International Council of Management Consulting Institutes

The International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (ICMCI), also known in much of its public-facing material as CMC-Global, is an international professional organization for the management consulting profession. It brings together national institutes and professional associations that certify individual management consultants, rather than operating primarily as a commercial consulting firm or as a membership association for individual consultants. Its central purpose is to raise the quality, credibility, consistency, and ethical standing of management consulting across national borders. The organization was established after a May 1987 meeting at which 32 consultants from ten countries examined the common needs of professional institutes that certified management consultants. Representatives of institutes from seven countries subsequently formed the new council. The initiative responded to the international nature of consulting work and to the need for a qualification that could signal competence, independence, objectivity, confidentiality, and professional integrity in different national markets. ICMCI's principal professional designation is the Certified Management Consultant, or CMC. The qualification is based on a common competence framework and is awarded through national member institutes whose assessment arrangements are subject to international quality requirements. The framework is intended to assess more than academic knowledge. It considers practical consulting experience, the ability to manage assignments, analytical and interpersonal skills, client-case evidence, professional judgment, and adherence to ethical obligations. CMC holders must belong to a recognized national member institute and are subject to a professional code and disciplinary processes that may include removal of the designation. The council also supports institutional and educational quality initiatives. Its programs include the CMC Firm accreditation for consulting organizations, recognition of Academic Fellows who contribute to the research and teaching of management consultancy, and approval arrangements for relevant training courses. These initiatives extend the organization's focus beyond individual certification to the wider professional ecosystem of firms, educators, researchers, and national institutes. ICMCI is structured as a Swiss Verein. Its members are qualifying national management consulting institutes or associations, with Full Members able to award the CMC after their processes have been quality assured. Governance is carried out through trustees appointed by member institutes, with an elected executive committee and standing committees covering membership, professional standards, quality assurance, and nominations or succession. A secretariat supports administration, communications, accounting, and web services. The organization has also sought recognition and influence beyond the consulting profession. It received Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council in 2001 and has contributed advice and research concerning management capability, development projects, technology adoption, and the people and process conditions needed for successful implementation. Since the late 2000s it has worked with or participated in activities involving bodies such as ISO, CEN, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Accreditation Forum, and the International Labour Organisation. It led or supported work associated with the European management consultancy service standard EN 16114 and the international guideline ISO 20700:2017. The organization began using CMC-Global as an abbreviated name in 2013 while retaining its formal legal name. It also runs the Constantinus Awards, which promote excellence in consulting. Overall, ICMCI's positioning is that an internationally comparable, competence-based professional credential and common ethical and service standards can improve buyer confidence and distinguish qualified consultants from practitioners without equivalent certification.

ICMCI originated in a 1987 effort to give national management consulting institutes a shared international framework. In May of that year, 32 consultants from ten countries met to identify common ground among professional bodies that certified individual consultants. The meeting led to a proposal for an international council, and institutes from seven countries became the founding members. The initial objective was to improve the consistency and credibility of certification around the world while creating a forum for national bodies to cooperate. By 1989, the council had established an organizational structure, membership requirements, and an application process. A meeting attended by delegates from eleven countries ratified the structure and membership criteria, agreed that the organization should be established as a Swiss Verein, and approved a professional code of conduct. The code represented an early attempt to articulate international ethical expectations for management consultants, including integrity, independence, confidentiality, and responsible professional behavior. A strategic plan adopted in 1993 shifted attention toward common international standards and broader recognition of the Certified Management Consultant title. The CMC designation originated with the Canadian member institute and was made available for international use. The plan sought support from national institutes and external stakeholders for a credential that could provide a comparable signal of competence while allowing for national and cultural differences. Between 1999 and 2003, ICMCI developed and agreed standards for the CMC competence qualification. It also created a quality-assurance program intended to ensure that member institutes awarded the designation to equivalent standards. The resulting qualification was designed around practical competence rather than academic credentials alone. Applicants were expected to demonstrate relevant knowledge, at least three years of successful practice, and the ability to apply consulting skills through client assignments and formal assessment. CMC holders were also required to remain connected to their national institute and comply with an enforceable professional code. In July 2001, ICMCI received Special Consultative Status from the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Through this relationship it has provided research-based input on subjects including the contribution of competent local consultants to development projects, the strengthening of national economic capability, and the conditions required for technology investments to succeed. Its contribution has emphasized that technology adoption depends not only on technical suitability but also on people, organizational, and implementation factors. From 2007 onward, the council expanded its relationships with international institutions and standards organizations. These activities included work involving ISO, CEN, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Accreditation Forum, and the International Labour Organisation. ICMCI was an observer to the International Accreditation Forum from 2008. It also supported the development of the European service standard EN 16114 for management consultancy services, a project associated with CEN and an Italian standards secretariat. Later, it promoted the formation of ISO/PC 280, which produced ISO 20700:2017, Guidelines for management consultancy services. The organization broadened its programs in the 2010s. It introduced or developed the CMC Firm accreditation for consulting companies, intended to recognize ethical and professional operating standards at firm level. It also created the Academic Fellow designation for academics with sustained research or teaching involvement in management consultancy. The first nominations were received in 2013, when 16 academics were awarded the designation. Training-course accreditation gave national members another way to recognize education aligned with the council's standards. In the same period, the organization appointed an Executive Director and increasingly used the name CMC-Global in its communications. ICMCI remains a membership organization whose institutional members are national professional bodies. Full Members are subject to quality assurance and may award the CMC; Provisional Members have a different status while developing or demonstrating compliance. Trustees appointed by member institutes oversee the Swiss Verein, while an elected executive committee and specialized committees manage professional standards, quality assurance, membership, and succession. The council also runs the Constantinus Awards to highlight consulting excellence. Its continuing role is to provide international comparability, ethical guidance, and professional recognition in a fragmented global consulting market.

• 2017

  ISO 20700 published

  [1]International Council of Management Consulting Institutesen.wikipedia.org

  The international guideline ISO 20700 for management consultancy services was produced through the ISO working-group process promoted by the organization.

• 2013

  CMC-Global name adopted for communications

  [1]International Council of Management Consulting Institutesen.wikipedia.org

  ICMCI began using CMC-Global as its abbreviated public name and appointed an Executive Director; the first Academic Fellow nominations were also received.

• 2011

  New professional-recognition initiatives launched

  [1]International Council of Management Consulting Institutesen.wikipedia.org

  The organization began coordinated initiatives including Academic Fellows and the CMC Firm accreditation.

• 2008

  IAF observer relationship begins

  [1]International Council of Management Consulting Institutesen.wikipedia.org

  CMC-Global became an observer to the International Accreditation Forum.

• 2007

  International standards engagement expanded

  [1]International Council of Management Consulting Institutesen.wikipedia.org

  ICMCI increased cooperation with international and regional bodies including ISO, CEN, EBRD, IAF, and ILO.

• 2003

  CMC standards and quality assurance developed

  [1]International Council of Management Consulting Institutesen.wikipedia.org

  The organization completed the development and agreement of competence standards and a quality-assurance program for national CMC awards.

• 2001

  UN consultative status granted

  [1]International Council of Management Consulting Institutesen.wikipedia.org

  ICMCI received Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

• 1993

  Strategic plan adopted

  [1]International Council of Management Consulting Institutesen.wikipedia.org

  Members approved a plan centered on international standards and broader recognition of the Certified Management Consultant designation.

• 1989

  Governance and professional code established

  [1]International Council of Management Consulting Institutesen.wikipedia.org

  The membership structure and application process were formalized, ICMCI was approved as a Swiss Verein, and an international code of professional conduct was adopted.

• 1987

  International council proposed

  [1]International Council of Management Consulting Institutesen.wikipedia.org

  Consultants from ten countries met to explore an international framework for national management consulting institutes; institutes from seven countries formed the founding group.

An international standards, certification, and professional-recognition body for management consulting institutes and qualified consultants.

• Professional certification

  Certified Management Consultant (CMC)

  The CMC is ICMCI's principal individual qualification for management consultants. It is awarded through national member institutes using an internationally defined competence framework and quality-assurance expectations. Assessment is intended to cover professional knowledge, consulting skills, practical competence, client-assignment experience, objectivity, independence, confidentiality, and ethical conduct. The designation is designed to be comparable across countries while allowing national institutes to account for local legal and cultural conditions.

• Firm accreditation · 2011

  CMC Firm

  CMC Firm is an international accreditation for management consulting organizations. It is intended to recognize firms that maintain high standards of consulting practice, ethical behavior, and professional conduct. CMC-Global manages a directory of accredited firms and uses the program to extend professional quality expectations from individual consultants to consulting businesses.

• Academic recognition · 2013

  Academic Fellow

  The Academic Fellow designation recognizes academics who contribute to the study, teaching, or research of management consultancy. Candidates are expected to hold a position at a publicly accredited university and to have sustained involvement in the field. The program is intended to strengthen links between national consulting institutes, universities, research communities, and professional practice.

• Education accreditation

  Accredited management consultancy courses

  ICMCI provides a scheme through which national members can recognize management consultancy training courses that align with the organization's standards. The arrangement gives qualifying education an international professional reference point and can help connect academic or practitioner training with the competence expectations associated with management consulting certification.

• Professional awards

  Constantinus Awards

  The Constantinus Awards promote excellence in management consulting and provide an international platform for recognizing strong consulting work. The program supports the broader goal of increasing the visibility, legitimacy, and perceived value of professional management consultancy.

• 2013Academic Fellows initiative

  International

  ICMCI launched a coordinated initiative to engage academics in the management consulting profession through an internationally recognized fellowship. The program was designed to encourage research, teaching, conference participation, and collaboration between universities and national consulting institutes.

  Outcome. The first nominations resulted in 16 Academic Fellows being awarded the designation.

  Source
• Constantinus Awards

  International

  The awards promote and publicize excellence in consulting projects and support the professionalization of management consultancy worldwide.

  Source
• UN development and technology advice

  International and developing economies

  Through its ECOSOC relationship, ICMCI has contributed advice concerning the role of competent indigenous consultants in development and the organizational, human, and process requirements for successful technology implementation.

  Source

• 2013

  Adopt CMC-Global as the public shorthandStrategy

  Background

  The council needed a concise international identity for communications while preserving its formal legal name.

  Action taken

  It began using CMC-Global in published material and retained the full name for official purposes.

  Aftermath

  CMC-Global became the organization's commonly used abbreviated identity.

  Source

• 2013

  Promote ISO work on management consultancy servicesOther

  Background

  The profession lacked a widely applicable international guideline for the delivery of management consultancy services.

  Action taken

  ICMCI promoted the creation of ISO/PC 280 with an Italian secretariat.

  Aftermath

  The process produced ISO 20700:2017, Guidelines for management consultancy services.

  Source

• 2011

  Extend recognition from individuals to firms and academiaStrategy

  Background

  The organization sought to develop a broader professional ecosystem around consulting quality and competence.

  Action taken

  ICMCI began initiatives for the CMC Firm accreditation and Academic Fellow recognition.

  Aftermath

  The initiatives added firm-level and academic dimensions to the council's certification and standards activities.

  Source

• 2001

  Pursue formal engagement with the United NationsStrategy

  Background

  ICMCI sought to contribute professional expertise to international development and economic-capability discussions.

  Action taken

  The organization obtained Special Consultative Status with ECOSOC.

  Aftermath

  It subsequently provided research-based advice and commentary to relevant UN bodies and discussions.

  Source

• 1993

  Adopt an international standards and recognition strategyStrategy

  Background

  National certification systems needed a common international direction while retaining national delivery mechanisms.

  Action taken

  Members adopted a strategic plan focused on international standards, member-institute support, and wider recognition of the CMC designation.

  Aftermath

  The plan guided later competence standards, quality assurance, and external institutional relationships.

  Source

• 1989

  Establish the council as a Swiss VereinStrategy

  Background

  The emerging international body needed a legal and governance structure capable of representing national professional institutes.

  Action taken

  Delegates approved establishment as a Swiss Verein and ratified membership requirements and an organizational structure.

  Aftermath

  The structure became the basis for trustee-led governance and institutional membership.

  Source

1. 1International Council of Management Consulting Institutesen.wikipedia.org
2. 2ICMCI official websiteicmci.org