Following the CCMP Coaching Call blog I gave myself two weeks, to mid-March 2020 to complete step 1. And then life happened! Covid-19 which I had I had lightly, but it knocked me out for a couple of weeks, us all going into lockdown and my current contract going on pause for 4-6 weeks and hence little income (thankfully it’s restarted now). But now it's done...

As a reminder, the steps to CCMP are:

• Step 1. Checking eligibility: education, experience and training
• Step 2. Completing the application, including three 500-word essays and fees
• Step 3. Waiting while the application is assessed!
• Step 4. Application accepted, schedule exam and study for the 150 multiple-choice questions, 4 choices one right answer in 3 hours
• Step 5. Take exam in centres available worldwide, pass and use the CCMP™ designation!

Step 1

Having looked at the eligibility requirements for education, experience and training a number of times, checked my work and activities that matched more than once, I decided was eligibIe and just needed to log on and get my application going. The ACMP CCMP Handbook is a great sanity check mixed with the Coaching Call webinar.

Step 2

After deciding I was eligible I then logged on and completed the online application. The sections are:

• Personal Information: usual stuff
• Education: usual stuff
• Experience: tricky when I just thought about it, but then as I was ploughing through completing the application the hours appeared easily enough
• Change Management Training: this was straightforward as I completed an eligible QEP course that provided the 21 PDUs required in autumn 2019
• Experience Essay Questions: choosing the three questions out of the five on offer was the tricky part, once selected I write at pace an answer for each, had an hours break and then edited back to the word count and tidied the responses up

The final part is agreeing a statement of understanding about the certification process and then paying. On Sunday 31 May, I submitted my application.

Here is a screen shot of the application just before I submitted it, not that you can see the detail but that sections turn to green as you complete them.

Reflections

Thankyou Covid-19! Working form home has created more time which has given me the boost to ‘get it done’ and make the most of the opportunity whilst it is with us. To come out the other side of lockdown with CCMP completed will be great.

What next (and Step 3)

• Waiting for application to be reviewed and hear whether you are accepted to register for the CCMP exam and then hearing by email on 2 June that it was.

• Schedule the online (remote proctored) exam and start studying.

Time taken

• An hour to check eligibility
• Half a day to complete the online application form, demonstrate the hours worked in change and write the three 500 words essays

Emotional state

Relieved the application was accepted,; apprehensive that I need to get into studying mode in the very near future...

Any questions

Get in touch with me by email at stevesuckling@acmpuk.com, I am currently the volunteer Communications and Marketing Director on the ACMP UK Chapter Board.

To find out more about joining ACMP global and affiliating to the ACMP UK Chapter click here.

This is that first in what I hope is a series of posts to share my journey to achieve CCMP™, the Certified Change Management Professional™ designation. At the end of this post I’ve put a little about how I decided CCMP™ and the Standard for Change Management are for me.

On the 25 February 2020, I joined the webinar run by ACMP global and open free to members and non-members to walk us through CCMP™ and the process to achieve it. I can see why a webinar is needed, there’s much to think about before paying up to register and getting the application in. It’s not just an investment of money but a substantial investment in time, particularly to get everything needed in place and then to study for the exam at the end of the process. First, we heard about ACMP and what CCMP™ is.

We then walked through the following:

• Step 1. Checking eligibility: education, experience and training
• Step 2. Completing the application, including three 500-word essays and fees
• Step 3. Waiting while the application is assessed!
• Step 4. Application accepted, schedule exam and study for the 150 multiple-choice questions, 4 choices one right answer in 3 hours
• Step 5. Take exam in centres available worldwide, pass and use the CCMP™ designation!

The webinar finished with a helpful question and answer session.

To find out more about joining ACMP global and affiliating to the ACMP UK Chapter click here.

What next

• I’ve given myself two weeks to complete Step 1, make sure I'm eligible and get what I need together to make the application

Time taken

• 18 months: thinking about doing the CCMP and part reading lots of things
• 65 minutes: booking on and attending the CCMP webinar and actual knowing what I've got to do

Emotional state

• Somewhat daunted balanced with excited, ready to take the plunge

How I got to deciding to go for CCMP™

Over time my work has been more focused on leading change. With 20+ years in product, programme and project management in the education, assessment, community and international development, communications and marketing sectors. I am drawn to the Standard as a it suits my way of thinking and the language I use and am familiar with, such as the definition of ‘Change’ as “The transition from a current state to a future state”.

I was also drawn to the international and inclusive ‘feel’ that I believe comes from the process of a group of global change practitioners putting the Standard together and designing CCMP™; a considerable task that has achieved “a globally recognised credential for professionals to demonstrate their commitment to leading the way change works”.

You can see my LinkedIn profile here and I should tell you that I am currently the volunteer Communications and Marketing Director on the ACMP UK Chapter Board; click below to find out more or email me at stevesuckling@acmpuk.com