Since the Institute’s inception in 2003, over 1,400 members have achieved the Certificate of Professional Development (CPD).

The Advanced Practitioner Certificate (APC) provides recognition amongst consultation and engagement professionals. The emphasis of the advanced recognition is on the individual’s own experiences and insights gained from their professional careers, as well as acknowledging a thorough training history in the field of consultation and engagement.

To qualify for the APC you are required to hold a minimum of 180 credits – inclusive of the 100 required for the CPD – obtained through attendance at the Institute’s training courses.

The Law of Consultation course is mandatory for APC candidates and your last course attendance must fall within the last two years of your enrolment.

The final element of the APC is preparation and publication of a Peer-Reviewed Paper (2,000 – 4,000 words) outlining your personal experience of one of our five standard topics:

• The impact of our recent consultation(s) on decisions taken and the issues considered
• Community expectations and the role of public/stakeholder consultation in meeting these aspirations
• The role of social media in our public and stakeholder engagement
• Avoiding legal and media challenges to public & stakeholder engagement exercises
• Finding ways to empower seldom-heard (‘hard-to-reach’) groups and disadvantaged communities to participate fully in the democratic process

Formal APC enrolment is triggered by attendance at a half-day workshop offering guidance on:

• How to write the paper
• Example papers
• Introduction to the Advanced Practitioner Code of Conduct

The fee for APC enrolment is £175.00 + VAT which includes the half-day workshop, paper submission and grading. Workshops can also be offered in-house for organisations with a cohort of CPD holders wishing to develop their overall capability.

To discuss your individual professional development plan and register your interest, call Martin Roach on 01767 318350 or email martinr@consultationinstitute.org. The Advanced Practitioner is an exclusive recognition for members of tCI and enrolment is only available a few times a year…

So if you’re ready to take this next step then don’t hesitate to get in touch.