Data governance is a discipline that helps organizations effectively manage their data. A data governance framework organizes and streamlines processes related to data collection, storage, and usage. Primary goal of governance is to achieve a proper balance of User empowerment, regulatory compliance and internal requirements.

Governance considerations and strategy

• Identify your Power BI Delivery Strategy -> There are three archetypes for controlling data access and reporting in business intelligence (BI) projects:

  



• Control Access with Tenant Admin Settings, Workspace Setup, and RLS -> In Power BI Administration, Setup for tenant settings should be focused on data governance. Who can export data, And to which tools, What are the data sensitivity labels, Who can create and access workspaces?.

Workspace/Apps Setup – Governing decisions

Set up Workspaces based on topics—Purchasing, Inventory Control, Receivables Management? Set up Workspaces based on departments—HR, Sales, Marketing? Have exec-level workspaces where tools from the department-based or topic-based workspaces get duplicated? Best strategy is to make workspace decisions policy-based and ensure transparency about how permissions are granted.

Row Level Security

RLS allows you to restrict data access for specific users with filters for roles, rules, and assignments. Identity the audiences within your organization and their data access needs. Define which data each audience can view or edit.

• Create audit logs for internal activity auditing and compliance -> Monitor actions taken in Power BI by other users in the organization. This setting must be enabled for audit log entries to be recorded.

  

Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) Integration

By using Azure AD APIs, Power BI can leverage advanced identity management and access control. This includes multi-factor authentication, conditional access policies, and identity protection services, enhancing the security of user authentication and access management.

Power BI REST API

This API allows for the automation of tasks in Power BI, like creating and managing datasets, reports, and dashboards. It can be used to integrate Power BI with other systems and automate workflows, ensuring consistent enforcement of security and compliance policies.