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What is a Data Governance Maturity Model? Levels & Assessment

Data governance maturity models explained: the maturity levels, how to assess your organisation, the key models (CMMI, IBM, DCAM), and how maturity is tested in the CDMP exam.

CDMP Master Academy·29 March 2025·9 min read

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Major Data Governance Maturity Models

ModelOwnerLevelsKey Feature
CMMI for DataCMMI Institute5Process capability focus; widely recognised
IBM DG Maturity ModelIBM511 governance categories; detailed assessment
DCAMEDM Council4Financial services focus; regulatory alignment
DAMA DMBOK MaturityDAMA International5Aligned to DMBOK knowledge areas; CDMP relevant
Gartner MDM MaturityGartner5Business value focus; practical assessment

Using Maturity Models in Practice

A maturity assessment typically involves: reviewing existing governance documentation, interviewing key stakeholders, assessing governance processes against the model's criteria, and scoring each capability area. The result is a maturity profile — a view of current maturity across all governance dimensions — and a gap analysis that identifies the most important areas for improvement.

CDMP Exam Relevance

Maturity models appear in CDMP questions about governance programme design and improvement planning. Key exam topics: the five maturity levels and their characteristics, the use of maturity models for assessment and roadmap development, and the principle that governance maturity must be built incrementally. The CDMP exam tests whether candidates understand that jumping maturity levels is not possible — each level must be built on the foundation of the previous one.

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