IMC USA Earns ISO Accreditation for its Certification Process

IMC USA has earned the prestigious International Organization for Standardization (ISO) ISO/IEC 17024:2003 accreditation for its Certified Management Consultant™ (CMC®) process.

IMC USA is only the third institute to gain ISO recognition, which further substantiates the high professional standards and ethics our Institute has set as a benchmark for the certification process and the CMC.

The worldwide benchmark for process certification, the ISO is a non-governmental, worldwide federation of national standards bodies.

What does accreditation mean for CMCs and their clients?

It shows clients that CMCs are at the top of their game. "American business demands proven experience and ethical behavior,” says Drumm McNaughton, CMC and IMC USA Chairman and CEO. "Organizations can be confident that consultants with CMCs have a history of excellent performance in delivering results, have met world class standards of competence, ethics and client satisfaction, and have maintained a level of professionalism through education and periodic certificate renewal.”

It reduces the client’s risk in hiring a management consultant. "ISO 9000 allowed purchasers to rely on a manufacturer’s quality process. Similarly, IMC’s certification process means our clients and prospects can purchase management consulting services and have an assurance of quality because of the ISO accreditation,” adds David Norman, CMC and IMC USA Vice Chair Member Value.

Government agencies have already begun requesting CMCs on certain RFQs. Department of Transportation (DOT), Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Commerce Department are among those agencies that look for CMCs for their consulting projects.

It is an independent third-party validation. Results of a study authorized by the IMC and conducted by an independent research firm clearly state that clients value an independent third party certification, such as the CMC designation, over internal corporate certification programs which are viewed as self-promoting or pat-on-the-back.

How is IMC USA promoting ISO accreditation of the CMC process?

IMC USA has issued a press release announcement about the accreditation, and will also target media pitches to major metro areas, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington DC, Metro NY, Dallas Fort Worth, New England and Atlanta.

IMC USA Chapter leadership participated in a series of conference calls to learn about the accreditation and how to promote it to local media. For any chapter leaders who missed the call, copies of the IMC/ISO Accreditation Key Messages are available from Executive Director Gail McCauley.

Chapters will also be provided with a fill-in-the-blank press release to complete and send out to local media. Please note that anyone who is a chapter spokesperson for the accreditation must be a CMC or be in the process of getting their certification.

CMCs will receive new Certification certificates with the ISO reference, as well as a statement of accreditation that can be put on business cards and other marketing materials. The How to Hire A Management Consultant brochure, and other IMC USA marketing materials will all be updated with the ISO reference.

For more about the CMC and the certification process, see IMC USA’s certification pages. For more about ISO accreditation, contact our Executive Director, Gail McCauley at gail@imcusa.org.