Qualifications for a quality career
The quality profession is moving forward and CQI membership is moving with it by means of a new chartered status that stretches the boundaries.
In 2008, the CQI made history by gaining the right for individual members and fellows to claim chartered status. Quality professionals are now on a par with other professionals, such as chartered accountants and engineers and the first members and fellows have hit the streets as Chartered Quality Professionals (CQP) and can now use the letter MCQI CQP or FCQI CQP.
‘This raises the profile of our profession and our professionals,’ says Mike Debenham, CQI director of policy. ‘CQPs can be relied upon to have defined competencies. We are saying to industry that, by employing quality professionals, they will be supported in managing exposure to risk and delivering products or services on time and to the expected quality – quality professionals help make business better.’
In the future, more and more people will turn to those who are trained and competent to provide the innovation and care needed to survive the uncertain economy. By raising the credibility of the quality professional, CQP status increases the impact a professional can have on improving business performance. This is a huge opportunity and quality professionals need to be encouraged to take up the challenge. ‘Quality professionals need to beat their own drum a bit louder,’ notes John Weston, CQI head of training. ‘And one of the best ways of doing that is to become a CQP.’
CPD for quality professionals
Continuing professional development (CPD) is mandatory for CQPs and is an important activity, for both professional and self development. While the future looks bright, it can only be reached if CQPs keep themselves up-to-date. Checks will be carried out to make sure that the minimum CPD requirements are reached. CPD is also an obligatory requirement for non-chartered CQI members and fellows, although their compliance is not monitored.
Members plan their CPD by asking two questions: how has my profession changed over the last year and what should I do to keep up to date Secondly, where do I want my career to be in two or three years’ time and what competencies do I need to develop to get there? ‘The view we have taken is that our members are professional and should be able to know what CPD they need,’ says Mike.
Mike has been piloting an annual branch CPD planning event to help members identify and meet their CPD needs. A presentation will gives an overview of what CPD might be, the base requirements and how to achieve it, and is followed by interactive discussions in pairs. ‘The idea is that at the end of the event members go away with the basis of a plan for their CPD,’ Mike says. The developmental needs identified will also be considered when scheduling branch events to be held over the coming year.
CPD: the essentials
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CPD should be propotionate and relevant to your role.
Indviduals within the chartered member grade are required to:
- identify personal learning objectives for the coming year
- plan and record learning activities and outcomes
- assess the extent to which learning objectives have been achieved over the past year
There are no rules for how much CPD should be completed each year. The system is based on needs and outcomes, not hours or points. However, for guidance, an active quality professional would expect to spend at least 25 hours a year on CPD and would probably have three to four key learning objectives.
Activities that support CPD include:
- work experience (such as new projects)
- on-the-job training (given or received)
- completion of qualifications
- completion of short courses and workshops
- informal learning (such as browsing CQI's Body of Quality Knowledge, reading Qualityworld, focused discussions with colleagues, online research)
- attending events and conferences
If some validation of achievement of learning objectives is required, for upgrading from member to fellow for example or an internal promotion, then this can be provided by a colleague or manager, or from certificates of events attended. |
An important resource for any member’s CPD is the CQI’s Body of Quality Knowledge portal. It identifies the boundaries of current quality knowledge and as there is always something new to learn, updating the portal never ends.
The future for the CQP will stretch these boundaries – there will be a closer focus on effective management of risk, on integrated management systems and on business improvement rather than growth. CPD will allow CQPs to keep fully trained and competent.
CQI Certificate and Diploma
Alongside the CQP, different levels of CQI membership have been developed to reflect the different stages in a quality professional’s career. For example, the student level is appropriate for those studying for the CQI’s Certificate in Quality or the Diploma.
Both the Certificate and the Diploma are attainable through part-time study or distance learning, so are accessible to people in work with an interest in developing a quality-related career. The Certificate can be taken over one to three years, depending upon how the individual wants to proceed. The three modules provide an understanding of quality concepts and statistical methods, as well as an appreciation of the need for standardisation.
Students aiming for the Diploma complete six modules, generally choosing their own order. The modules cover topics such as the principles of quality and data analysis, quality management, tools and techniques, communication and project management. The programme incorporates a quality project, designed to enable the exploration, analysis and evaluation of a quality-related issue encountered at work. Students also complete an elective module, focusing on either environmental management or information technology.
Further information is available on our qualifications pages.
As qualifications and experience are gained, individuals can upgrade their CQI membership to become associates and members. Some may go on to seek CQI fellowship. ‘Fellows are part of a small band of quality professionals who have made a contribution to the profession and gained an advanced understanding of our Body of Quality Knowledge,’ explains Mike.
Setting an example
Attending training opens many doors. Bob Hughes, quality manager at WH Smith & Sons (Tools) in Sutton Coldfield, a supplier of plastic injection moulded components, tooling and assemblies, has embraced a learning and development philosophy that has transformed his working life. Having joined the company as a warehouseman in 1981, he began evening classes and after six years had passed all the elements required for MCQI. ‘The company was developing and gave me an opportunity to grow with it,’ Bob says. ‘Now we have some top class management systems.’
Now a CQP, Bob has also trained in manufacturing efficiency and waste reduction techniques, qualifying for green belt six sigma and automotive sector system auditing. In 2008 he received certification from Midlands Excellence as an experienced assessor for the business excellence model. Alongside his quality management role, Bob now teaches evening classes on quality systems. This year he won the UK Skills’ West Midlands regional training award for individuals.
Through his training and chartered status, Bob has had a huge impact within his workplace. Colin Sarson, managing director of WH Smith & Sons, explains: ‘Bob is totally committed to ensuring this company leads the way in quality management systems. It is this process of continuous improvement that enables us to work with leading automotive manufacturers.’