Executives sponsor a data governance kickoff then disappear from subsequent forums. Which success factor is missing?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
Showing up for the photo and vanishing for the hard meetings is kickoff theater. Programs need bosses who keep showing up—removing blockers, backing policies, funding stewardship time. Sponsorship is a marathon, not a ribbon.
Full Explanation
Visible, ongoing executive sponsorship that continues after launch is a critical success factor for municipal data governance. When executives sponsor a kickoff then disappear from subsequent forums, the program loses authority to resolve conflicts and secure steward time across departments. Treating one-time kickoff theater as sufficient sponsorship for multi-year programs predicts stalled decisions and cynical staff. Replacing executives with automated chatbots for all future decisions fails accountability and public-sector duty of care. Keeping sponsorship secret so staff are not influenced by leadership removes the very signal that legitimizes tough trade-offs. Exam caveat: sponsorship can rotate among deputies if continuity and escalation authority remain clear; silence is the failure mode. Operational check: publish a sponsorship calendar with named executives for quarterly forums, track attendance, and escalate empty chairs to the city manager when decisions stall. Council and city-manager offices should treat DG forum attendance as part of digital and service accountability, and meeting minutes should record which sponsor decisions unlocked steward capacity for the coming quarter.