Loretta Smith interviewed on ModernAnalyst.com

In January, Loretta Mahon Smith, CDMP, CBIP, a Data Architect at T. Rowe Price and member of our CDMP community was interviewed and featured on the ModernAnalyst.com site's Analyst Diaries. Loretta has been an active contributor to exam development and review of the CDMP exams. She promotes ICCP certification in this article and discusses the overlaps between business analyst and data analyst activities. Check out the article here.

DAMA-DMBOK is heading to the presses!

The long-awaited Guide to the Data Management Body of Knowledge went to the publisher on January 22, 2009. The plan is to launch it at Enterprise Data World in Tampa, April 5-9. The guide will be published by Technic Publications (Steve Hoberman's company), and will be priced at $54.95 U.S. currency, according to Deborah Henderson, the V.P. of Education for DAMA International. She also suggests that it be purchased in conjunction with the DAMA Dictionary of Data Management, which is $44.95 and currently available at Amazon.com.

This is a landmark publication for the data management profession. Over 150 experts in the field contributed to authoring, reviewing and editing this comprehensive guide. It will be a valuable resource for those preparing for certification and will serve as a framework for future certification exams and curriculum. Look for it at Enterprise Data World in April, and it will be available for pre-sale at Amazon.com soon. Stay tuned to this blog! As soon as it's available on Amazon, you'll find a link right here.

Free CDMP Webcast on Wed. January 21st!

Want to learn more about becoming a Certified Data Management Professional? Wilshire is holding a special webcast that explains the benefits, process and best study path.

The free 45min webcast is Wednesday, January 21st at 1pm Eastern (10am Pacific). It will be presented by Pat Cupoli, DAMA Liaison to ICCP.

Click here to sign up.

Why did you decide to get certified?

I recently posted this question on the CDMP LinkedIn discussion forum, and some interesting responses have been rolling in. The following was posted by Patrick McMullen, Data Architect at the Walt Disney Company (included here with permission):

Wizard of Oz: "Why, anybody can have a brain. That's a very mediocre commodity. Every pusillanimous creature that crawls on the Earth or slinks through slimy seas has a brain. Back where I come from, we have universities, seats of great learning, where men go to become great thinkers. And when they come out, they think deep thoughts and with no more brains than you have. But they have one thing you haven't got: a diploma."

From one company to the next, the degree of commitment to sound architectural principles and IT program management differs. The responsibilities / roles / job descriptions and job titles of data modelers, data architects, data analysts, etc. varies. Passing a series of standardized exams covering a wide range of data management best practices, and meeting the ongoing requirements for continuing professional development, offers potential employers assurance that a candidate possesses broad knowledge and experience in data management. Someone who patches together a few badly designed, poorly documented database tables lacking in referential integrity might claim to have performed "data architecture" on his resume. CDMP certification offers hiring managers the assurance that a candidate possesses real knowledge of Data Management best practices, and a level of commitment to professional development.

Given two individuals with similiar educational achievements - an individual with a diploma, and one who fell 3 credits short of earning a diploma - the individual with the diploma isn't noticeably smarter than his diploma-less counterpart, but that piece of paper will open doors that would otherwise be shut. If, at some point, you may wish to be hired, promoted or simply retained, it would be best to make it easy on management to justify your qualifications. All things being equal, I would rather be the candidate with professional certification.

Dorothy: "How can you talk if you haven't got a brain?"
Scarecrow: "I don't know... But some people without brains do an awful lot of talking... don't they?"

Linked In Membership Growing

I have been getting new member requests weekly, and we now have over 40 members of the CDMP LinkedIn group! There is even starting to be some discussion activity. If you are a Certified Data Management Professional or are actively pursuing certification, you are welcome to join. I hope that this community will grow and the discussions will become more active. Let others know that you are certified by joining the group!

Eva

7 more CDMPs earned at Seattle Bootcamp

Another successful CDMP Bootcamp was held in the Seattle area on October 30-31! This time it was at the Washington School Information Processing Cooperative (WSIPC) TEC center in Everett, right next to Boeing field. Two people came from out of town to join the bootcamp this year. Mona Pomraning came all the way from Texas! Theo Spanos drove up from Portland, also giving the Portland DAMA chapter one more CDMP. The DAMA-PS Chapter and Seattle area now has five new certified data management professionals: Past President Bill Hoke, Jeannette Rodin, John Parent, ChaiJen To, and Jay Gardner.

As always, it was exhausting, but also a great opportunity for data professionals to share knowledge and support each other in working toward a common goal of getting certified. Thanks to WSIPC for allowing the use of their beautiful lab for two days.

Online CDMP Exam Cram November 29 - 30

WEB604 - CDMP Exam Cram

Description: The Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP) is offered by the ICCP and DAMA International (www.dama.org

). This course prepares individuals to take the CDMP examinations. By attending this review session you can improve your likelihood of passing at the Expert/Mastery level by 30%. The CDMP at the Expert/Mastery level can also be used to qualify for the I.S.P. (www.cips.ca

) and also for the CBIP (www.tdwi.org

)

This course is offered virtually in a Webinar format using Elluminate. To register contact the ICCP office at 1-800-843-8227 or office@iccp.org.

TOPICS:
DAY 1:
1. Introductions and course goals
2. CDMP requirements, Test items, Skills-Gap Analysis
3. Item Writer's Guide - strategies to answer questions,
4. Information Systems Core (ISCORE) and related topics.
5. Data Management Exam (DM)

DAY 2: (Specialty Exams)
6. Data Warehousing Exam (DW) and Business Intelligence & Analytics (BIA)
7. Data and Information Quality Exam (DIQ)
8. Data Base Administration Exam (DBA) & Systems Development (SDV)
9. Associated Topics and Next Steps

Length: 2 days
Days: Saturday & Sunday
Time: 12.00pm-6.00pm (EST).
Participant Min: 4; Max: 12
Examinations: 1st examination - within 30 days of course completion.
Proctoring arrangements: USA: ICCP office; Canada: CIPS/PDIT (mjk at cips.ca

)
Registration: USA: contact ICCP office at office@iccp.org; Canada, contact CIPS/PDIT (mjk at cips.ca

)
Fees: USD$295 (reduced fees for ICCP holders and I.S.P. holders using this course for recertification credits - contact CIPS/ICCP office)
CEU Credits: 12 CECs (continuing education credits - 10 CECs = 1 college credit)
Materials: Once registered, you will receive USD$165 worth of course study and reference materials for your future needs.
Pay-if-Pass: For those individuals who register for these courses, you will be able to take the FIRST examination only on a “pay if you pass” basis if the exam is taken with the ICCP office proctoring the exam. Note: for the CDMP Practitioner level the pass rate is 50%.
Instructor: Pat Cupoli, CBIP, CCP, CDMP

The ICCP also has study materials available to purchase. If you go to the following link, http://www.iccp.org/iccpnew/materials.html

you will see the materials available. To order any study materials, you can either call the ICCP office at 1-800-843-8227 and order with a credit card or you can fax an order (fax number: 847-299-4280) or you can mail a check or money order to the ICCP office at 2350 E. Devon Avenue, Suite 115, Des Plaines, IL 60018.