International Council of Management Consulting Institutes

International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (ICMCI)
Membership organisation
Industry Management Consulting
Founded 1987
Headquarters Worldwide
Area served
 International
Key people
 Sorin Caian, Romania (Chairman); Brian Ing, UK (Secretary);Dwight Mihalicz, Canada (Treasurer); Rob Bodenstein, Austria (Vice Chairman);Elena Yuzkova, Ukraine (Vice Chairman);Kim Karme, Finland (Vice Chairman);Chayaditt Hutanuwatra, Thailand (Vice Chairman);Francesco D'Aprile, Italy (Past Chair);Reema Nasser, Jordan (Executive Director)
Services Consulting Services
Website http://icmci.org

The International Council of Management Consulting Institutes has since 1987 been the professional body worldwide for management consultants.[1] It exists to:

The practice of management consulting is about "helping organizations to improve their performance, operating primarily through the analysis of existing organizational problems and the development of plans for improvement." with the purpose of "gaining external (and presumably objective) advice and access to the consultants' specialized expertise." It follows therefore that there is scope for an international organization to promote and foster competence in the management consulting profession.

ICMCI has demonstrated that indigenous, competent, professional management consultants add capacity and capability to an economy. Others have shown that on average the achieved benefits of management consultancy assignments are at least three times the fees charged.

Research has shown that:

Developed economies tend to have about one management consultant per one thousand total population whereas developing economies have one for every two thousand. On this basis there are between 2.5m and 3m people who refer to themselves as management consultants in the world.

ICMCI Member Institutes represent countries in all continents that include between 85% and 90% of the world's management consultants.

ICMCI Organisation

ICMCI is a membership organisation with the only members being the leading professional body for management consultancy committed to the certification of management consultants in the country of their operation.

ICMCI is registered as a Swiss Verein with its main Council consisting of trustees. Most of the trustees are appointed by the Institutes that are the Members as defined in the above paragraph. The number of trustees for each country varies from 1 to 4 depending on the individual membership by individual management consultants in the country. The remaining trustees are officer trustees voted for every two years by all the trustees, the Officers are Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and five Vice Chairs. Together these officers form the Executive Committee (ExCom). Reporting to ExCom are various other committees, work groups and task bodies depending on need. Permanent committees include Membership Committee (responsible for overseeing the admittance of new Members and the continuing adherence to the membership requirements of the existing Members), the Professional Standards Committee (which covers all professional matters including Standards), and the Quality Assurance Committee (responsible for checking that all Full Members award the Certified Management Consultant to the agreed Standard using the preferred assessment methods). A Nominations and Succession planning Committee (responsible for the election of officers and identifying and nurturing potential future office-holders) reports to the trustees as a whole.

Other committees always include some trustees but also may have individual management consultant members of the Institutes (and endorsed to be on the committee by that Institute)

All the office holders must be CMC holders and at the time of the election a trustee for one of the Full Members. They are unpaid and contribute between (on average) three to one day a week of effort to the organisation.

The Organisation has in 2013 appointed an Executive Director.

In support, the organisation has a permanent secretariat which undertakes the committee and trustee support, including accounting, communications, and web site provision.

The web site (www.icmci.org) should be consulted for the names and contact details of the Office holders, the Executive Directorate and the Secretariat.

Certified Management Consultant (CMC)

Professional buyers of management consultancy worldwide specify that the key requirements of a management consultancy are in ascending order of priority: Knowledge (of management, the function, the sector, the general economy, the processes and the business professions), skills (analytic and inter-personal), Competence (the ability to manage the assignment in close communication with the client), and Trust (keeping organisational secrets, maintaining confidentiality, integrity). The major buyers are aware that the MB A provides evidence of underpinning knowledge and analytic skills and, depending on the course, maybe some courses in consultancy and a short period of relevant work experience.

ICMCI understood these requirements and has developed the Certified Management Consultant qualification (see separate entry Certified Management Consultant). This is primarily awarded by a competence based assessment against a defined ICMCI Standard Competence Framework (see: http://www.icmci.org/?page=6972393) which uses prerequisites of evidence of possessing the underpinning knowledge and at least three years of successful practice. Client cases are examined and a competence assessment is undertaken. All holders of the qualification are required to be a member of their national ICMCI Member and thus are committed to a code of professional conduct at least as restrictive as that defined in the ICMCI standard (see www.icmci.com ): failures to comply are subject to a disciplinary procedure which can result in the removal of the CMC designation.

The Certified Management Consultant is the equivalent (that is taking into account cultural differences) in all countries and was the first worldwide single business professional qualification.

History

In May 1987, thirty-two management consultants from ten countries met to explore the common ground between professional institutes which were known to certify individual management consultants. At the end of the two-day meeting the delegates proposed the formation of an International Council of Management Consulting Institutes to improve the certification of management consultants around the world. IMCs of seven countries formed the founding members of the new Council.

In 1989 the Council organizational structure including membership requirements and application process were in place. Membership had grown to ten IMCs with four applications pending. The thirty delegates from eleven countries who attended this session ratified the structure and membership criteria, agreed to establish ICMCI as a Swiss Verein and approved the ICMCI Code of Professional Conduct. This ICMCI Code became the first and still may be the only international code of conduct of any profession.

In 1993 the ICMCI strategic plan was adopted by the members. The features of this plan included: International Standards, support and adherence by Member Institutes, increased international recognition with support (by international influencers and Member Institutes) for certification of competent management consultants to the CMC (Certified management consultant) a title originating from our Canadian Member who were delighted to enable ICMCI to use the title worldwide.

From 1999 to 2003 the standards for the competence qualification CMC were developed and agreed. A quality assurance programme was developed to ensure that all awarded the CMC were to an equivalent standard: the first business qualification to achieve this. The CMC is the world-class benchmark of management consultancy competence, objectivity, independence, and professionalism.

In July 2001, ICMCI was granted Special Consultative Status by the United Nation’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). ICMCI since then has provided research based research papers in support of the UN, or its member bodies, objectives.

Since 2007, ICMCI has increased its working with international bodies and organisations including ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation), CEN (Centre for European Norms), EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development), IAF (International Accreditation Forum) and ILO (International Labour Organisation)

ICMCI member countries

In 2011 ICMCI began a coordinated series of initiatives which have led already to The appointment of ICMCI Academic fellows, the first awarding of the title "CMC Firm".

ICMCI is recognised for the Constantinus Awards which promote excellence in consulting worldwide [2] and [3]

CMC FIRM

The "CMC Firm" is an international accreditation of Management Consulting firms driven by the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (ICMCI) and supported by all the Institutes of Management Consulting Members of ICMCI. ICMCI manages the global directory of the CMC Firms, published within the ICMCI web site.

The concept is based on accrediting a firm in recognition for its high standards of excellence with a specific focus on ethical practices, standards of conduct as well as its practice of management consulting.

More specifically, in order to be granted the CMC Firm title, the firm would have to be evaluated in making sure that codes of ethics and standards of conduct are similar to those of the ICMCI. In addition to this, the firm would also have to demonstrate that its management consultants are practicing management consulting following a similar body of knowledge as the one which is the foundation of the Certified Management Consulting profession. One way to determine this is by reviewing internal development programs, career paths as well as clearly demonstrating that a number of senior management consulting practitioners are either already CMCs or working towards getting their designation. Aspect 1 – Code of Conduct • The CMC Firm must follow a code of conduct that is equivalent to (or better than) the ICMCI code which is shared by more than 46 Countries across the world.

Evidence for this requirement may include:

- Company training and communications - Company publications (code of conduct, etc.) - Feedback from clients - Confirmation by Local IMC - Recognition by other consultancies - Feedback from consultants - Public information (internet, news media, etc.) Aspect 2 – Professional Development processes • The CMC Firm must recruit, train and develop its consultants to meet standards of professional competence which are equivalent to (or better than) the ICMCI competency model.

Evidence for this requirement may include:

- Recruitment policies - Management Consulting firm competency model - Training programs for consultants - Personal development planning and appraisal processes - Qualifications of consultants (CMC, etc.) - Time and resources for training - Feedback from clients - Consultancy reports and presentations

Aspect 3 – Player in the Professional environment • The CMC Firm must participate actively in the Management Consultancy profession in all countries in which it operates.

Evidence for this requirement may include:

- Affiliation with Trade/Industry Organisations and Professional Bodies - Publication of professional articles, reviews, blogs - Public speaking and conferences - Teaching management consultancy in Business Schools, Universities, etc. - Senior staff with official roles in local IMCs - Financial support for professional activities - Coaching and mentoring for consultants in other Firms Benefits for the CMC Firms Being included in the global directory of the CMC Firms is an asset for each accredited Management Consulting firm thanks to the global recognition of their own standard of excellence reached with a specific focus on ethical practices and standards of conduct, internal processes as well as its practice of management consulting.

This common condition makes each CMC Firm within this global club of consulting firms in a unique position at global level. Reaching the CMC Firm accreditation, the consulting firms is member of a selected global directory of consulting firms based in five continents, with different business cultures and professional behaviours, but with the same standards of excellence evaluated and accredited by an independent and third parties organization, the sole global Institute who links the National Institutes of Management Consultants at international level.

The best environment to find partners and design international networks in order to manage international projects and successful compete in the globalised world. Background The CMC Firm Accreditation project was started as pilot project by ICMCI on 2013 with the accreditation of the first CMC Firm, the Hejun Consulting Co. Ltd based in Beijing (China). Thanks to the formal endorsement reached in Johannesburg on Sept 2013 during the Congress of ICMCI, the CMC Firm accreditation is started as formal global practice of ICMCI since Oct 2013.

The ICMCI Academic Fellow

The ICMCI Academic Fellow designation is intended to be a mark of distinction which recognises academics from around the world who have contributed to the study and teaching of management consultancy. It is awarded by ICMCI to suitably qualified individuals based upon the recommendation of the local Institute of Management Consulting (IMC). Candidates must hold a position at a recognised academic institution, specifically a publicly accredited university and must be engaged in research and/or teaching within the external or internal management consulting field for a minimum of five years. Benefits to the local IMC: The attraction and engagement of a new stakeholder group that will add valuable new perspectives and insights within their management consulting community along with the expectation that the Fellow will demonstrate tangible on-going involvement with the management consulting profession. Increased membership through the potential development of management consulting streams within MBA or related Masters programs which could lead to award of the CMC credential upon suitable demonstration of knowledge (know what) and competence (know how). Pragmatic contributions to debates within the IMC on academic matters, including annual conferences where Fellows and other related academics can profile their research and teaching best practices. Benefits to the Academic Fellow: Enhanced academic and professional profile arising from the appointment along with international peer recognition. Invitations to international conferences and hub meetings with the opportunity to showcase applied research and publications. Support for appropriate international research projects within the management consulting field, in terms of providing industry contacts and primary research respondents, along with endorsement of funding applications. Support for major student projects through CMC client introductions or directly for CMC practitioners. The first round of nominations was received in 2013 with 16 academics from around the world awarded the Academic Fellow designation. An overall target of 100 Academic Fellows has been established.

Membership

Membership of ICMCI is only available to Associations or Institutes of Management Consultancy that satisfy the requirements listed below. Individual consultants are invited to contact their national Member Institute. If there is no ICMCI member in their country they should contact [reference to GIMC]

There are two classes of membership: Provisional Members and Full Members. Full Members are the only members who have had their assessment processes quality assured and can award the CMC (see section 2 above) and depending on their size appoint a number of trustees to ICMCI – in effect the directors of ICMCI.

All Members are required to be

In rare circumstances (language, history related) there may be more than one Member in a single country (as recognised by the UN)

International programmes

ICMCI in pursuit of its objectives for the benefit of the profession (and also for the benefits the profession can bring to all economies) establishes links with international bodies, the bodies with which it is more challenging for our individual national Institute Members to have a useful relationship. Below are listed some of these links:

5.1 UN NGO status[4]

Having had corresponding status NGO with ECOSOC since 2001, ICMCI has been active in two ways. One is the reactive provision of advice and consideration to issues being examined by the ECOSOC and related bodies. Past examples have been on the benefits of indigenous competent management consultants to development projects and to enhancing the economy by increasing the capability and capacity of the economy. Another effort was to support the consideration of the use of new technologies in developing economies: the advice reiterated that for the introduction of extra technology to be successful, not only must the technology be appropriate but the people aspects (in all senses of the term) and the process implementation be also fitting to the need in order for the technology investment to be successful.

5.2 ICMCI Academic Fellows

The ICMCI Academic Fellow designation is a mark of distinction which recognises academics from around the world who have contributed to the study and teaching of management consultancy. It is awarded by ICMCI to suitably qualified individuals based upon the recommendation of the local Institute of Management Consulting (IMC).

5.3 CMC Firm

ICMCI awards an international accreditation of Management Consulting firms called the "CMC Firm". The accreditation recognises a firm for its high standards of excellence with a specific focus on ethical practices, standards of conduct in addition to ability to practice management consulting to the highest standards. ICMCI manages the global directory of the CMC Firms, published within the ICMCI web site.

5.4 ICMCI Accredited courses

ICMCI has a scheme whereby the national Members can accredit a training course for management consultancy which is in accordance with ICMCI's standards. This gives the course an internationally recognised approval imprimatur.

5.5 Relationships with other bodies

ICMCI has been an observer to The International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and has been pleased to be able to contribute to committees and task forces considering the revised ISO17024 standard and the qualifications of ISO 17024 assessors. The experience as an international body maintaining an equivalent standard qualification across continents and cultures has been useful to the normally single country based accreditation bodies in IAF.

ICMCI led an initiative to develop an EU style service standard for management consultancy through CEN (Centre for European Norms) and sponsored the effort used to produce EN 16114 in 2011, with UNI (The Italian Standards Body) being the Secretariat for the project committee. ICMCI are pleased to be working again with UNI to support the new project committee investigating the production of an analogous standard for ISO.

ICMCI has been proud to be closely associated with EBRD (The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) in developing the use of professional services in the merging transition economies in central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia and North Africa. In some countries, an existing ICMCI Member has been integral to the effort, in other countries the effort has included forming a new professional body.

Global Chair ICMCI

References

  1. ↑ Kubr, M. (ed.) Management Consulting: A guide to the profession 4th ed, Geneva, International Labour Office, 2002
  2. ↑ http://www.constantinus-international.com/award/en/introduction/
  3. ↑ http://www.theconsultant.eu/news/uk-firms-win-global-recognition-at.html
  4. ↑ http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2001/ngo425.doc.htm
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