Source Authority & Parity Control
This page answers two maintenance questions for the CDMP system:
- Which source controls a particular kind of claim or action?
- Which copies must agree when the same working guide exists in Drive, PDF, and GitHub?
It is a maintenance/control aid. It does not create new DAMA meaning.
Authority map
| Need / question | Controlling source | What it may control | What it must not override |
|---|---|---|---|
| DAMA/CDMP meaning for a chapter | Relevant DMBOK chapter PDF under Main 00A | DAMA terminology, concepts, roles, processes, distinctions | Cannot be replaced by Meridian examples, vendor docs, or borrowed study patterns |
| Chapter mastery structure | Main 00A — DMBOK Mastery Lab | Guided Learning, retrieval, exam practice, source-fidelity and Error Repair rules | Does not control the learner's cross-program sequence |
| Meridian company facts | Meridian Casebook under Main 00B | Company, systems, domains, personas, defects, incidents, stable IDs | Does not define DAMA/CDMP meaning |
| Applied-lab design and evidence | Main 00B control guides | Lab structure, evidence, QC, synthetic-data and implementation boundaries | Cannot invent chapter rules beyond the controlling DMBOK source |
| Technology depth and timing | Technology Competency Roadmap | What tool skill is needed, target depth and stop boundary | Does not redefine DMBOK concepts |
| Current software behavior | Current official vendor/project documentation | Installation, syntax, feature behavior and version-specific implementation | Does not define DAMA/CDMP exam meaning |
| Integrated learner order | Main 00C execution manual | What to do next, when to enter 00A/00B, evidence and DONE-WHEN gates | Does not replace the source meaning owned by 00A/DMBOK or implementation controls owned by 00B |
| Learner completion/status | Live 330-row Execution Checklist | First unfinished Sequence and learner progress | Migration status in GitHub is not learner completion status |
| Navigation | Main 00 — START HERE | Doorway to 00A, 00B and 00C | Does not control integrated execution |
| Structural inspiration | Borrowed/reference systems such as Northstar | Usability patterns, evidence discipline, learning structure | Never DAMA authority and never Meridian company truth |
The four main program areas
- Main 00 = doorway/navigation.
- Main 00A = DMBOK mastery and source fidelity.
- Main 00B = Meridian applied laboratory, technology/evidence implementation and QC.
- Main 00C = integrated learner execution order.
Do not confuse Main 00A with the internal 00A control folder inside Main 00B. The internal folder governs the companion laboratory only.
Parity rule
When an active working guide exists in more than one surface, keep the meaning synchronized:
- Google Doc — controlled editable source when the program uses a native working document.
- Companion PDF — formatted/read-only copy generated from that current source.
- GitHub working page — searchable/navigation layer, reorganized when necessary for browser use.
GitHub may split a large source into smaller pages or add navigation links, but it must not silently change the controlling meaning.
Parity verification checklist
Before closing a source-parity issue:
- [ ] Identify the controlling source and its current file ID/link.
- [ ] Verify the exact disputed statement in the current Google Doc or other editable source.
- [ ] Verify the companion PDF contains the same current meaning.
- [ ] Verify the GitHub working page uses the same architecture/rule.
- [ ] Remove stale maintenance warnings after all active surfaces agree.
- [ ] Keep superseded/duplicate material in the archive instead of linking it as current.
Verified architecture parity — 2026-08-15
The active 00A-01 — CDMP Applied Data Management Laboratory — Master Program Guide and its companion PDF were checked against the current GitHub architecture. Both correctly state that Main 00 is only the navigation doorway and Main 00C controls the integrated learner sequence across Main 00A and Main 00B.
That previously recorded parity warning is therefore closed.
Change discipline
If a future conflict appears, repair the active source first, regenerate or replace derived copies as needed, verify readback, and only then clear the maintenance warning. Do not 'fix' a derived page while knowingly leaving the controlling source wrong.