IMCA recognises two types of consulting practice – Accredited Consulting Practices (ACPs) and Registered Consulting Practices (RCPs). The grades of Associate, Member or Fellow apply to members within these practices similarily as they do to individual members.
Accredited Consulting Practices are larger management consultancy practices whose training and development procedures have been approved by IMCA such that they are authorised to accredit their own management consultants. The assumption is that the standards applied by the ACP are at least equivalent to the standard sought from individual applicants. ACPs are required to have five or more full-time management consultants. The current list of IMCA Accredited Consulting Practices can be seen here.
The assessment by IMCA of an ACP’s application follows a two-phase process, with an initial presentation by the practice on the procedures used in consultant recruitment and development- see guidelines – followed up by validation of the application of these procedures.
If the practice receives the ACP designation, all management consultants with less than three years experience are enrolled as Associates and those with more than three years experience become Certified Management Consultants (CMCs). The practice details are initially uploaded using a Practice Sign-up Form and an individual Member Sign-up Form then submitted for each consultant together with a CV. The detailed procedure describing ACP applications is shown here.
Registered Consulting Practices consist of management consultancy practices that are managed by Members or Fellows of IMCA. These practices are led by CMCs and to adhere to the IMCA’s code of conduct. At least 51% of principals must be CMCs and the practice must undertake to encourage eligible members of staff to join IMCA and seek the CMC designation. Practices applying to become RCPs will generally have their principals as Members or Fellows and CMCs of IMCA beforehand. A registration fee (currently €40 per head) is applicable to consultants within the practice who are not members of IMCA.
The procedure describing RCP membership is shown here. The practice is approved as a Registered Consulting Practice using the online Practice Sign-up Form.
The current list of Registered Consulting Practices can be downloaded here.
