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REGIONAL CERTIFIED MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS BACK PRIME MINISTER’S CALL FOR ACCOUNTABILITY IN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING

CICMC Offers Its Professional Guidelines as Blueprint for Work with Ministries

(St. Michael, Barbados) – The Caribbean Institute of Certified Management Consultants (CICMC) today supported Prime Minister David Thompson’s call for higher levels of accountability in the selection and performance of consultants retained in the Office of the Prime Minister and other government ministries.

Dennis Strong, CMC, President of CICMC, the regional arm of the International Council of Certified Management Consulting Institutes, said that by calling for an examination of the consulting agreements within his office and other ministries, the Prime Minister is demonstrating a high level of stewardship of the interests of Barbadians.

“The nature of consulting in Barbados is changing rapidly, and consultants need to be ready to accept their new roles and responsibilities within the context of this change,” Strong told the media assembled for a news conference at the University of the West Indies this morning.  “In the past, the only requirement for a consultant was for a person, regardless of qualifications, to say that they were a consultant.  Without clear standards and enforcement, good governance is at risk when consultants are retained in the public sector. The CICMC brings these standards and a code of professional responsibility to the Caribbean for the first time where management consultants are concerned.”

The Barbados-based institute is the only regional organisation with the ability to accredit “Certified Management Consultants.”  To achieve the CMC designation, a management consultant must meet the highest global standards that include three years of management consulting experience; a thorough written examination and written descriptions of at least five consulting assignments and interviews with five client references.

According to Strong, the problems of past performance of some consultants in government cited by Prime Minister Thompson are not uncommon.   “The reality is that local consultants in most cases are not prepared to perform at a level comparable to what is required for projects on which they are hired.”

“The CMC designation that the Caribbean Institute of Certified Management Consultants grants is the true international standard for management consultants,” Strong continued.  “Once we have certified a consultant, any client, including the government of Barbados, may be assured that person will have significant experience in their field, will have gone through a rigorous certification process and will perform at the highest levels as required in the code of professional conduct.”

© 2007 CICMC