Frequently asked questions

These are some of the common questions we get about membership, fees and the joining procedure.

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Membership applications and fees

Membership grades and criteria

Competence and assessment

Membership applications and fees

Do I need a seconder?: No, that is no longer necessary.
Does my referee have to be a CQI member?: Ideally, yes. However, we recognise that not everyone will know a CQI member. Therefore your referee can be someone who holds a position of authority or holds a prominent position within the community. Your referee should have known you for a minimum of two years, know you well enough to be able to endorse your CV and other submitted documents.
Why are the fees for the experiential route and the qualification route to membership different?: The experiential route is slightly more expensive because it takes longer for the membership panel to assess the applications, and therefore involves extra administration costs.
What if my qualification is not on the list of acceptable qualifications?: If you have a degree that you think covers the necessary modules of the Diploma in Quality (D1 and D2), send the syllabus of your course with your application for assessment. If your qualification does not meet the required standards you will be notified.
How long will my application take to process?: If you are applying for Associate or Student level membership, your application will be processed and you will receive your certificate and acknowledgement letter within five working days. Please note this is dependent on you sending valid payment along with your application. No certificates will be sent out without payment. In the case of Chartered grades, you will receive an acknowledgement email or letter as soon as we have received your application. If you have not sent the appropriate information, we will inform you at this stage. Applications will then be sent to the Membership Assessment Panel to be marked, and if this is successful we send details of the fees due and then your certificate once these are paid. This whole process takes about 4-6 weeks.

Membership grades and criteria

How do I decide what level of membership I should apply for?: Look at the criteria online and decide which level of membership suits you best. If you are in doubt, apply for the higher level of membership. If you do not meet the criteria for the level you have chosen then you will be offered membership at the appropriate level for you.
Do I have to send my CPD forms to you?: CPD forms only need to be sent to us if we request them from you. This will happen if you are selected as part of the annual sample we carry out.
Do I have to complete CPD forms if I am a chartered member?: Yes, you need to prepare a plan of your CPD objectives and maintain a record of CPD achieved. You can use CQI0007 and CQI0008 for this purpose although other formats are also acceptable.
Can I still apply to be a non-chartered Member or Fellow of the CQI?: Yes. If you wish to be a Member or a Fellow of the CQI but you do not want to commit to Continual Professional Development (CPD) then you can apply to be a non-chartered member of the CQI.

Competence and assessment

What is the Body of Quality Knowledge?

The Body of Quality Knowledge is the framework that defines the current boundaries of knowledge of the quality professional within the UK. It is set out as simple statements of knowledge that can be used and developed by user groups linked to the CQI.

What is a competence?

When we refer to competence in terms of membership, this can be defined as the ‘ability to perform to standards required in employment across a range of circumstances’. You must also demonstrate your ability to meet the changing demands of your profession.

Why must I send evidence in a portfolio when I am experienced in my field and my CV is enclosed?

You will be applying for a qualification that is deemed equivalent to a degree and therefore there must be a rigorous assessment of evidence of experiential prior learning.

Why must I reference my portfolio?

To enable the assessors to identify which evidence is being used to meet the required elements of the Body of Quality Knowledge. Please reference all evidence submitted to the electronic index provided.

How much evidence should I submit?

Evidence should be sufficient to show that you have some experience of a particular element. Do not send in volumes of quality manuals and procedures. The contents pages of a document should suffice, but annotate it with a note on your part in its production and ask a relevant party to confirm this involvement.

Are my chances of success higher if I submit a large amount of evidence?

The assessors are looking for quality, not quantity. Do not send irrelevant information to pad out the portfolio. Referenced and certified evidence is worth more than endless files.

Do I need evidence for every element of the Body of Quality Knowledge?

No. The assessors will be looking for a cross-section of knowledge and experience that indicates that you are a rounded quality professional. Do not be put off if you do not have evidence for all of the elements, no one ever will. However, you must address all six modules.

In what formats can the evidence be sent?

Examples include:

A current CV or job description verified by your referee
Organisation and structure charts
Letters, emails and business cards
Extracts from reports or audits
Course programmes
Continual professional development (CPD) records
Certificates
Minutes
Survey questionnaires

Remember that a countersigned photocopy of an original document will carry more weight than an unverifiable computer printout. Documents submitted should be initialled by your referee.

Can I use the same evidence for more than one element?

Yes, if one piece of evidence can be used for more than one element that is excellent. Cross-referencing evidence is very important.

What does it mean by attributable evidence?

We need to see clear evidence that the documents you send to us can be linked to you in some way, such as attendance and action at a management review. Do not send information that cannot be attributed to you.

What if my evidence is confidential either for commercial or security reasons?

All our assessors sign a confidentiality agreement. However, if the evidence is confidential then submit an extract that shows your involvement, or contact the CQI and we will look at how we can resolve the problem. Your evidence can be returned if you so request, but there is a charge for this (dependent on postage costs).

Who are the assessors?

They are Corporate members of the CQI, experienced in a wide range of quality disciplines and trained to assess applications. Two assessors will examine your application to ensure impartiality, though there is an appeals procedure if you feel unsatisfied with their decision.