SF-Data-Arch Data Governance Practice Question
A healthcare organization is building a data governance program for its Salesforce org. The compliance officer wants a documented record of who owns each data domain, what the approved data definitions are, and how changes to those definitions are approved. Which artifact should the architect establish as the authoritative source for this information?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is selecting a technical artifact such as a report or validation rule that demonstrates data controls, when the requirement is for documented ownership, definitions, and approval authority.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
A data governance charter and data dictionary that define domain ownership, approved definitions, and the change-approval workflow.
The compliance officer is asking for documented accountability, agreed definitions, and a controlled change process. A governance charter defines the program's roles, decision rights, and approval paths, while a data dictionary records the approved definition and owner for each data domain. Together they form the authoritative governance reference that can be audited and maintained over time.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
A Salesforce report listing all custom objects and their record counts.
Why it's wrong here
A report of objects and record counts describes technical inventory and volume, not ownership, definitions, or change-approval processes. It provides no governance context about who is accountable for a data domain or what the approved meaning of a field is. This artifact answers a capacity or usage question rather than a governance question.
- ✗
A set of validation rules that enforce data entry standards on key objects.
Why it's wrong here
Validation rules enforce entry-time constraints but do not document ownership, definitions, or approval processes. They are a technical control, not a governance artifact, and they cannot explain why a standard exists or who may change it. The compliance officer needs documented accountability and definitions, which validation rules do not provide.
- ✗
An integration architecture diagram showing how data flows between Salesforce and external systems.
Why it's wrong here
An integration diagram illustrates data movement and system interfaces, which is useful context but does not capture domain ownership, approved definitions, or change-approval authority. It describes plumbing rather than governance. The compliance requirement is for documented accountability and definitions, which this artifact does not supply.
- ✓
A data governance charter and data dictionary that define domain ownership, approved definitions, and the change-approval workflow.
Why this is correct
A governance charter establishes the program's structure, roles, and decision rights, while a data dictionary documents approved definitions and ownership for each data domain. Together they provide the authoritative, auditable record the compliance officer requires, including how definition changes are proposed, reviewed, and approved.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every SF-Data-Arch question from scratch — 222 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Salesforce exam blueprint
This SF-Data-Arch practice question is part of Courseiva's free Salesforce certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SF-Data-Arch exam.