Technical Requirements for accessing Acuity Institute’s Content. The Acuity Institute Change Management Professional curriculum is top notch. The structure of the course, methodology, and Change Management toolkit provide the essential tools for you and your organization to manage change in this continually changing environment.
Businesses are constantly evolving their use of technology, resulting in almost constant organizational change. But implementing change in any company, large or small, will require skilled professionals who understand the intricacies of change management.
Change management is relevant across multiple industries, but it’s particularly important for businesses looking to improve processes, increase efficiency and reduce errors and risk in IT, project management and development.
Here are seven change management certifications you can earn to prove your skills.
Top 7 change management certifications
- Certified Change Management Professional (CCMP)
- Change Management Specialist (CMS)
- Certified Problem and Change Manager (CPCM)
- Change Management Certificate Program from the Association for Talent Development
- Prosci Change Management Certification
- APGM Organizational Change Management Foundation
- AIM Change Management Certification
Certified Change Management Professional (CCMP)
The CCMP certification, offered by the Association of Change Management Professionals (ACMP), aligns with the ACMP’s Standard for Change Management. The standard was developed by ACMP as a “collection of generally accepted practices in change management” and is the foundation of the CCMP exam. It was developed by The Standard Working Group (SWG), led by the group chair Sumreen Ahmad, and claims status as the “first legally defensible, globally accepted standard for Change Management.” It’s one of the more popular and widely recognized certifications for change management.
Exam fee: $595 for members, $745 for non-members
Retake fee: $300 for members, $375 for non-members
Renewal fee: $100 for members, $150 for non-members
Expiration: 3 years; must complete 60 PDUs (professional development units)
Change Management Specialist (CMS)
Offered through the Management and Strategy Institute (MSI), the CMS certification covers the basics of change management and how it is applied in the workplace. The training material covers the “key competencies required to function in the role of a manager within a changing corporate environment.” Training and the exam take place online, so it’s easy to work into a busy schedule since it is self-paced.
Exam fee: $299.95
Retake fee: Two free additional attempts
Renewal fee: $0
Expiration: 3 years
Certified Problem and Change Manager (CPCM)
The CPCM certification, offered through the Global Association for Quality Management (GAQM), focuses specifically on identifying and fixing problems in an organization. This is the type of course that would be best for someone working with development processes or who oversees product life-cycles. It covers everything from identifying areas for change, implementing that change, encouraging employee buy-in and creating resilient strategies.
Exam fee: $213
Retake fee: $0
Renewal fee: N/A
Expiration: N/A
Change Management Certificate Program from the Association for Talent Development
ATD offers a Change Management Certificate Program that focuses on improving efficiency, productivity and service quality. The program takes place online or in person, and covers implementing change processes, change management tools, qualities of a change leader and how to encourage the organization to embrace change. The online course takes place over six sessions, totaling 12 hours; the on-site course takes place over two days.
Exam fee: $1,220 for members, $1,580 for non-members
Retake fee: N/A
Renewal fee: N/A
Expiration: N/A
Prosci Change Management Certification
This certification focuses on Prosci’s ADKAR model of change management, which is a proprietary methodology that the company says is useful for IT professionals. The exam fee is steep, but it includes hotel accommodations, all meals and any activities included in the program. The company also handles your hotel reservations, since it’s a requirement to stay at the venue for the three-day workshop. Workshops take place in a variety of locations across the U.S., typically at picturesque resorts and vacation spots.
Exam fee: $4,260
Retake fee: N/A
Renewal fee: N/A
Expiration: N/A
APGM Organizational Change Management Foundation
The Organizational Change Management Foundation Certification, created by APMG International in collaboration with CMI, certifies your abilities and skills to “support smooth organizational change.” The exam focuses on the key skills for change management including motivating employees, engaging stakeholders, assembling teams and delivering on effective change strategies. Exams take place online, but you’ll want to find an American vendor if you are taking the exam in the U.S. APGM is located in the U.K. but Pink Elephant, a global training company, offers a variety of three-day courses online and in person that you can sign up for to earn your APGM certification.
Exam fee: $729 for online, self-paced; $1,695 for web-based course; $1,995 for in-person course
Retake fee: $0
Renewal fee: N/A
Expiration: 1 year
AIM Change Management Certification
Accelerating Implementation Methodology (AIM) is a change management methodology that can be used with a wide variety of organizational efforts. It focuses on the human side of risk; rather than look at how technology or software fails us, it encourages leaders to strengthen processes that involve employees, given that human-error is one of the biggest risks for failure. Classes take place in-person over the course of four days, with programs in the U.K. and California. The certification course will also count as PDUs for your ACMP certification.
Exam fee: $3,500 for the entire course
Retake fee: $0
Renewal fee: $0
Expiration: N/A
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