(1888PressRelease)
February 14, 2008 - POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – With interest growing globally in outsourcing professional certification, the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP) today announced that an exam will become mandatory for professionals to earn the Certified Outsourcing Professionals (COP) designation starting in mid-April 2008.
Introduced as an option to earn certification last year, the COP Examination will be a requirement for professionals to demonstrate they have the knowledge and expertise to earn the prestigious COP designation.
Developed in partnership with the University College of Syracuse University, candidates are tested on the strategic, implementation and operational implications of outsourcing and the Outsourcing Professional Body of Knowledge (OPBOK).
“More than 200 individuals have come through the COP program and several large scale company programs are underway,” said IAOP Executive Director Christina Powers. “With this program going global so quickly, an objective test is necessary to ensure that designees not only possess the experience and ethical understanding to become a COP, but the requisite base knowledge as well.”
The exam is currently an optional way of earning points and is available at Federal Express/Kinko’s testing center locations worldwide. When the test becomes mandatory, it will also be available online through IAOP and Syracuse University, but the online version will not have a point value.
Exam Raises Professional Standards
The mandatory exam will enable outsourcing professionals to further demonstrate their expertise to companies seeking to work for them, making the COP designation even more valuable to individuals possessing it and sought after by companies globally.
“Like other industries with professional certifications, such as project management, accounting and law, applicants and their employers expect an exam as a way to measure a candidate’s competence and capabilities,” Powers said. “Making this exam mandatory will continue to raise the professional bar for outsourcing as an industry.”
Applicants who are currently enrolled or begin the application process before April 1 will not be required to take the exam. They will still have the option of earning knowledge and training points by passing the COP Exam, possessing a post-graduate business degree and completing a COP master class.
“We are pleased to work with IAOP to provide education, certification testing and research to enable business leaders to maximize their outsourcing initiatives and successfully manage their outsourcing relationships,” said Jim Shea, Director of the Outsourcing Professional Institute (OPI) at Syracuse University.
About IAOP
The International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP) is a global membership organization of individuals and organizations involved in outsourcing as customers, providers and advisors. IAOP helps companies increase their outsourcing success rate, improve their outsourcing ROI, and expand the opportunities for outsourcing across their businesses. To learn more, visit www.outsourcingprofessional.org.
Media Contact:
Michael Forbes, Communications Manager, IAOP
(845) 452-0600, ext. 118
mike.forbes ( @ ) outsourcingprofessional dot org
