Initial certification

A key component of consultant certification is participation in the designated training modules from the HICHERT+FAISST IBCS Institute. Successful completion of the following modules is required:

• Completing the IBCS Certified Analyst certification as part of either open or in-house events.
• Attending the three-day consultant certification course, which addresses issues pertaining to the SUCCESS formula of the IBCS Standards using practical examples and tasks. In this course, all participants discuss practical examples, work on practice files, and present their own proposed solutions.
• Passing the final examination at the end of the certification course.
• Publication of at least two IBCS compliant own work samples. Valid examples are PowerPoint slides, report pages, blog posts, articles, video clips and other self-made work results proofing the comprehension of the SUCCESS formula and the ability of its practical application.

IBCS® Certified Consultants (ICCs) and HICHERT+FAISST enter into an agreement, which contains the main rules governing collaboration and issues of confidentiality.

The continued advancement of the IBCS Standards requires that all ICCs take the current version of the IBCS into account. For this reason, certification is valid for a limited period of time. The period of initial certification terminates at the end of the following year after signing the agreement.

Recertification

Recertification serves to ensure a uniform and high level of quality by discussing the development of the Standards, exchanging work samples and fostering the mutual dialogue. ICCs need to provide the following deliverables until Dec 31 of every year in order to maintain certification:

• Update of the personal profile page on ibcs.com and maintenance of former work samples.
• Attendance at the IBCS Annual Conference. Exceptions are subject to approval.

Activities

Every ICC can raise his certification status by applying for the publication of individual Activities in alignment with his personal goals. Activities will be accepted if they underline the deep understanding for the IBCS concept and serve either the further development or the dissemination of the IBCS Standards. Good examples for Activities are:

• Named user stories or testimonials
• IBCS contributions
• Articles or lectures about IBCS topics
• New IBCS templates
• Before-and-after examples

Activities can be handed in at any time. HICHERT+FAISST will award each accepted Activity with an activity point (“star”). Stars are valid until the end of the third year after the initial publication of the Activity (e.g. the release date of a user story or the date of the lecture). A maximum of 5 stars can be achieved.

Services

HICHERT+FAISST provides the following services in conjunction with the certification as IBCS® Certified Consultant and future cooperation:

Training

See the description above.

Support

Support is provided for IBCS projects, depending on availability. The form of support can be as follows:

• Acquisition: Support of partners in the tender process or in joint preliminary discussions with their prospects or customers.
• Information: Hold talks and seminars for interested parties and customers.
• Project support: Participate in workshops or in the design of concepts.
• Quality assurance: Assume the task of checking compiled results.

Fees are agreed upon on an individual basis for these support services provided by HICHERT+FAISST.

Materials

The following materials are available after receiving certification:

• Exhibits: A standard PowerPoint presentation from HICHERT+FAISST on the SUCCESS formula of the IBCS Standards for a one to two hour presentation. These exhibits may only be used by IBCS® Certified Consultants. Disclosure to third parties is strictly prohibited.
• Course materials: The learning materials handed out at the certification courses in digital form.
• Document of certification stating the current period of validity of certification.

Communication

IBCS® Certified Consultants are introduced in the following way:

• Website: An individual profile page to introduce the consultant and to give him an opportunity to present samples of his own work.
• Newsletter: HICHERT+FAISST will publish the certification and report on interesting projects to an appropriate extent.
• Promotion: IBCS® Certified Consultants are permitted to mention the certification and the cooperation with HICHERT+FAISST for promotional purposes.
• Publications: If desired and capacity permits, HICHERT+FAISST will participate in publications in trade journals, blogs, or other forms of PR.

Costs

Initial certification costs comprise the costs for satisfying the admission prerequisites as well as EUR 3,200 (+VAT) for the three-day certification course, the examination, the supervision of the work samples, the certificate, the setup of a personal profile page on ibcs.com, and the corresponding announcements.

The follow-up recertification costs EUR 1,500 (+VAT) for attendance at the IBCS Annual Conference, evaluation of Qualification Achievements, usage of protected designations and seals, and continued promotion on ibcs.com.

Designation

IBCS® Certified Consultants can display the following text as an explanation:
“Consultant certified by HICHERT+FAISST in the application of the SUCCESS formula of the IBCS Standards for successful business communication.”

Certification logo

During the period of certification, certified persons are permitted to use the certification logo provided for such purposes.