[Insert organization name]

Proposal for elevating the competencies within the communication function

Presented to [insert details of the relevant person, their role and department etc.]

Submitted [insert date]

[add your details here]

YOUR BRIEF

You should include details about what you know about the organization, the business need that has led to an interest in certification and/or ongoing professional development.

An example brief can be found below.

[Insert organization] is currently undertaking a process to determine the scope of the learning and professional development needs of the communication function within the organization. As an employer [insert organization] values its people and invests in their professional development but recognizes that in a team of [insert number] communication professionals across disciplines, there will are varying levels of competence in terms of knowledge, skill and decision making.

[Insert organization] is seeking to understand the baseline standard of competencies of the individuals within the teams in the function and to clarify if and where gaps may exist. Armed with this knowledge [insert organization] can then develop a learning and development program to lift the overall engagement and performance within the organization.

OUR RECOMMENDATION

You should update your recommendations based on what your IABC chapter can reasonably do. Examples recommendations are listed below.

Test: the level of existing professional competence of each eligible individual communication professional against the Global Standard of the Communication Profession via the Global Communication Certification Council (GCCC).

GCCC offers two certifications for communication professionals: Communication Management Professional (CMP®) and Strategic Communication Management Professional (SCMP®).

• CMP® certification is for professionals established in their careers as communication managers and looking to demonstrate their competence.
• SCMP® certification is for highly skilled professionals practiced in providing strategic communication advice and counseling to an organization’s leadership.
• Both the CMP® and the SCMP® certifications meet ISO standards ISO/IEC 17024, an international standard for professional certifications that is recognized globally. These are the only global certifications in the profession to do so.

With the support of IABC, GCCC can coordinate and proctor one or more exams on-premises for [insert organization] communication professionals. Alternatively, individuals can take the exam remotely.

1. Identify: those who pass the CMP® and/or SCMP® certification exam meet the professional standard at a global level. Those individuals who don’t pass will receive their score and be advised in which domains of the GCCC’s job task analysis they need to improve i
2. Baseline: With the permission of the individuals who undertook certification (confidentiality is an ISO requirement), [insert IABC chapter/region] will deliver a report to provide [insert organization] with the baseline against the domains in the CMP® and SCMP® job task analyses. This will give [insert organization] an indication where the learning and development is required for the function, and each individual will understand where they need to develop their competencies.
3. Support: IABC can offer support to [insert organization] to prepare the individuals for the CMP® and SCMP® certification exams at the local level in [insert location], or via Zoom virtually.
4. Training: IABC offers professional development courses online and on-demand via IABC Advance. Some of the courses are designed to assist communication professionals to prepare for the CMP® and SCMP® certification exams, while the balance are specifically designed for strategic and tactical communication skills as well as business acumen. These are available to IABC members and non-members alike. 

WHY DO WE RECOMMEND THIS PATH?

Update the reasons why you recommend this path, based on your recommendations above – examples below.

1. It provides certainty of the level of professional competency of individuals measured against a recognised global standard of strategic communication excellence.
2. It identifies the strengths and areas for improvement within the team at individual level.
3. It provides a training pathway.
4. It provides support if and as needed.
5. It is delivered remotely or at [insert organization] in one or more locations at mutually suitable times.
6. It provides ongoing professional development.

ABOUT GCCC CERTIFICATION

The GCCC offers communication professionals with a minimum of six years’ experience an educational pathway toward two professional certification options. GCCC certification is designed to raise the effectiveness and professionalism of not only the individual certification holders, but also that of the employing organizations. It is the only global professional certification in communication that covers multiple disciplines and competencies within the business communication profession.

By funding and supporting CMP®, or SCMP®, certification for your organization’s communication professionals, you can drive business results for your entire organization.

Certification can deliver key benefits that positively impact business:

• It makes your company a better competitor; certification can be a door opener to new opportunities in business development.
• Certification can reduce potential risks; having certified communication professionals helps avoid communication mis-steps that can affect stock prices, brand perception, reputation and potentially issues around safety.

GCCC certification can provide a high level of confidence among senior leadership that your corporate communication team is highly trained, credentialed and prepared to support key business strategies and initiatives. 

• GCCC certifications are designed to ensure that communication professionals meet standards-based competencies to elevate their work and the results of the organization.
• Both the CMP®, and the SCMP® certifications meet ISO standards (ISO/IEC 17024), which demonstrates that GCCC places a premium on developing high-quality programs.
• GCCC certification revolves around six key communication principles to ensure the highest level of professionalism: ethics, strategy, analysis, context, engagement, and consistency. Earning professional communication certification from the GCCC demonstrates that the certification holder has a deep level of professional communication knowledge and expertise in these areas.
• GCCC certification is aligned to the Global Standard of the Communication Profession, ensuring consistency and credibility throughout all efforts. The Global Standard was pioneered and developed by the IABC and is the basis upon which other communication competency frameworks have since been developed.
• The incidence of improved confidence at work is three times higher among certified professionals when compared to their non-certified peers. This is driven by a stronger work-profile.

Although GCCC is independent of IABC, the IABC strongly supports certification and will also support [insert organization] to elevate the level of professional knowledge and competence within its communication function.

About the GCCC

The GCCC serves as an autonomous governing body for the Global Communication Certification Program. Membership of IABC is not a condition of certification.

The purpose of the GCCC is to create and maintain an internationally recognized standard of communication excellence based on a global understanding of key principles and job competencies worldwide. The GCCC aims to serve the communication profession by encouraging and executing a process of credentialing of communication professionals who achieve a global standard at different points of their career path.

The GCCC has based its certification program, including the continuing professional development requirement, on the Global Standard for the Communication Profession set out by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).

The required examinations for the CMP® certification and CMP® certification assess candidates on several business communication domains that are tied to the Global Standard’s core principles. Achieving certification from the GCCC signals that a candidate has demonstrated professional competence in all these principles.

Required CMP® and SCMP® examinations are rigorous and objective to ensure a high bar for certification holders.

• The ISO/IEC 17024 standard contains principles and requirements for a body certifying persons against specific requirements and includes the development and maintenance of a certification scheme for persons. It provides a global benchmark for personnel certification programs to ensure that they operate in a consistent, comparable and reliable manner worldwide, thereby allowing individuals to have skills that translate across national lines.
• An ISO/IEC 17024 conformity assessment provides objective proof that GCCC attaches great importance to the quality of its certification programs.

CMP® and SCMP® certifications require communication professionals to stay on top of trends and critical developments impacting organizational communication practices; this ensures the employing organizations’ voice remains relevant, informed and proactive. To maintain their certification they are required to attain 40 certification points per annum through professional development.

There are many ways certificants can attain the points necessary to renew their certification. Details about how to maintain and renew your communication certification are found on the GCCC website

FEES

GCCC certification is open to all communication professionals who qualify. It is not dependent upon IABC membership.

All fees are in USD and cost is per individual. Details about what it costs to certify are found on the GCCC website.

No fees are charged by [insert IABC chapter/region] to provide support for the preparation of the exams or to develop the baseline report. Note each individual who does not pass the certification exam will need to provide access to [insert organization] and [insert IABC chapter/region] of their results to enable [insert IABC chapter/region] to compile the baseline report. The GCCC cannot provide this information to [insert organization] as maintaining the confidentiality of an individual’s results is an ISO requirement.

If required to travel for the support or proctoring of exams, then those costs for [insert IABC chapter/region] would be borne by [insert organization].

IABC ADVANCE

IABC Advance provides online professional development for communication professionals to help advance their careers and generate real business results for their organizations. This is done through online, on-demand and self-paced workshops delivered by leading experts in their field.

In addition to being a resource for lifelong learning, IABC Advance offerings support the GCCC certification program. If a communication professional is interested in applying to the Communication Management Professional (CMP®,) or Strategic Communication Management Professional (SCMP®,) certification program, they may use completed IABC Advance courses to meet the minimum application requirements, as well as to prepare for the exam. Completing IABC Advance courses does not guarantee success at the exam.

Alternatively, once certified through GCCC, completing IABC Advance courses earns you points toward the required annual maintenance of certification. IABC applies standard measurements for awarding appropriate credits for completed courses.

Courses are developed and regularly added to the current course programs on offer. Each can be purchased individually or if you are an IABC+ member, you have an all-access pass to on-demand content in IABC Advance and waived GCCC application fee and recertification fee.

Similarly, IABC corporate member packages incorporate full access to IABC Advance within the package rate and discounts to the application fee for GCCC certification. The exact discounts are subject to the level of corporate package purchased.

CONTACT:

[Insert your contact details here]