Submitting your portfolio
When you are sure that your portfolio is ready to be submitted
you will contact the Qualifications & Professional Development Department (QPD)
at CILIP (020 7255 0610 or e-mail: quals@cilip.org.uk.
You will send your portfolios together with your application form
and submission fee to:
Qualifications & Professional Development Department
CILIP
7 Ridgmount Street
London
WC1E 7AE
(remember, you need three printed copies or two printed plus one electronic)
The process
Your application will be acknowledged and you will be informed of the date of the next CILIP Assessment Panel (CAP) meeting.
There are currently seven Panels and applications are being allocated to them according to the schedule of meeting dates.
QPD will send copies of your portfolio to a pair of assessors
(in order that adequate time might be given to assessment, no new applications are sent to assessors during the month before the Panel meeting)
Each of the pair assesses your portfolio individually, then discusses it as a pair.
Assessment of your portfolio will not be carried out
by an assessor who knows you well.
The decision
The pair may recommend:
Accept
Reject
Third assessor
Further Information
or
Interview
Accept:
Your application will be officially accepted at the next CAP meeting and you will be notified of the outcome within 10 days of the meeting.
You will receive advice on proceeding to Chartership.
Your name will be added to the Register of Certificated Members and
you will receive a Certificate in due course.
Reject:
Your application will be copied to every member of the CAP in order that they can assess it. At the next CAP meeting there will be full discussion of
your application and a vote will be taken on whether to Accept or Reject.
You will be notified of the outcome within 10 days of the meeting.
If the outcome is “Accept” see above.
If the outcome is “Reject” you will be sent the wording agreed by the CAP, giving the reason why your application has been rejected. You will also be sent copies of the assessment forms from Panel members. Although you will be disappointed that you have not been successful, you should read the feedback carefully, and discuss with your Mentor or line manager. It will give you useful advice on how to improve your application. You can re-submit as soon as you feel ready.
Third assessor:
If the original assessor pair is unable to agree a recommendation on your portfolio, a third assessor will receive your portfolio and carry out assessment.
The majority recommendation will go to the Panel.
Further Information:
If your application fails to demonstrate fully that you meet the criteria, you may be given the opportunity to provide further information with the aim of filling the identified gap in your original portfolio.
The assessor pair will specify the information required and you will normally be asked to provide it in no more than 250 words. You will receive a letter from QPD with details of what is required and the date (normally 8 weeks ahead)
by which it must be supplied.
When the further information is received from you it will be sent to the assessor pair who will judge whether it brings your portfolio up to the required standard. They will make their recommendation to the Panel.
Interview:
Alternatively, the assessor pair might feel that an interview, focusing on the weaker areas, could be the best way of helping you to demonstrate that you
do meet the criteria.
QPD will contact you and two Regional Assessors and set up a mutually convenient date, time and venue. You will be given advance notice of the
questions in order that you might prepare.
Following the interview, the report of the Regional Assessors will be considered together with your original submission and the assessor pair will make their recommendation to the Panel.
Beyond Certification
If you want to progress to Chartership you will normally be expected to work for two years (full-time equivalent) before submitting an application for Chartered membership. You will need to meet the criteria for Chartered Member status, so it is important that you understand those requirements before you register as a candidate. Discuss with your Mentor and look at the Chartership Handbook