DAMA-DMBOK2 vs DCAM® 2.2– which framework to choose?

The data management model and maturity model are choices that each company must make to implement data management. DAMA-DMBOK2 (Data Management Body of Knowledge, edition 2) by DAMA International and DCAM® 2.2 (The Data Management Capability Assessment Model) by the Enterprise Data Management Council are the most well-known and accepted data management frameworks, but they do have several differences and commonalities. To assist companies in making their choice between frameworks, I have already written a couple of articles covering the subject: “Choosing a data management model: DAMA-DMBOK2’’ and “Data Management & Data Governance 102: DAMA-DMBOK vs DCAM®.”

Three reasons have motivated me to write a series of new articles on this topic:

1. The poll results about the usage of different frameworks
2. A new version of DCAM® 2.2
3. New viewpoints to compare these two leading guides.

In this series, I will:

• Discuss the challenging results about the usage of different models
• Compare the data management metamodels of DAMA-DMBOK2, DCAM® 2.2, and TOGAF® 9.2
• Map the data management metamodels of DAMA-DBBOK 2, DCAM® 2.2, and TOGAF® 9.2
• Compare the approaches to assess maturity proposed by DAMA-DMBOK2 and DCAM® 2.2.

To perform these challenging comparisons, I will use the key diagrams of the ”Orange” model of data management.

Before diving into an analysis, I want to share my professional viewpoint on the usage of different models. The idiom “Every Jack has his Jill” expresses my opinion perfectly. Models are neither good nor bad. Each model serves specific needs and is applicable in specific contexts. This is the state-of-the-art task for every company choosing a model that fits the company’s needs.