Over the last few years, the CIM has increasingly used work-based projects in their professional qualification assessments.
Not only is this assessment very attractive to candidates and sponsoring employers, it poses a superb challenge for all of us who have to find ways to deliver these courses.
I regard myself as extremely fortunate to have what amounts to a virtual business coach forcing me to evaluate many aspects of our strategy and execution every six months.
Let me explain.
When CIM releases the new assessment briefs, we try to work through each task as a candidate would do.
Using the Marketers’ Forum as the subject company, the assessment briefs require us to research the latest thinking on key issues such as Corporate & Social Responsibility, Ethics, and even Leadership. We then have to evaluate our organisation in the context of what amounts to best practice. The analysis identifies gaps. Once these gaps have been prioritised, the tasks usually require us to develop solutions, plans and performance measurements.
Many organisations pay significant sums of money for consultants and coaches to pose similar challenges.
This makes the CIM Certificate, Diploma and Postgraduate qualifications a bargain for us, for candidates and sponsoring organisations alike.