How to design a governance plan for Power Platforms
What is Power Platform governance?
Power Platform governance is the set of policies, processes, and procedures that an organization uses to manage the use of the Power Platform. It includes things like:
- Defining roles and responsibilities for users and administrators
- Setting security policies for data and applications
- Enforcing compliance with regulations
- Tracking and auditing usage
Why is Power Platform governance important?
Power Platform governance is important for a number of reasons, including:
- To protect data security and compliance
- To ensure that applications are developed and used in a consistent way
- To track and manage the cost of the Power Platform
- To make it easier to support and troubleshoot applications
What are the benefits of Power Platform governance?
The benefits of Power Platform governance include:
- Improved data security and compliance
- Increased consistency in application development and use
- Reduced costs
- Improved support and troubleshooting
- Increased user productivity
How to implement Power Platform governance
There are a number of ways to implement Power Platform governance. The best approach will vary depending on the specific needs of the organization. However, some common steps include:
- Define the organization's goals for Power Platform governance.
- Identify the key stakeholders who will be involved in governance.
- Develop a governance plan that outlines the policies, processes, and procedures that will be used.
- Implement the governance plan and monitor its effectiveness.
- Review and update the governance plan as needed.
Governance for different Power tools
The following are some specific governance considerations for different Power tools:
- Power Automate: Power Automate is a tool for automating workflows. Governance considerations for Power Automate include:
- Data security: Power Automate can access data from a variety of sources, so it is important to ensure that data is secure.
- Compliance: Power Automate can be used to automate tasks that are subject to compliance regulations. It is important to ensure that Power Automate is used in a compliant way.
- Auditing: Power Automate can be audited to track the use of workflows and to identify any potential security or compliance risks.
- PowerApps: PowerApps is a tool for building custom applications. Governance considerations for PowerApps include:
- Data security: PowerApps can access data from a variety of sources, so it is important to ensure that data is secure.
- Compliance: PowerApps can be used to build applications that are subject to compliance regulations. It is important to ensure that PowerApps is used in a compliant way.
- Auditing: PowerApps can be audited to track the use of applications and to identify any potential security or compliance risks.
- Power Virtual Agent: Power Virtual Agent is a tool for building chatbots. Governance considerations for Power Virtual Agent include:
- Data security: Power Virtual Agent can access data from a variety of sources, so it is important to ensure that data is secure.
- Compliance: Power Virtual Agent can be used to build chatbots that are subject to compliance regulations. It is important to ensure that Power Virtual Agent is used in a compliant way.
- Auditing: Power Virtual Agent can be audited to track the use of chatbots and to identify any potential security or compliance risks.
- Power BI: Power BI is a tool for data visualization and analysis. Governance considerations for Power BI include:
- Data security: Power BI can access data from a variety of sources, so it is important to ensure that data is secure.
- Compliance: Power BI can be used to visualize and analyze data that is subject to compliance regulations. It is important to ensure that Power BI is used in a compliant way.
- Auditing: Power BI can be audited to track the use of reports and dashboards and to identify any potential security or compliance risks.
Here is a sample Governance plan that you could start with :
Power Automate
- Policy: All Power Automate flows must be reviewed and approved by a designated approver before they are deployed.
- Process: The approval process for Power Automate flows should include a review of the flow's purpose, data access, and security settings.
- Procedure: The approval process for Power Automate flows should be documented and communicated to all users.
Power Apps
- Policy: All Power Apps must be reviewed and approved by a designated approver before they are deployed.
- Process: The approval process for Power Apps should include a review of the app's purpose, data access, and security settings.
- Procedure: The approval process for Power Apps should be documented and communicated to all users.
Power Virtual Agents
- Policy: All Power Virtual Agents must be reviewed and approved by a designated approver before they are deployed.
- Process: The approval process for Power Virtual Agents should include a review of the agent's purpose, data access, and security settings.
- Procedure: The approval process for Power Virtual Agents should be documented and communicated to all users.
Power BI
- Policy: All Power BI reports and dashboards must be reviewed and approved by a designated approver before they are published.
- Process: The approval process for Power BI reports and dashboards should include a review of the report's or dashboard's purpose, data access, and security settings.
- Procedure: The approval process for Power BI reports and dashboards should be documented and communicated to all users.
These are just a few examples of governance plans for the Power Platform. The specific policies, processes, and procedures that an organization implements will vary depending on its specific needs. However, by following these industry best practices, organizations can help to ensure the security, compliance, and efficiency of their Power Platform deployments.
In addition to the policies, processes, and procedures outlined above, there are a number of other things that organizations can do to implement effective Power Platform governance. These include:
- Creating a governance team: A governance team is responsible for overseeing the implementation and enforcement of governance policies and procedures. The team should include representatives from all levels of the organization, including IT, business units, and security.
- Providing training: All users of the Power Platform should be trained on the organization's governance policies and procedures. This training should help users to understand their responsibilities and how to use the Power Platform in a compliant way.
- Monitoring and auditing: The organization should monitor and audit the use of the Power Platform to ensure that it is being used in accordance with the governance policies and procedures. This monitoring and auditing should help to identify any potential security or compliance risks.
By implementing effective Power Platform governance, organizations can help to protect their data, comply with regulations, and improve the productivity of their users.
Conclusion
Power Platform governance is an important part of ensuring the security, compliance, and efficiency of the Power Platform. By implementing appropriate governance controls, organizations can protect their data, comply with regulations, and improve the productivity of their users.
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