Master Data Management partner, eLearningCurve, has released and extended and updated Certified Data Steward (CDS) curriculum, reflecting the evolving and expanding role of the enterprise data steward. eLearningCurve,  is a highly regarded data training institute, delivering its internationally recognised programmes via elearning.

Data stewards are, typically, business staff that have been selected to lead the data programme for their business unit. They fill many important roles in data and information management – ranging from data strategy and policy management, to data privacy and protection, in addition to data quality management, and defining data context.

Ultimately, without developing a data steward’s data management skills and knowledge, it can be very difficult for them to understand what is expected of them. Many data governance programmes fail due to poor support for data stewards.

A data steward may need to know about metadata management, policy management, data quality management, data curating and cataloguing, data architecture, data privacy, business processes, facilitation, consensus building, issues management, and lots more.

eLearningCurve’s CDS programme provides the support and knowledge data stewards need to execute their jobs. This programme provides a standardised foundation for data stewardship, based on best practise, while also covering the broad scope of responsibilities required to meet this demanding role.

The value of the CDS programme is that it provides the opportunity for each data steward in your organisation to learn and expand their data management knowledge. Becoming a Certified Data Steward shows not only that these stewards have invested time and effort in acquiring this broad knowledge, but also that they are well qualified and motivated to take on the data stewardship responsibilities that are essential to the business.

Emerging data management trends, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning, data ethics and privacy, and data literacy have been included in elearningCurve’s updated curriculum, reflecting the needs of modern data governance.

New and updated courses include:

• Data Stewardship Fundamentals: Covering fundamentals of data stewardship: what the role comprises, what they do, what their responsibilities are, and what the key principles and practices of data stewardship are.
• Metadata management for data stewards: Covers a foundational understanding of techniques used for metadata management, data profiling and data modelling.
• Data Analytics for data stewards: Provides an overview of the many disciplines making up data analytics, from business intelligence to data science.
• Data Strategy for the age of big data: Covers the core principles of building a big data strategy to generate the business value and deep insights that an organisation needs to thrive in a competitive business environment.
• Data Privacy and protection fundamentals: Discusses the details of data privacy and protection and reviews the activities that go into supporting a data privacy and protection initiative.

The CDS package is the most time- and cost-effective way to earn CDS designation. It includes four CDS courses, covering the foundation one requires to function effectively as a data steward.

The CDS Ex Package covers the entire Data Stewardship Body of Knowledge in seven courses. Upon completion of this programme, individuals will know everything a data steward needs to know and earn a CDS Ex designation.

More information can be found at  https://www.masterdata.co.za/index.php/cds/data-stewardship-training