ZDNet Asia reports on a new certification program for outsourcing professionals that’s being introduced in Singapore. As the article explains, "Called the Certification in Outsourcing Management for IT (COMIT), the certification will be managed by SCS in partnership with the Institute of System Science (ISS) and supported by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA).
It appears that the certification is attached to a class, though that may just be my reading of the material. The class lasts three days and costs about $820 US dollars (1,300 Singapore dollars).
It will cover these topics:
- Planning for Outsourcing
- Developing Request For Proposal
- Evaluating and Selecting Service Providers
- Managing Legal Aspects of Outsourcing
- Managing Transition and Transformation
- Managing Service Quality and Performance
- Managing Outsourcing Relationships
- Managing Contract Migration and Handover
Candidates will have to pass an exam to obtain the certification.
I’d sure like to see something comparable in the US and in India, to address the growing need of people who have expertise in managing aspects of outsourcing. Yes, the IAOP exists, but its certification program is wide and complex and you practically need to be close to retirement age to garner enough experience to earn it. (And don’t believe that "40,000 corporate, professional, and associate members worldwide" touted by the site. Those aren’t necessarily outsourcing professionals. My guess is that number actually refers to the count of people who have registered for content through the pre-IAOP site hosted by Michael Corbett & Associates, otherwise known as Firmbuilder.com.)
