What's a DMBOK?

DAMA International and the DAMA Foundation is developing A Guide to the Data Management Body of Knowledge (DMBOK© Guide) document (pronounced Dee-emm-bock). A DMBOK Editorial Board has been formed as a working committee to guide development of the DMBOK© Guide and related publications, including a DAMA Dictionary of Data Management. The Editorial Board includes participation from local DAMA chapter members. DAMA members have volunteered to contribute and review drafts.

The entire body of knowledge about data management is quite large and constantly growing. DMBOK© Guide will provide a definitive introduction to data management. It will present a standard industry view of data management functions, terminology and best practices, without detailing specific methods and techniques. The DMBOK© Guide will not attempt to be a complete authority on any specific data management function, but will point readers to widely recognized publications, articles and websites for further reading. The DMBOK© Guide will introduce valid alternative views and industry accepted approaches where clear differences of opinion exist.

The goals of the DMBOK© Guide are:
1. To build consensus for a generally applicable view of data management functions.
2. To provide standard definitions for commonly used data management functions, deliverables, roles and other terminology.
3. To identify guiding principles for data management.
4. To overview commonly accepted good practices, widely adopted methods and techniques, and significant alternative approaches, without reference to specific technology vendors or their products.
5. To briefly identify common organizational and cultural issues.
6. To clarify the scope and boundaries of data management.
7. To guide readers to additional resources for further understanding.

Audiences for the DMBOK Guide include:
· Certified and aspiring data management professionals.
· Other IT professionals working with data management professionals.
· Business data stewards at all levels.
· Executives with an interest in managing data as an enterprise asset.
· Knowledge workers developing an appreciation of data as an enterprise asset.
· Consultants conducting assessments of client data management functions and helping to implement and improve data management at these clients.
· Educators responsible for developing and delivering a data management curriculum.
· Researchers in the field of data management.

DAMA foresees several potential uses of the DMBOK© Guide, including:
· Informing a diverse audience about the nature and importance of data management.
· Helping build consensus within the data management community.
· Helping data stewards and data professionals understand their responsibilities.
· Provide the basis for assessments of data management effectiveness and maturity.
· Guiding efforts to implement and improve data management functions.
· Pointing readers to additional sources of knowledge about data management.
· Guiding the development and delivery of data management curriculum content for higher education.
· Suggesting areas of further research in the field of data management.
· Helping data management professionals prepare for Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP) exams.
· Assist organizations in their enterprise data strategy

The reference models for the DMBOK© Guide are the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) [1] document published by the Project Management Institute, and the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge (SWEBOK) [2] document published by the IEEE.

DAMA believes the DMBOK© Guide will be well received by managers, executives and the higher education community DAMA expects to publish the DMBOK© Guide in 2008.
[1] Trademark of the Project Management Institute
[2] Trademark of the IEEE