Data custodian an IT role responsible for the structure of data fields, including database structures and models, and for management of the technical environment of data maintenance and storage.

Common job titles for data custodians are database administrator (DBA), data modeler and ETL developer [4].

People usually get confused between the roles of data stewards and data custodians. The simplest difference between these roles is that a data steward is responsible for the data content, context, and associated business rules, while a data custodian is responsible for the structure of those data fields including database structures and models [4][6].

The data custodian is seen as an IT role [1][14]. A data custodian manages the technical environment of data maintenance and storage [5]. The custodian is maintaining the data on IT systems in accordance with business requirements [10][15]. A data custodian deals with the movement (ETL), security, and storage of data [7].

A data custodian is responsible for: [4]

• Accessing data is authorized and controlled.
• Identifying Data Stewards for each data set.
• Sustaining data integrity with technical processes.
• Performing processes for data quality issue resolution in partnership with data stewards.
• Protecting data with technical controls.
• Checking if added data to data sets are consistent with the common data model.
• Maintaining versions of master data along with the history of changes.
• Applying change management practices to database maintenance.
• Auditing data content and changes.

Data custodian is an instance of a role.

A Data custodian is part of DQMS-element roles and responsibilities