Taskforce spreads the word about certification

Barry Curnow is to head the taskforce which is developing the Certified Management Consultant (CMC) qualification, under the umbrella of the International Council of Management Consultants Institutes (ICMCI).

Curnow, who is the past president of the Institute of Management Consultants, was made honorary secretary to the ICMCI at its biennial congress in South Africa at the beginning of October 1997. His appointment will be for two years.

“I am leading an international team of representatives in talking to the large corporate consulting practices about using the CMC qualification in their practices worldwide – everyone from Andersen Consulting through Hay Management Consultants to McKinsey,” said Curnow.

“The aim is to make the consulting practices certified training practices under the umbrella of the ICMCI, which will licence organisations to prepare people for the CMC qualification.”

Consultants will be assessed on their experience and knowledge of the management consulting industry, specialist disciplines, of how to run projects and how to manage client relationships.

Curnow hopes that the consulting practices will incorporate this competency model seamlessly into their training processes and programmes.

“The landmark decision in Cape Town is that the ICMCI has agreed to adopt a universal competency model of assessment, and it has adopted that as policy.”

He added: “The ICMCI has set up a taskforce to develop a model along UK lines.”

The taskforce, which will develop the syllabus and the exam systems in 1998, is also led by Curnow.

“The beauty of the competency model is that the standards do not change, but the evidence of what people have done can be very personal,” he said.

“My main task is spreading the word about the value of the CMC qualification in global consulting markets, at a time when clients are increasingly concerned about the standards. And obviously to get consultancies to sign up for it.”