AMCOR CMC PACK



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Certified Management Consultant

CMC

Application PACK

Coordinator: Sorin CAIAN

CMC PACK

The CMC is a competency-based qualification. You are required to produce sufficient, relevant and timely evidence of your competence as a management consultant. You should be able to prove an important consulting experience and also demonstrate a strong will for continuous professional development. You have to strictly abide the Consultant Code of Conduct.

In order to apply for this international certificate you have to:

1. contact IMC-Ro and ask about CMC Application Pack

2. check if you fulfill the pre-requisite (please see the next page)

3. check when will be held the next round of examinations

4. prepare a complete application package and sent it to IMC-Ro for a preliminary review.

You will receive an answer on conformity.

5. if the answer is positive you may register for the next examination session, else you will be advised to prepare better your application

Only the consultants with proper applications and who will pass the examination interview will receive the certificate -Certified Management Consultant.

All the consultants certified as CMC by IMC-Ro have to be recertified at every 2 years, according to the IMC-Ro procedures.

The content of the CMC PACK is:

A. Pre-requisites

B. Assessment

1. Assessment Overview

2. Assessment Requirements

C. CMC Standards

D. Presentation and Cross-referencing

Appendices:

Application Package Checklist

Application Form

CV recommended model

Referees Form

A) The following pre-requisites are mandatory:

Experience - Three years in management consulting

Education - Recognized degree or professional qualification or additional five years in management consulting in lieu of a degree

Time spent - 1200 hours in active management consulting per year, during the three qualifying years over the preceding five years and currently active in management consulting

Independence - Employee of a firm member of AMCOR which has successfully passed the national accreditation system

B) Assessment

Assessment Overview

1 Your application will consist of the following documents (please see attached application package checklist):

1. an Assignment Study (see details in section 2.1)

2. a Professional Record and client references (see details in section 2.2)

3. administrative documents (see details in section 2.3)

3 The presentation of these documents is important. You must ensure that you

4. cross-reference the material in your Assignment Study against the CMC Statements of Competence (examples of how to do this are in section D)

5. cross-reference the material in your Professional Record against the CMC Statements of Competence (examples of how to do this are in section D)

6. present the documents in acceptable paper or electronic formats. If you are submitting your documents electronically (via email or CD), they must be formatted in Microsoft Word 2000. Take care that the documents’ pagination will not corrupt when loaded onto another machine.

4 The documents are assessed, and if successful you are asked to register for an interview examination

5 You are then invited to the Interview Panel (please see section 2.4), at which you will:

7. make a short presentation on your Assignment Study

8. expand on, and corroborate, the evidence provided in the Assignment Study and Professional Record

6 After the interview you will

9. either receive a letter confirming that you are now a CMC

10. or receive an Assessor’s Report stating which areas require further evidence if you need to make a new application. You will pay another assessment fee.

1. Assessment requirements

1. Assignment Study

Your Assignment Study is based on an assignment which you have successfully carried out within the last three years, should be typical of your work during that period and should draw out your full range of strengths as a management consultant.

1. The assignment study should

1. be written in the first person

2. make absolutely clear which aspects of the assignment were carried out by you and which (if any) by other consultants and support staff

3. be about 3000 words long

2. The assignment study must include

1. a summary of the client brief

2. a clear and detailed analysis of the assignment

3. a reflective commentary describing the outcome of the assignment, identifying major successes or difficulties and the learning opportunities gained

4. a link between the internal aspects of the work with the external elements: socio, technological, economic and political (PEST) (see section 8d)

5. cross-referencing with the CMC Statements of Competence and other requirements e.g. PEST / professional specialism portfolio

6. you may wish also make reference to research sources, showing how external materials have been used in reaching conclusions.

3. To sum up, your submission must fully integrate the four areas of competence, knowledge and understanding:

1. management consultancy

2. management

3. professional specialism

4. political/economic/socio/technical awareness

The text of the Assignment Study must be clearly cross-referenced against the CMC standards, and ideas for cross-referencing are in section E.

It may be helpful to think of it as the primary source of evidence which is supported by the broader range of evidence within the Professional Record.

2. Professional Record and client references include:

1. An up-to-date CV + copy of identity card (please see the attached recommended format for the CV). The CV will include all relevant data (whole career Professional Record)

2. Summaries of consultancy assignments. You should list short descriptions of your last three years assignments (2 pages)

3. Evidence of ongoing training and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) (relevant ones)

4. Evidence of academic and vocational qualifications

5. 3 copy of contracts with clients will be attached to the application (if necessary, you may remove the confidential details -ex: the payment structure-, but it should remain very clear the parties involved in the contract, the agreed mission, the date of the contract). The contracts have to refer to the last three years missions

6. Reflections on what has been learned from an assignment (2 pages document)

7. Details of three independent referees (please see the attached Referee Form). You should also attached 3 written references, corresponding with the one filled in the Referees Form

3. Administrative documents consist of:

1. Application Form (please see the attached Application Form)

2. Evidence of payments

1. The administration and processing fee

2. The examination fee

The Assessment Interview. The Assessment Interview takes one hour.

1 Making a presentation on the subject of the Assignment Study. You will be asked to give a 10 minute presentation to the panel which consists of the Assessor and one or two Panellists, all of whom who are CMC qualified Management Consultants. This is your opportunity to emphasize the most important aspects of your Assignment Study, drawing particular attention to what was learned from this assignment. It is expected that you will use visual material to support your presentation. You should prepare your presentation, with visual support, to draw out the salient points of your Assignment Study. View this presentation as if you were making a presentation to a client. It should be in the region of 10 minutes and the Assessor may stop you if this is exceeded.

2 Questioning on the Assignment Study. The next 20 minutes of the interview will focus on the Assignment Study and related presentation. The aim of the questioning is to corroborate the evidence you have presented in both written and oral forms, and to ensure that the assignment has afforded you scope for learning at the appropriate level. The Assessor and Panellist(s) may probe any aspect of your documentary evidence. It is essential that you are fully conversant with all of the paper evidence which has been presented. The questions will not, however, be concerned with minutiae or designed to catch you out.

3 Questioning about the Professional Record. The final 30 minutes of the Assessment Interview will focus on the evidence presented in your Professional Record. The aim of the questioning is to corroborate the evidence which has been presented in the Professional Record, and to determine the stage of professional self-development you have attained. During this part of the Assessment Interview, you will be asked questions about the Continuing Professional Development aspects of the Professional Record, as well as if you are willing to abide by the IMC Code of Professional Conduct in full.

4 Continuing Professional Development (CPD). You will be asked about the CPD records given as evidence, and may be asked about CPD plans for the coming year.

5 Professionalism, quality and ethics. The Assessor will ask you if you are willing to abide by the AMCOR Code of Professional Conduct and the AMCOR Ethical Guidelines.

6 Appeal. If you wish to appeal against a decision, you should write to the Head of Professional Development outlining your reasons for the appeal.

C) CMC Standards - Statements of Competence

Applicants for the CMC qualification must satisfy AMCOR of their competence, knowledge, awareness and understanding within four areas:

Management Consultancy competencies

Management competencies

professional specialism - prior qualifications and/or prior experiential learning

socio/technological/economic/political awareness (STEP)

Some Standards appear in both the Consultancy and Management Competency lists below. This is quite deliberate, and applicants should note that the evidence required to satisfy the Standards within these two contexts is likely to be quite separate.

With particular regard to consultancy competence, applicants should note that that if their work does not involve them in management implications or in the interface with client management, they would not qualify for the CMC.

IMC has called on the MCI Management Consultancy Occupational Standards, the MCI Senior Management Standards and Personal Competency Model, and IMC’s own Body of Knowledge and Experience as sources for these CMC Standards.

C- I Consultancy Competences

You are asked to provide evidence for as many of the statements as you are able to and which are relevant to your consultancy work (ideally, you should be able to provide evidence for each statement). If you are unable to provide evidence for any of the consultancy competences, you must explain briefly why they have not been addressed.

| |Consultancy Competences |

|C1 |How you market and sell your consultancy services |

|C2 |How you approach new clients and develop mutual understanding with a potential client about the possibilities for an appropriate |

| |intervention |

|C3 |How you assure the client of your integrity and competence as a consultant and define your specialisms |

|C4 |How you apply appropriate diagnostic tools to determine the client’s current position |

|C5 |How you ensure that the client shares your perception of their situation |

|C6 |How you scope the intervention |

|C7 |How you prepare a proposal for a client |

|C8 |How you present your proposals to a client |

|C9 |How you determine the potential of each option with the client, whilst ensuring that you (or your practice) are able to deliver |

| |everything suggested within each option |

|C10 |How you conclude the negotiation with the client and how the details of the agreement are recorded |

|C11 |How the contractual arrangement and fee basis are agreed with the client |

|C12 |How you implement the agreed intervention and manage the client’s expectations according to the agreed plan |

|C13 |How you build on the initial rapport created with the client to produce a professional working relationship throughout the term of|

| |the assignment (and ongoing if appropriate) |

|C14 |How you identify suitable and accurate sources of information, and the methods of obtaining it |

|C15 |Your ability to make a clear and appropriate analysis of information which is used in the decision making process within a |

| |consultancy context |

|C16 |Your ability to select and put into place suitable systems for recording, storage and retrieval of information within a |

| |consultancy context |

|C17 |How you advise, educate and inform colleagues and clients on the basis of your analysis of information within a consultancy |

| |context |

|C18 |The use of appropriate techniques to manage financial resources within a consultancy context |

|C19 |How you plan the use of physical resources with the client to meet the objectives of your assignment |

|C20 |How sufficient and appropriate consultancy hours can be made available to fulfil the requirements of the intervention |

|C21 |How you would ensure sufficient client staff resources with appropriate skills to meet the objectives of your assignment |

|C22 |How you introduce, plan and control change management with a client |

|C23 |How you resolve conflicts within the parameters of an assignment |

|C24 |How you explain, establish and monitor the systems, processes and methods necessary for completion of the intervention |

|C25 |How you ensure that all of the assignment’s objectives have been met in full |

|C26 |The process by which you enable your client to take ownership of the developments which you have introduced in the intervention |

|C27 |How you assess your own performance during the assignment |

|C28 |How you manage your time within the assignment |

|C29 |How you manage withdrawal from the client |

C-II Management Competences

| |Management Competences |

|M1 |Your ability to make effective and appropriate contributions to meetings and to understand when leading a meeting or making a |

| |contribution to a meeting is the more appropriate role to adopt |

|M2 |Your ability to select and put into place suitable systems for recording, storage and retrieval of information |

|M3 |Your ability to make a clear and appropriate analysis of information which is used in the decision-making process |

|M4 |How you advise, educate and inform colleagues and clients on the basis of your analysis of information |

|M5 |How you motivate and develop staff |

|M6 |How you plan and implement the development of a business |

|M7 |The use of appropriate techniques to manage financial resources |

|M8 |How you obtain and plan the use of physical resources |

Guidance

C-I Activity Descriptors

The Activity Descriptors offer an indication of the work practices you should be undertaking at CMC level, and are presented for each consultancy and management competence.

| |Consultancy Activity Descriptors |

|C1 |Operating within a network of contacts; Undertaking appropriate promotional activity for the profession |

|C2 |Clients appreciate the professionalism of the interaction and concur with the process used |

|C3 |Adherence to IMC ethical guidelines |

|C4 |Access to an extensive range of tools; Ensures appropriate selection |

|C5 |Derives statements of need and benefits in the presence of the client |

|C6 |Defines the scope of the exercise in a way which helps the client to maintain control and ensures that affected areas are included|

|C7 |Prepares proposals in the form required by the client and with no ambiguity |

|C8 |Makes proposal a compelling argument |

|C9 |Normally produces the full list of available options |

|C10 |Regularly negotiates with clients to their satisfaction without committing the consultancy to impossibilities or unprofitable work|

|C11 |Always operates to the terms of the contract with the client; Ensures due recording and authorisation of changes to the contract |

|C12 |Adjusts the intervention interactively with events and the client; Never promises what cannot be delivered |

|C13 |Builds on the client needs to achieve appropriate relationship with client |

|C14 |Makes efforts to gather information when sources are not forthcoming |

|C15 |Uses correct analysis tools for decision in question |

|C16 |Understands need for changed management information requirements as assignment progresses |

|C17 |Uses influencing skills to persuade of correctness of analysis |

|C18 |Provides accurate forecasts of resource usage and expenses on projects; Aware of the financial implications of an individual |

| |assignment on the consultancy |

|C19 |Works from requirements to available resources; If none suitable works with client to determine if alternative staffing |

| |requirements can meet client objectives |

|C20 |Setting specific times for all activities |

|C21 |Define needs in terms of competencies |

|C22 |Understands advantages and deficiencies of several change management approaches. Can pick and choose from tool kit of approaches |

| |to match the needs of the client |

|C23 |Makes a rational decision based on the client’s priorities |

|C24 |Uses appropriate and fitting methodological approach |

|C25 |During the assignment periodically ascertains progress towards meeting the assignment objectives |

|C26 |Develops drafts with the client |

|C27 |Actively seeks constructive comments from clients and fellow consultants through the assignment |

|C28 |Manages time in close communication with client staff and own staff on the assignment |

|C29 |Periodically reviews the correctness of remaining with the client |

| |Management Activity Descriptors |

|M1 |Attends meetings with clear concept of how to behave and contribute to meet own objectives |

|M2 |Works from client needs to picking information service approach |

|M3 |Understands background and purpose of analysis |

|M4 |Presents analysis as a logical narrative, supported by the evidence |

|M5 |Tailors the advice to the attitudes and circumstances of the recipient |

|M6 |Competent interim manager of a business including performing necessary business improvement |

|M7 |Competent in financial management competent; Able to fulfil financial responsibilities of a line manager with devolved financial |

| |management |

|M8 |Accurately predicts resource requirements |

Generic Level Descriptors

The Generic Level Descriptors offer an indication of the complex intellectual activities you should be undertaking, at CMC level, which underpin the activities associated with the competency statements listed above.

You are not expected to produce evidence demonstrating your achievement of these competences, but you are expected to use them as indicators of the level and scope of intellectual activity in which you are engaged.

The five fields within the descriptors are:

1. Complexity and responsibility

2. Scope

3. Thinking and understanding

4. Investigation and evaluation

5. Innovation and originality

A description of each field is followed by the indicated CMC level, with interpretation notes ending each section.

|Complexity and responsibility |

|Description |

|This concerns the level of complexity you are dealing with and what you are personally taking responsibility for (which can be different from|

|the responsibility expected in your job) |

|Complexity and responsibility relate to factors such as: |

|the number of variables you are engaging with and the complexity of interrelationships between them |

|the criticality of your actions |

|the breadth and depth of impact for which you are taking responsibility |

|the extent to which you are engaging with issues outside the immediate context |

|the extent to which you are addressing divergent issues |

|CMC level |

|Full responsibility for methods, actions and immediate and wider impacts which extend beyond the immediate area of practice |

|Developing thought-through courses of action which take into account issues beyond the immediate area of practice |

|Working effectively in problematic contexts containing value-conflicts and uncertainties which extend beyond the immediate area of practice |

|Interpretation |

|Complexity and responsibility relate to how the learner engages with a situation, not to the situation itself. For instance, a worker in a |

|straightforward job may be demonstrating a high level of complexity and responsibility by going outside the job demands, while someone in a |

|‘high level’ job need not be engaging with it in a way which demonstrates a high level of complexity or responsibility. |

|Scope |

|Description |

|This is about whether you are for instance working within a closely-defined situation or considering wider implications and impact |

|Scope issues include |

|whether you are operating within close constraints, or ‘outside the box’ where you are dealing with wider systems implications, divergent or |

|complex issues, and are setting the parameters of your action |

|ethical, value-based and environmental/contextual issues will be reflected in ‘scope’ as relevant to the situation |

|CMC level |

|Understanding alternative implications of different issues and courses of action |

|Understanding and managing dilemmas and value-conflicts |

|Understanding and acting on interrelationships between wider systems in which the area of practice is located |

|Interpretation |

|As with ‘complexity and responsibility’, scope relates to your approach and actions, not to the context directly |

|Thinking and understanding |

|Description |

|This refers to the level of thinking and understanding you are using in analysing information, pulling information together and making |

|decisions about what you are doing |

|This field is essentially concerned with understanding and thinking in relation to practice. It is based on level increasing with factors |

|such as |

|development and testing of personal theories and mental models |

|responsibility for evaluation |

|questioning of taken-for-granted assumptions |

|critical and creative, as opposed to purely technical, thinking |

|synthesis and interpretation |

|acceptance of, and engagement with, divergence, lacunae and sticking points |

|CMC level |

|Using mastery of knowledge relating to, and extending into the wider context of, the area of practice |

|Developing and critically evaluating a range of practical theories, ideas and models, including to overcome dilemmas and finding ways forward|

|in problematic situations |

|Researching, analysing and evaluating information to identify interrelationships between wider systems in which the area of practice is |

|located |

|Interpretation |

|Thinking and understanding need to be related to practice. In a work-based learning context, theory-in-use or thinking-for-action is as |

|important as espoused theory. |

|Particularly where intuitive and tacit understandings are involved, they may be evidenced through action rather than explanation, although in|

|many situations a balance of action and explanation is expected |

|Investigation and evaluation |

|Description |

|This concerns how you investigate information and evaluate situations |

|This field draws on the previous three in the context of (practical) research and evaluation |

|CMC level |

|Undertaking substantial investigation to address significant areas of practice, using methodologies which are consistent with their purposes |

|and contexts |

|Critically evaluating thinking, action and structural factors operating in the area of practice, including underlying assumptions, and |

|identifying implications for wider systems beyond the area of practice |

|Interpretation |

|‘Research’ is used in the context of practical research. Although the level of research expected is equivalent to that in an academic |

|context, it may be presented differently (or used directly to inform action without being formally presented) |

|The underpinning research criterion does not imply a distinct ‘research project’, as research could be part of a development process, |

|management plan or report, or other form of practical action |

|Innovation and originality |

|Description |

|The level of innovation and originality you bring to your work |

|CMC level |

|Developing innovative ways forward in complex and unpredictable situations |

|Developing novel approaches to systems |

|Interpretation |

|Innovation refers to the originality of action for the context; it needs to be interpreted in your context and does not imply something which|

|is totally unique |

C-III Professional specialism

Specialist or professional competencies are important because they reflect the contemporary fragmented consulting market. Specialist competencies are a consultant’s entry point upon which professional depth is built. The types of specialization can be categorized as broadly functional or sectoral:

1. Functional

1. IT

2. HR

3. Strategic planning

4. Production

5. Marketing

2. Sectoral

1. Financial

2. Government

3. Charitable

4. Public

5. Private

6. Internal

You must provide evidence of your professional specialism, through prior qualifications and/or through prior experiential learning. You should be able to show evidence of at least one of:

1. A relevant first degree

2. A relevant higher degree

3. A relevant postgraduate vocational qualification

4. A relevant, recognized qualification from a recognized professional institute

5. A portfolio of evidence of prior experiential learning which is accepted as the equivalent to one of the above

C-IV PEST (political, economic, socio, technological)

You should demonstrate your awareness of the current external issues that affect your work as a consultant. This awareness should be demonstrated in all elements of the written assessment as well as during the interview. Below are some examples of issues that may need to be addressed. This list is not intended to be exhaustive:

|Political |Economic |

|National |Macro economic factors |

|Organizational |Micro economic factors |

|Industrial Relations |Market prosperity |

|Influencing and Lobbying |Resource allocation |

|EU directives |Business location issues |

| |Export/import conditions |

|Socio |Technological |

|National culture and values |Awareness |

|Organizational culture |Needs, wants, possibilities |

|Ethical culture |Infrastructure |

|Business ethics |Communications |

|Interpersonal capabilities |Quality and process |

|Training and development issues |Communications technologies |

|Demographic trends | |

D - Presentation and Cross-Referencing

D-I Presentation

When compiling the text of your submission, identifying the material that relates to each competency and each element of PEST and the Professional Specialism is important.

You may choose to present a paragraph of text, clearly headed for each assessment point, with annex numbers listed either in the header, footer or in a margin column.

Alternatively, you may choose to present a narrative of the assignment with each assessment point and annex number listed in a margin column.

D-II Cross-referencing

Your Assignment study must be clearly cross-referenced against:

1. the Management Consultancy Statements of Competence and the Management Statements of Competence (in section C)

2. the portfolio of prior learning and experience in the professional specialism quadrant (if applicable)

3. and the four headings of political / economic / socio / technological awareness.

Suggestions for cross-referencing

1. Take care that your pagination is correct and, if you are submitting electronically, ensure that the pagination will not corrupt when loaded onto another machine.

2. A grid at the beginning of the document to indicate paragraph or page numbers relating to competences is strongly recommended. The grid might look like this:

|Standard |Evidence |Paragraph |Page |

|C1 | |5 |3 |

|C2 etc |Strategy document |6, 12, 15 |3, 5, 6 |

| | | | |

|M1 | | | |

|M2 etc | | | |

| | | | |

|Professional Specialism | | | |

| | | | |

|Political etc | | | |

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