture and operational momentum
Very good course, right to the point at nice pace with very helpful additional content, like the templates. I found particularly useful the lessons on change, people and communication management as they tend to be overlooked. Good focus on the importance of business side engagement, as many data-related projects are seen usually as IT-only driven, or delivering outcome/feedback unidirectionally from IT to business. I am currently implementing a data governance program for the company I work for as part of a wider data strategy, involving cloud migration and development of a modern data stack, while facing a lot of issues due to poor company engagement in data-related activities. So the course is helping me to set up the path for a more data-driven culture and operations ecosystem that could boost momentum and income to the company, while educating decision makers on the importance of it.

Excellent!
Excellent! I have acquired a lot of new information and ideas.
An excellent foundation for Data Governance
If your organisation is ready to get serious about Data Governance, but doesn't have the knowledge of how to start implementing it then this is the course for you.

One of the most comprehensive courses on Data Governance
I would rate the course a 5 out of 5. The course sets the right tone with Data Governance being a business program and focuses on the content and questions that need to be answered when standing up a Data Governance Program. I like the way the course helps with change management and technology but doesn't put any shiny objects at the center of the discussion. Well done! Highly recommend this course to data analytics pros who need a structured approach to set up a DG Program.
Frequently Asked Questions
The course is geared towards the data or business professional who wants to learn how to implement a data governance program. Even though it assumes that you know the data governance theory, it will still provide a high level review of many concepts.
You might be a novice or you already have some years of experience in data governance, but you're looking to learn the industry best practices and fill in knowledge gaps and implement a praised data governance program.
YES! You can opt-in to receive a certificate that you can then share on social media, add to your resume, or print and showcase to your colleagues.
Everyone has a different learning pace and the great thing about having this delivered online is that it adjusts to your schedule and learning style. The course has over 4 hours of content in video format and it is split into short and comprehensive lessons.
The course will be available for you without limitation. You can go back and go through it as many times as you like, whenever you like.
The course is applicable to ANY industry. Even though some examples will draw from and showcase certain industries, the takeaways are relevant to all industries.
YES! The course was built to work on all tablets and phones. Or you can take it on your laptop or desktop machine. Layouts, scrolling or displays may vary depending on the device you have. All you need is an internet connection.
That will be very unlikely, but if, within 30 days of purchase, you find that the course doesn't meet your expectations, we are pleased to offer a refund. However, we kindly request that you meet the following condition:
To be eligible for a refund, please ensure you have completed less than 25% of the course content. We believe this gives you a fair opportunity to experience the course and its value.
If you meet this condition and wish to request a refund, simply reach out to our support team within the 30-day period. We will then process your refund.
If you have any other questions about the course, you can always send out an email to support[at]lightsondata.com
Once you're enrolled in the course, you will have access to the teacher to ask questions. Plus, on almost every lesson you can post questions relevant to that topic, that the teacher and/or other students will be able to answer.
Practical Data Governance: Implementation Course
$
499
US
Popular
3 COURSE MEGA BUNDLE
Practical Data Governance: Implementation Course +
Business Glossary Course +
Data Governance Maturity Models Course
$797
US
Regular Price: $997
2 COURSE BUNDLE
Practical Data Governance: Implementation Course +
Business Glossary Course
OR
Practical Data Governance: Implementation Course +
Data Governance Maturity Models Course
$
697
US
Regular Price: $748
or
part of bundle
PRACTICAL DATA GOVERNANCE: IMPLEMENTATION
Available now at a great price
$499
US
I created this course with you as a customer in mind
As we live in a fast-paced world, the requirements from us, the data professionals, are growing. Treating data as an asset is essential and we are the agents to a future where everyone should understand this. Unfortunately, we often don’t have the leverage we need to cope with these challenges and a lot of what we do is considered as new territory. I know how you feel!
I dedicate my work in general, and this course, in particular, to save you time, to make you knowledgeable, to feel in-charge and feel confident in your deliverables. Throughout this course you will learn step-by-step how to implement a successful data governance program, or significantly improve your existing one. You will be ready to use the newly acquired knowledge in all your data governance endeavors.
Thanks for doing what you do! I’ll see you on the other side.
