FAQS FOR CHAPTERS

  1. How would you describe the target audience for the CMP certification level?How many years of communications experience is required?

For the CMP, the minimum requirementis 6 years’ experience plus 2 years’ education OR 8 years’ experience; both with 40 hours of training. This is set out in the application and Candidate Handbook.

The target audience for CMP certification is likely to be an experienced generalist or specialist with a desire for formal recognition of their professional practice relative to an established global standard.

The Communication Management Professional certification program follows the Global Standard of six essential guiding principles for the communication profession developed by IABC. Candidates can orient themselves within the four career levels and define their career purpose as an additional way of determining whether they should apply for CMP certification.

  1. Should we be encouraging ABCs to take the CMP level certification exam or are the future level 3 or 4 exams more suitable for such communications professionals?

When certification to Strategic Advisor and Business Leader levels are available, they are likely to be more in line with those who have earned their ABC through the previous IABC program. The GCCC is not actively recruiting or marketing to ABCs with the current level.

Nonetheless, ABCs interested in their continuing professional development can also benefit from taking the certification exam. It is widely recognised that professional practice benefits from practitioners maintaining and updating their professional knowledge as the working environment changes and technology advances.

  1. Is the GCCC promoting the existence of the new certification to potential employers or procurers of communications services? If so, how? Are these activities and/or marketing material something that the IABC Chapters can leverage?

The initial focus is on telling the stories of the CMPs. We have brought this question to the GCCC Marketing Subcommittee.

Also, the GCCC publishes a register of certificate holders on its public website. Visitors to the website can see who holds a current certification.

  1. Is it expected that the various IABC Chapters independently promote the existence and value of the certification to potential employers or procurers of communications services? If so, what generic supporting materials are available from the GCCC, if any?

A media kit is under development. It is important to keep in mind that the GCCC must operate independently from IABC. But it would be helpful to have information on more specific requirements so these can be passed on to the Committee.

  1. Where is the best place to direct interested individuals for user-friendly advice and further information, for example, on how to prepare for the exam or what to expect? People in Chapters would rather contact someone in their Chapter/local area than use the “Contact IABC” option on the website which is rather impersonal.

The Candidate Handbook contains all the information you will need. Understanding that any form of examination process can be a bit daunting, we suggest that you talk with your Chapter leaders, in particular the board member responsible for Professional Development. It is important to keep in mind that the certification process is not an IABC process. It is currently administered by the GCCC Certification Program Manager with additional support from IABC staff.

As more people become certified you may also be able to contact a CMP in your area who can tell you how their professional development has benefited from certification. Currently there are 15 CMPs - from Australia, Canada, Fiji and the USA - and the number is growing. View the list.

  1. Given the development of the Strategic Adviser certification is likely to progress more slowly than members would like, should people be encouraged to get this first certification e.g. on the basis there is a view the CMP would hold any advanced standing/credit towards the next level certification when available i.e. can the CMP be an incentive for senior communicators waiting for the strategic adviser certification?

There should be no commitments given that CMP would hold any advance standing/credit towards the next level. The Council is reviewing many options including this one.

Senior communicators interested in their continuing professional development could, however, also benefit from taking the certification exam. It is widely recognised that professional practice benefits from practitioners maintaining and updating their professional knowledge as the working environment changes and technology advances.

It is useful to read what CMPs Priya Bates and Brad Whitworth have said about the benefits to any senior communicators considering CMP certification.

  1. Our local IABC Chapter is very interested in moving full steam ahead with CMP certification but the marketing materials to date have not been adequate to create the necessary excitement in our marketplace. Where have we got to in the process of preparing support material for Chapters? What is the timeline for development of global key messaging and resources to 'sell' the certification?In the interim, what messaging should local chapters be following?

The initial focus is on using the stories of the CMPs as the “sell”. We have brought your question to the GCCC Marketing Subcommittee who are working on both a timeline for this work and additional materials. As soon as that work is done, we will ask the IABC representatives on the Committee to inform Chapter leaders.

At the 2016 Leadership Institute, three CMPs presented to attendees for the purpose of better equipping Chapter leaders to talk about certification. So you should speak to the person from your Chapter who has attended LI if there is one.

  1. What is required from the local chapter perspective when they are hosting a certification exam? IABC Victoria would like to host one but we don’t know what is involved. We have to take into account timing of things like our Bronze Quill Awards as well as the Gold Quill Awards locally as well as fiscal year end in Australia which happens in June and summer holidays which means December- January is traditionally “down” time in the Southern Hemisphere.

IABC Chapters may submit a Request for Proposal to host the exam. Currently this can be obtained from Dr. Sara Fowdy, the GCCC Certification Program Manager (). The RFP describes what an exam site needs to plan for to host the exam. An exam site provides proctors. Training is required for proctors and provided by the GCCC. Each site signs and Exam Agreement with IABC (as the agent representing the GCCC for this purpose). Each proctor signs an agreement after completing training. Currently the months of April and October are identified as dates for remote exam site administration. The Exam is also offered at the site for the IABC Leadership Institute and the IABC World Conference requiring a separate registration. Exam Registration is only open to approved candidates and may not be included as part of a conference or meeting package.

  1. We understand that those who attain certification should accrue CPD hours/points from various activities including events. What light can you shed on this as regards a particular standard or check list that our PD Chairs need to follow when pulling event programs together to ensure that these meet a standard?

The GCCC CMP candidate handbook provides the following table describing CPD activities and points.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTCATEGORY / POINTSAWARDED
Appropriateprofessionalreading (books or journals) / Five(5)points each for articlesor journal chapters, ten (10)points each for books
Attendanceatrecognizedtraining or a courseof study related tocommunication / Ten (10)pointsper 8 hoursattendance toalimit of twenty 20 pointsper event or course
Attendanceatorganized professionaleventsrun by a recognized association / Five(5)pointsperevent under four hoursand ten (10) pointsthereafter toa limit of twenty (20)points per event
Developing the skills of another communicator through aformalized teaching, coaching or mentoring program(excluding line management responsibilities) / Ten (10)points
Participation in aleadership rolefor aprofessional communication association (e.g. serving asaboard or committeemember for an association that isa memberof the Global Alliance) / Ten (10)pointsper association (multiple pointswillnotbeawarded for sitting on multiple committeesandboardswithin the sameassociation)
Conduct or publish originalresearch / Twenty (20)points
Contribution tothe workof thecouncil, suchas through invigilation of exams, undertaking promotionalspeaking opportunities, or helping draft or grade exams / Ten (10)pointsavailable per annum

The GCCC has designated IABC to offer and manage a CPD scheme. The third column in the CPD table below identifies the IABC scheme. Chapter events and leadership are included.

GCCC Published Information / From IABC
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CATEGORY / POINTS AWARDED / IABC Recommended Offerings
Appropriate professional reading (books or journals) / Five (5) points each for articles or journal chapters, ten (10) points each for books / IABC publications and CW articles
Attendance at recognized training or a course of study related to communication / Ten (10) points per 8 hours attendance to a limit of twenty 20 points per event or course / IABC Academy Online Workshops = 1 point per hour.
Chapter training programs with certificates of completion/attendance = 1 point per hour
Attendance at organized professional events run by a recognized association / Five (5) points per event under four hours and ten 10 points thereafter to a limit of twenty (20) points per event / IABC World Conference = 10 points per day up to 20 points for full conference
IABC Regional Conferences = 10 points per day up to 20 points
Developing the skills of another communicator through a formalized teaching, coaching or mentoring program (excluding line management responsibilities) / Ten (10) points / Serving as IABC Academy Online Workshop Facilitator = 10 Points
IABC Face-to-Face Workshop (minimum of 4 hours instructional time), international, regional, or chapter level
Gold or Silver Quill Evaluator = 5 Points
World Conference speaker
Webinar presenter or CW author
3 to 5 Points
Participation in a leadership role for a professional communication association (e.g. serving as a board or committee member for an association that is a member of the Global Alliance) / Ten (10) points per association (multiple points will not be awarded for sitting on multiple committees and boards within the same association) / IABC Board or Committee Member. IABC Chapter Leader
Conduct or publish original research / Twenty (20) points / Conduct research under an IABC Foundation grant
Gold Quill Awardee 5 Points (Based on amount of time required to submit an entry)
Contribution to the work of the council, such as through invigilation of exams, undertaking promotional speaking opportunities, or helping draft or grade exams / Ten (10) points available per annum / 10 points for serving on the GCCC. 5 points for serving on Exam development or Exam maintenance teams.

No category may account for more than 60 percent of a certificate holder’s professional development.

CMP maintenance is self-reporting and an honor system. CMP maintenance will be randomly audited in compliance with ISO standards.

  1. How can we market this certification to employers? Is it possible to have the GCCC draft a justification letter as the IABC do for World Conference?

It is a good suggestion. The Council should provide this. There is a Value of Certification draft file posted in Basecamp (last October) as a starter.

  1. How can chapters ‘safely’ promote this certification? I.e. what are the consistent messages we should be using?

Promotion must follow ISO standards, including defining the GCCC separate from IABC.

  1. From a PD perspective, is there a matrix of existing courses that we can share with members who are considering preparing for CMP certification?

Like the GCCC, the IABC Academy is a new initiative. The Academy is currently revising course categories in order to reflect how previous, current, and future offerings are aligned to the domains of the Job Task Analysis and the certification program. A revised matrix is under development. Academy courses do help to meet the training hour requirement in the CMP application and the training points allowed in the CPD scheme.

If an application to the program is approved it is implied that the candidate has the requisite skills, knowledge, and experience to sit for the exam with little to no additional preparation.

FAQS FOR INDIVIDUALS

  1. How would you describe the target audience for the CMP certification level? How many years of communications experience is required?

For the CMP, the minimum requirement is 6 years’ experience plus 2 years’ education OR 8 years’ experience; both with 40 hours of training. This is set out in the application and Candidate Handbook.

The target audience for CMP certification is likely to be an experienced generalist or specialist with a desire for formal recognition of their professional practice relative to an established global standard.

The Communication Management Professional certification program follows the Global Standard of six essential guiding principles for the communication profession developed by IABC. Candidates can orient themselves within the four career levels and define their career purpose as an additional way of determining whether they should apply for CMP certification.

  1. If someone takes this initial CMP examination, would they have to pay another $500.00 for a level 3/4 examination again or only $100 more to take another higher level exam once they are offered?

For CMP certification, there is a $100 fee for each exam registration.There is likely to be an additional fee but this has yet to be determined. It is a discussion item for the Council.

  1. When will the other examination levels be available for the taking? Will all the other 3 levels be available at once or will they be phased in one at a time? If so, in what order and when?

The Strategic Advisor level is tentatively set for availability in 2017. Achieving ISO accreditation is the next priority afterwards. Market research will help to determine the demand for the other proposed levels. Phasing in one at a time remains the working strategy.

  1. How would you explain the examination preparation need to an interested, potential CMP examination candidate? Are there particular communications reference books/articles that one should recommend candidates read as preparation? Are there 'sample examination questions' available for review before taking the examination? If so, how does one access those? Is it advisable to encourage to set up study groups?

The application is the first step in demonstrating the knowledge and experience required to successfully apply for and take the exam. The Job Task Analysis, contained in the Candidate Handbook, contains specific domains to focus on. There are sample questions available in the Candidate Handbook, which is available on the GCCC webpage.

  1. Is the CMP examination a pass/fail only or are grades given? Will this be the same for all examination levels?

The exam is a pass/fail. If a candidate fails the exam, they do receive feedback with their grade and the domains in which they were deficient. The GCCC anticipates it will follow the same process for other exams.

  1. Will all examinations be multiple choice only? Yes, they will be multiple choice only.

The CMP exam is multiple choice. The GCCC anticipates following the same process for other exams.

  1. What are the key steps communicators interested in certification should take?

Interested communicators should:

Read what is on the GCCC website about CMP including the CMP graduate profile section.

Read the Candidate Handbook to ensure that they are able to meet the requirements for application.

Check the CMP website for upcoming exam dates. If they do not see a site accessible to them, they may wish to contact GCCC first for more information.

Be prepared to describe their education, training and experience and provide the required supporting documentation. Apply to the certification programhere.

Having completed the application, upload it and pay the application fee here.

  1. In the event of an exam fail (assuming a 50% pass mark), is there any pathway for a review/resit? Do they pay again?

The exam result is reported as “pass” or “fail,” not with a percentage or numerical grade. Candidates who fail the exam will receive a report showing how they performed in each category to help them prepare to attempt the exam again. Candidates who fail the exam are eligible to retake it for an additional $100.

Successful candidates will not receive a performance report.

Candidates who fail a second attempt must wait a minimum of six months before a third and final attempt.

Candidates who fail may ask to have the result checked (this is called manual verification). This request must be received, along with required feeswithin 60 days of receipt of exam results.

  1. When will the certification be ISO certified?

The ISO accreditation process can take several months after the application is submitted. A program must be in operation for two years before application to ISO can be made. Based on the program launch, April 2017 is the earliest date to apply. However, application will most likely occur after the second level is launched and exam performance data is available.