Frequently Asked Questions
QAC Assessments

What do QAC assessments look for?

- The Provisional Assessment confirms that the organization applying for membership in ICMCI (CMC-Global) is a proper body governed by proper persons. A proper body is a not for profit organization with formal, legal registration with the nation’s government with the mission to further professional, ethical consulting to manage. Its membership elects its governance team. The candidate member is the dominant organization for consulting to management in the nation, has viable financial support and has demonstrated it is promoting our profession.

The assessment confirms that the core governance team has the skills and experience to manage a certification process for CMCs, including appeals and ethical complaints. The governance team has a strategy to grow membership with actions plans in progress.

- The Full Membership Assessment, using the ICMCI CMC Certification Scheme Manual, confirms the candidate member can certify consultants as CMCs, with a governance structure, documented processes, and enough CMCs to serve on the Professional Certification Committee and Ethics Committee. The ICMCI Membership Committee advises QAC it is time to schedule the assessment. QAC notifies the candidate Member of the paragraphs in the ICMCI CMC Certification Scheme Manual with mandatory requirements to meet so CMCs certified by the Institute have reciprocity with other Institutes. This assessment is conducted at the Institute’s headquarters and detailed instructions are sent with the QAC invitation for the Full Assessment. The Lead Assessor observes a CMC candidate interview by the Institute’s examiners or interviews two recently certified CMCs.

- The Triennial Assessment repeats a Membership Assessment about every three years. For the two assessments following the last full membership assessment in-country, QAC usually uses the High Trust method, where the Institute in good standing only submits documentation that has changed since the last assessment and a report of actions taken from the previous assessment. A face to face discussion between the Lead Assessor and the Institute’s Leadership is conducted by video conference.

For the third Triennial Assessment,  QAC repeats the Full Members in-country assessment, including resubmission of all documents.

 What is the frequency of the QAC assessments?

QAC invites the Institute by email to have an assessment.

- The Provisional Membership Assessment is the first assessment. The Membership Committee notifies it has accepted the Provisional Membership Application and asks QAC to conduct this assessment.

- The first Full Membership Assessment is expected to occur within two years after the Provisional Membership Assessment.  The Membership Committee notifies it has accepted the Full Membership Application and ask QAC to conduct the Full Membership assessment.

- The Triennial Assessments occur every third year, usually two High Trust Assessments by video conference and then a repeat Full Membership Assessments at the Institute’s Headquarters.

In summary, every nine years, an Institute can expect two high trust assessment and one in-country full membership assessment.

What forms do you ask the Institute to update and documents to provide for a Triennial High Trust assessment?

If your certification, appeal, and disciplinary process have not changed since your last in-country assessment, just update your last Statement of Equivalence and Basics Facts. If a process document has changed, submit the new version.  If you had rectifications or recommendations in your last QAC Assessment report, please provide a summary of actions taken.  If you decide to not follow a recommendation, please explain your rationale. 

What are the costs related to the assessments?

The Provisional Membership Application and Full Membership Application fees cover the costs of these assessments.

From 2017 on, the cost of the Triennial Assessments is included in the annual institute fee.

How is the face to face part of the QAC assessment accomplished?

In a Full Membership Assessment, the Lead Assessor visits the Institute’s Headquarters. In a High Trust Assessment, the Lead Assessor meets with the Institute’s Leadership Team using video conferencing (like SKYPE).

What happens if we do not pass an assessment?

Normally the Lead Assessor in a written report identifies mandatory requirements that must be addressed, called rectifications. If an issue must be corrected immediately before ICMCI will confirm a CMC certified by the Institute has reciprocity in other Institutes, the Lead Assessor sets a time frame to take action.

Otherwise, action taken on a rectification is reported at the next assessment in three years.

Assessors also make recommendations to better align an Institute with the ICMCI CMC Certification Scheme Manual non-mandatory requirements in the future or suggestions on best practices seen elsewhere. At the next assessment, actions taken or deferred on recommendations are discussed.

An Institute can appeal a rectification identified by the Lead Assessor. The process is to notify the QAC Chair first and if that response is not acceptable, to notify the ICMCI Board via the Executive Director.

How long does an Institute have to complete an assessment? 

Most Institutes complete an assessment in the calendar year the QAC invitation is sent.

If an assessment is scheduled this calendar year and the Institute has not submitted the documentation and scheduled the face to face part by June 30th of the next year, QAC notifies the ICMCI Membership Committee that the Institute has failed to start the assessment.
 

Group content visibility: 
Public - accessible to all site users
Groups audience: 
- Private group -