CIPS Ontario Blogsite

December has been a busy month for CIPS and the Ontario Board.  We have had several meetings and discussions are starting to heat up around the issues of completing the governance changes started earlier this year.

Certification Options

We have been discussiong the options avilable to us around the certifications. With the imminent introduction of the new IITP Canadian equivalent certification, the board in Ontario have been trying to identify ways in which we can put forward options to make it and the existing I.S.P. more attractive to both Members and Employers alike.

It is imperative, especially with the economy starting to go south that employers recognise the value in employing qualified IT professionals to help them through the next few months, and it is our responsibility to ensure that our Certifications are recognised as part of those qualifications.  We will be discussing the oppportunities surrounding the new initiatives with the other provinces via the Canadian Council for IT Professionals and the National Society directly through the Committeess and Councils of the OEC and CCITP, and I hope to report back to you in due course.

Membership Value

In line with the certification and advocacy inititives that we are starting in Ontario, we are also looking at the value and cost of membership.  This is a highly charged topic, as any adjustment to either has an impact directly on the membership but also on the Societies ability to fund its operations, as the majority of our operating funds come through membership subscription.

In Ontario we are actively pursuing sponsorship to enable us to be able to push forward at a much greater pace the initiatives we would like to see put in place to make both the I.S.P. and the new IITP Canadian equivalent the certifications that IT Porofessionals in all fields decide they want to obtain.

In light of this, we have stated to add extra functionality to the Ontario site, the first of which is a last-minute training group. By becoming a member of this group you will have access to last-minute training that is being offered by major software vendors and their training partnenrs as a benefit to CIPS members.  This actually serves two purposes, for CIPS members it gives them the opportunity to obtain skills updates, thus ensuring their usefulness to the organisations they work for, and for vendors it gives them a pool of IT professionals who can speak with clarity about their products.

Governance Framework Agreement

As part of the govenrance changes introduced earlier this year, a requirement to draw up and sign framework agreements between the National and Provinicial Societies, and Provinicial Socieities and their sections was introduced.  These agreements were how the new funding and disciplinary models would be impacted by the governance changes, and will also outline both the responsibility and accountability for each level of the society.  Whilst we are in very early talks withe the National Society, and have only just started the financial analysis of our own provinical structures we would like to let everyone know that the coming months will see an accelerated effort to establish these agreements sothat we can effect closure on the Governance changes and start to concentrate on the many projects that are in the pipeline for the coming year.

To close, let me wish all Members of CIPS, here in Ontario and across Canada a wonderful holiday season, and I hope the new year will bring forth many changes in your professional lives that are both positive and profitable.