It’s not like we haven’t been trying to get the CDMP bootcamp up and running in SA for a long time; but the amount of administration around it has been like an iceberg. You think there is just a small amount, but the deeper you dig the more you find.

After many months of work and lots of nagging and pleading and even begging, the first 5 students arrived at our chosen venue, Manor House in Midrand early on Monday morning, 23rd May 2011, all eager and ready to get certified by the end of the course.

I was also very eager, but a lot more scared than I let on. This was the first time in SA, the first time in Africa and MY first time giving a CDMP bootcamp. Although I’d spent the whole weekend preparing and getting sorted out, I had no real idea what to expect.

I didn’t even really KNOW any of the students, other than casually through DAMA SA meetings for some. Others I was meeting for the first time … and I was very nervous.

Luckily it turned out that I was nervous of my students for no reason. All 5 of them were as excited and nervous as I was and very eager to settle down to some work.

Gathering around for a cup of coffee or tea and some yummy muffins, we tentatively got to know each other. Which made it easier for me to assume the mantle of trainer.

It was much easier once we got started, because I did know what I was talking about – having done the CDMP myself, and also having been involved with DAMA since it’s inception in SA.

After a very long and quite intense morning, we broke for lunch and everyone relaxed over some really nice food. The group was mixing very well and everyone was getting along famously, with lots of teasing and laughing.

Which didn’t last too long as we started looking at some actual sample tests – then the stress and the sweating started. It got much worse when we discovered that two of the laptops didn’t have the right software installed and thus they could not run the exam tool. So there I was downloading Microsoft stuff via my iphone (I shudder to think of the account).

Muneer had a really great arraye of groans when a question hit his screen that he just didn’t get. Kobus translated everything into Afrikaans first, which slowed him down at first until he got into the swing of things. Magoshi complained that the questions were in English and not Sepedi, but then added that he only thought they were in English since he didn’t understand what they were asking at one stage. Masee sat quiet and intense, staring at his screen, almost trying to will the right answers to appear. Craig was the cool and calm one – on the outside that is. I think inside he was like jelly. Bravely however, he chose to write his first exam that same afternoon – and to our intense happiness, not only did he pass, but he aced it with a 70%.

That helped the others and there was a rush for the door to go home and study. Which meant that I had to be at the venue at 7-30am the next morning to set up their exams.

Tired and drained, but rather happy, I drove home, getting stuck in traffic on the way there – but that was fine, cos I used the time to call the DAMA SA Directors and give them the good news of our first pass.

Day 2 started bright and early with all but Craig taking their exam. Varying results, but Muneer’s comment was the highlight – “I passed, I’ll take it”.

The second day was easier as we all knew what to expect. AND, some of us had gone home to study the DMBoK – which meant that the DM Core which we were concentrating on made some sense.

About an hour was used up on discussing what a prime word and a class word meant in Metadata. We used the DMBoK, the DM Dictionary of Terms and “Google is your friend” but finally all came up with an agreed upon meaning for each. Luckily as it turned out, cos each got at least 2 questions in the exam.

After lunch we settled down again and got started on the DM Core. Once again Muneer gave us a concert of groans, and there were many comments along the lines of how hard this exam was, how difficult the questions were and in fact, what were the questions meant to say.

As a proctor I am not allowed to assist anyone with a question – one of my first sentences on the Monday had been “the trainer does NOT know all the answers”. But my sympathy went out to all the students as they struggled with various of the questions. The DM Core was definitely harder and the students managed to pass with varying degrees of success.

The earlier finish had everyone racing home to study even more, because Day 3 was about their specialty exam. We had quite a selection – Data Governance, Data & Information Quality and Data Warehousing. Sadly, there are no sample tests or supporting documentation for any of these exams, so it was harder to prepare.

Day 3 started with retakes of exams where people had not quite made it or wanted to better their marks. Silence reigned (give or take) for the almost two hours and ended in an explosion of relief for those who passed or improved.

A quick foray into what information could be used and the team (we were a team by then) settled down to play the DAta MAsters Board Game – a really great way to see what knowledge you REALLY have of your chosen topic. Magoshi ended up the winner with points galore and we broke for lunch.

After our last lunch together, we sat down, I set up the exams for all and then watched quietly as they worked on their last exam. Craig finished first and to his intense relief he had passed all 3 exams (very well I might add) and was officially the first CDMP to be certified in SA (we are waiting for approval from DAMAI/ICCP before he gets the letters after his name). Muneer had passed his third exam during the morning, but had decided to do the Data Warehousing Exam as well and convert that to a CBIP, making him the first CDMP/CBIP in Africa.

The afternoon ended well with most people passing and lots of smiles and laughter.

You guys were all great and made my first effort at a CDMP bootcamp a wonderful success. I will take into account all your comments. Hope that the next time we meet is for us to do a “train the trainer” course so that you can all go out and train the CDMP as well.