The I3P Task Force Report describes what are expected to be the main building blocks and standards behind IITP recognition. It presents eight requirements that must be met by a national certifying body that wishes its certificants to be recognized under I3P.

1. The certifying body must identify the type of work its certificants can do, describing the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary to undertake that work.

2. The certifying body must have established a clear and explicit body of knowledge appropriate for professional certification.

3. The certifying body must describe the cognitive and practical skills required at a level appropriate for the work to be undertaken.

4. The certifying body must establish requisite competences, i.e. the proven ability to use knowledge and resources for the work to be undertaken.

5. The certifying body must have the processes and expertise required to evaluate the qualifications of applicants for certification.

6. There must be a requirement for continuing professional development to ensure currency against the evolving body of knowledge.

7. There must be appropriate codes of conduct that provide clear guidelines to certificants.

8. The certifying body must have the necessary organizational capability and maturity and undertake continuous review of standards and improvement of processes.

Against this list of eight key points, it may be useful to list the current CIPS practices:

1a. CIPS was involved in the establishment of the OSPM (from ICTC) - CIPS has done some work in the competency area. BCS has been far more active, and successful with its e-Skills UK and SFIA initiatives.

2a. CIPS does have something it calls a Body of Knowledge. Our BOK fits comfortably on two printed pages and is some distance from a full outline of "the fully defined and complete core of IT knowledge for the Canadian IT industry". (short form version attached below)

3a. The Canadian colleges have generally described their course outcomes in terms of the cognitive and practical skills that are required of those who complete the course. Canadian universities have not generally follow this approach. CIPS has given no public recognition of the relevance of such expected course outcomes for its evaluation of degree programs.

4a. I have never seen any competence requirements for attaining the I.S.P. If such requirements exist, they have not be widely publicized.

5a. CIPS has been running its examination of applicants for certification for a number of years. There is every reason to believe that we follow our own rules.

6a. We do have a requirement for professional self-development, but no requirement to stay current. And certainly no requirement to stay current with an evolving body of knowledge.

7a. We do have a Code of Ethics. The recently edited version corrects the anti-gossip clause and clarifies that "integrity" also includes "trustworthiness".

8a. CIPS could be said to meet this requirement, but our decision to not review or evergreen our Body of Knowledge might raise eyebrows.

The BCS is clearly positioned to meet all eight points. CIPS would have considerable difficulty arguing that it can meet all eight points.