The term Data Management is an umbrella term for any activity that has to do with managing data as an asset.

Data Management is the development, execution, and supervision of plans, policies, programs, and practices that deliver, control, protect, and enhance the value of data and information assets throughout their lifecycles.

A Data Management Professional is any person who works in any facet of data management (from technical management of data throughout its lifecycle to ensuring that data is properly utilized and leveraged) to meet strategic organizational goals. Data management professionals fill numerous roles, from the highly technical (e.g., database administrators, network administrators, programmers) to strategic business (e.g., Data Stewards, Data Strategists, Chief Data Officers).^{(S. Earley, D. Henderson, 2017, p.17)}

Data is a business asset, while not tangible, it has value and can be managed.

Relatively, the Data Management industry is quite young. DAMA started in the 1980s, but the main practices and knowledge engineering has been happening in the last 1-2 decades. As DAMA states on the CDMP website¹⁾, Data Management aspires to attain:

• Maturity of the industry like accounting, medicine
• Globally recognised standards such as Project Managers have PMI and Prince and Service Managers have ITIL and ITIL certifications
• Common language – better quality methods and will improve ability to collaborate within the industry

The Data Management Wiki is an example of a method to advance the Data Management industry to attain these.

DAMA is a non-profit organization consisting of data experts who create concepts and practices concerning data management since the 1980s. DAMA published the DAMA Data Management Book Of Knowledge in 2009 and the revised version DAMA DMBOK2 in 2017. Since Data Management is a relatively new field in the world, good and well thought out content is sparse. The DAMA DMBOK2 currently gives us the best footing on understanding Data Management.

While the knowledge area's are divided in DAMA's fashion, the information itself is not exclusively from the DMBOK.

There are a limited amount of certifications available. While a certification is not required to practice Data Management, it could be beneficial to achieve them. See the separate Certifications entry.