OMDDMS® is owned, maintained and published by OMDDMS Ltd, the governing body of the Standard. This page sets out how the Standard is developed, how changes are proposed and approved, and how each version is released to Accredited Training Organisations, certified Practitioners and the organisations applying it.
OMDDMS Ltd is the sole authority for the content of OMDDMS® and the Operating Model Design and Delivery Method (OMDDM). It decides what the Standard contains, when it changes, and what counts as conformance. Accredited Training Organisations deliver certification against the Standard; they do not change its content. Separating the body that sets the Standard from the organisations that teach it keeps the Standard neutral across every provider.
Individuals involved in developing OMDDMS® may also hold roles in an Accredited Training Organisation. Those interests are declared to OMDDMS Ltd and recorded before each review. Accredited Training Organisations review drafted changes for deliverability, but do not approve them. Approval of every change rests with OMDDMS Ltd.
Every change to OMDDMS® is tested against five principles.
Changes are driven by evidence from operating model design and delivery in practice, not by trend or preference.
Changes come from certified Practitioners, organisations applying the Standard, and feedback from every course delivered by an Accredited Training Organisation, because each applies the Standard under real conditions.
Where an established standard, method or framework already covers a discipline, OMDDMS® references it rather than duplicating it.
The content of a published version is fixed. Changes are released only as a new version.
Every published version is released with a summary of what changed and why.
OMDDMS® is reviewed every year. Changes follow a defined cycle, and none is published without passing through each stage.
Changes come from two sources: formal proposals and course feedback. Formal proposals come from certified Practitioners, Accredited Training Organisations, organisations applying the Standard, or OMDDMS Ltd, and state the problem, the evidence and the section of the Standard affected. Feedback is collected from every OMDDMS® course delivered by an Accredited Training Organisation. Proposals are submitted through the proposal form.
OMDDMS Ltd assesses proposals and feedback at each annual review for evidence, scope and impact on existing conformance. Each item is accepted for drafting, deferred or declined, with the reason recorded. Proposers are told the outcome after the review.
Accepted changes are drafted against the current version. Drafts identify every affected phase, Content Model element, Maturity Level and Conformance Criterion.
Drafts are reviewed by the Steering Group and by the Accredited Training Organisations, who test each change against delivery and assessment.
OMDDMS Ltd approves the final change and assigns a version number.
The new version is published, with a summary of what changed and why.
Accredited Training Organisations update course materials and examinations to the new version. For a major version, certification against the previous version remains valid until that version is withdrawn.
OMDDMS® uses a three-part version number. Each part signals the scale of change and what it means for those working to the Standard.
A structural change to the OMDDM, such as a change to its phases, Content Model or Conformance Criteria. Major versions are released every three to five years.
Each major version carries its own certification.New or revised guidance within the existing structure. Course materials are updated.
Existing certification and conformance are unaffected.Corrections, clarifications and reference updates.
The meaning of the Standard does not change.Version 4 was the first published version of OMDDMS®. Versions 1 to 3 were development versions and were not published.
Certification records the version of the Standard a candidate was assessed against.
OMDDMS® certification is awarded against a specific major version of the Standard and remains valid for the life of that version. When a new major version is published, new certification is required to hold the current credential.
A major version is withdrawn three years after its successor is published, and certification against it ends on that date. Examinations against the previous version close twelve months after the new version is published.
Each new major version is supported by a bridging course, offered through the Accredited Training Organisations to Practitioners certified against the previous version. The bridging course covers the changes between versions rather than repeating the full curriculum.
Five groups take part in developing OMDDMS®. One of them owns it.
Owns the Standard. Assesses proposals, approves changes and publishes each version.
Reviews drafted changes and advises on the direction of the Standard.
Collect feedback from every course, test changes against delivery and assessment, and bring forward issues raised by candidates.
Propose changes based on application of the Standard in live engagements.
Provide evidence of how the Standard performs in use.
OMDDMS® references established standards, methods and frameworks from ISO, ISACA, The Open Group and other bodies across eight disciplines. These references are re-verified at every version release. Superseded editions, renamed bodies and broken links are corrected as patch changes, and the date of the last check is shown on the Standards, Methods and Frameworks Referenced page.
A standard that is published once and left unchanged becomes a historical document. OMDDMS® is maintained so that organisations applying it, and candidates certified against it, are working to a method that reflects current practice, and can see exactly how and why it has changed.
Questions about ownership, review, versioning, and what a new version means for certification.
OMDDMS Ltd owns, maintains and publishes OMDDMS®. It is the sole authority for the content of the Standard and decides what it contains, when it changes, and what counts as conformance.
The Standard is reviewed every year, using formal proposals and feedback from every course. A new major version is published every three to five years.
Certified Practitioners, Accredited Training Organisations and organisations applying the Standard can submit a proposal through the proposal form. A proposal states the problem, the evidence, and the section of the Standard affected. Proposers are told the outcome after the annual review.
OMDDMS® uses a three-part version number. A major version (4.x.x) is a structural change and carries its own certification. A minor version (x.1.x) adds or revises guidance and does not affect existing certification. A patch (x.x.2) corrects or clarifies without changing the meaning of the Standard.
Certification remains valid for the life of the major version it was awarded against. A major version is withdrawn three years after its successor is published. Certified Practitioners can move to the new version through a bridging course offered by the Accredited Training Organisations.
No. Accredited Training Organisations deliver certification against the Standard and review drafted changes for delivery, but they do not change its content or approve changes. Approval of every change rests with the Governing Body.
Certified Practitioners, Accredited Training Organisations and organisations applying the Standard can submit proposals for consideration at the next annual review.