CITP application overview

1. CITP application overview

2. Welcome to our CITP overview CITP status is the benchmark of IT excellence. Being a Chartered IT Professional shows the business world that you are an expert in your field, with breadth of knowledge spanning the IT industry.

3. What does professionalism look like? • Member of a professional body • Signed up to a code of conduct • Committed to continuous professional development • Qualified • Demonstrates trusted competence “Chartered status is a great way to demonstrate the quality of our consultants.” Andrew Reid, Microsoft Consulting Services Director

4. What is CITP status? Chartered IT Professionals add business value through use of technology • They have breadth of knowledge across the whole of IT and competence in their own specialism • CITPs understand the business they are working in • CITP status tells an employer something about the holder that they cannot easily find out for themselves. • The CITP standard is aspirational and demanding to achieve. • The assessment process is rigorous with periodic revalidation (Certificate of Current Competence).

5. Are you ready for CITP? AutonomyWorks under broad direction. Work is often self-initiated. Is fully accountable for meeting allocated technical and / or project / supervisory objectives. Establishes milestones and has a significant role in the delegation of responsibilities. InfluenceInfluences organisation, customers, suppliers, partners and peers on the contribution of own specialism. Builds appropriate and effective business relationships. Makes decisions which impact the success of assigned projects i.e. results, deadlines and budget. Has significant influence over the allocation and management of resources appropriate to given assignments. ComplexityPerforms an extensive range and variety of complex technical and / or professional work activities. Undertakes work which requires the application of fundamental principles in a wide and often unpredictable range of contexts. Understands the relationship between own specialism and wider customer / organisational requirements. Business skillsAdvises on the available standards, methods, tools and applications relevant to own specialism and can make appropriate choices from alternatives. Analyses, designs, plans, executes and evaluates work to time, cost and quality targets. Assesses and evaluates risk. Communicates effectively, both formally and informally. Demonstrates leadership. Facilitates collaboration between stakeholders who have diverse objectives. Understands the relevance of own area of responsibility / specialism to the employing organisation. Takes customer requirements into account when making proposals. Takes initiative to keep skills up to date. Mentors colleagues. Maintains an awareness of developments in the industry. Analyses requirements and advises on scope and options for continuous operational improvement. Demonstrates creativity and innovation in applying solutions for the benefit of the customer / stakeholder. Takes account of relevant legislation.

6. Before you start • Have an idea of the SFIA category that you would like to select as your area of specialism for stage 2 of the assessment process – presentation and interview. You don’t necessarily need to work on a presentation prior to applying, but some like to get a head start on it. • Have a chat with your potential supporter(s) to make sure they’re happy to fulfil that role (and in a timely fashion) – they’ll be contacted by BCS and will need to verify your experience before you can proceed.

7. Supporters for your application • Why do we need supporters? • Our assessors will look for some independent validation that you are working at the required level to achieve CITP status. • This adds more rigour to the assessment and helps the assessor judge your suitability. • You may need more than one supporter for your application. • A supporter can be your employer, a client, or a colleague (same or higher level). • They must be sufficiently familiar with your work to have a reliable opinion of your competence and be able to provide specific work-related examples. ‘I’d recommend CITP status to all experienced IT practitioners... Ensure your supporters are aligned with what they need to do before they are asked to support your application’. Tim Clements MBCS CITP, Head of IT Compliance and Process Optimisation, Carlsberg Group

8. What is required from your supporter(s) • Supporters are asked to provide evidence of your experience in line with the required criteria you were asked to demonstrate in your application • To do this, they will complete a supporter report form, which should be in their own words and be submitted with your application form • This is not intended to be unduly onerous, but provides the independent validation which makes CITP status credible • Please chose your supporters carefully, as there may be a need for us to approach them for more information (e.g. telephone discussion with one of our assessors) • Supporter details will be kept by BCS as part of the applicant assessment record

9. 10-step application

10. Your initial application Education and experience • About you • Current work experience and number of years in IT • Qualifications if applicable • Choose a specialism which best describes your main area of expertise (this can be changed later in the assessment process, in advance of your interview) • Information security and management • Strategy and architecture • Portfolio, programme and project management • Business change • Solution development and implementation • Service management • Supply quality and resource management • Learning and development • Sales and marketing ‘I would recommend CITP status to others, it’s a rigorous process and an achievement to be proud of ‘ Davina Whitworth MBCS CITP, Corporate Strategy Manager at Luton Borough Council

11. Your initial application (continued) • Your current CV and personal statement • Current role • Key responsibilities • Time in role – months and years • Explanation of any gaps

12. Preparing your personal statement Try to think of specific work examples for which you’ve been personally responsible, which show the following: • Autonomy – how is your work set and what is the nature of your reporting relationship to the manager? • Influence – in your working environment, what is the extent of your influence or impact on others? • Complexity of work – what type of work activities does you perform? • Business skills – what level of influence or autonomy do you have regarding which methods, tools and applications you use? What degree of technical understanding do you have? “Credibility is essential for most security and compliance roles and Chartered status enables my employer to demonstrate that they have credible leaders in this space.” Glen Taylor FBCS CITP Vice President Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Business Technology Infrastructure, Security and Compliance

13. Interview and presentation • The interview allows you to demonstrate your experience, and the assessors to seek clarification and ask questions about your area of specialism • The specialism you’ve chosen will be used to identify a lead assessor for your interview, however you can change your specialism prior to booking your interview if necessary “The interview was enjoyable and I felt I was being given constructive assistance rather than a grilling.” Richard Atkinson MBCS CITP CIO at Just Giving

14. Interview and presentation (continued) • The interview takes place with two assessors online using video conferencing software. • As part of the interview you are required to do a short presentation. You will need to provide BCS with a copy of your presentation at least seven days prior to the date of your interview so it can be supplied to our assessors in good time. • The presentation should be 10 minutes long and include examples from work for which you have been personally responsible for delivering. Please be mindful not to let your presentation over-run. • The outcome of the assessment will be communicated to you by email within 10 working days of your interview. Your certificate pack will follow soon after. If unsuccessful, BCS will ensure you get feedback from the assessors. “The interview was actually quite enjoyable as the two assessors seemed genuinely interested in my answers and what I’d worked on.” Cath Downie MBCS CITP Client Services Manager, Sopra Group

15. Once you’re CITP – become a BCS assessor! “There are two areas in which I greatly benefit from my assessor role. The first is my skill in interviewing people. The second is in the breadth of IT projects that I am now exposed to.” Christopher Marsh MBCS CITP BCS Chartered Assessor • Becoming a BCS chartered assessor is an opportunity for you to share your expertise, demonstrate your commitment to the profession and enhance your continuous professional development. • By harnessing your knowledge and experience though our assessor programme, the Institute can continue to raise standards and support other IT professionals throughout their careers. • Applications are welcomed from chartered BCS members and the role requires a minimum commitment of 2-4 hours per month. • You will typically be an experienced people manager, practised at interviewing techniques, appraisals and recruitment. You will have well-developed communication, time-management and inter-personal skills. • As a CITP with Certificate of Current Competence you can become a lead interviewer and carry out initial reviews of evidence • Assessor logos recognise your status as an approved BCS assessor. Our assessors are invited to consultation sessions and workshops to discuss continuous improvements and share best practise methods. Find out more at bcs.org/assessor