Introduction

The Institute for Public-Private Partnerships, Inc. (IP3) and the Water, Engineering and Development Centre of Loughborough University (WEDC/LU) are offering a joint Certified Utility Management Specialist™ program.

Utilities worldwide are under increasing pressure to cut costs, raise revenues, improve operations, and expand service delivery. As a result, electricity, water and sewerage, telecommunications, transportation, and municipal services utilities all face the challenge as if operating in a commercial environment. Whether publicly- or privately-owned, utilities must face this challenge and develop strategies and plans to improve their overall competitiveness. The need to develop the skills and experience of individuals involved in this process becomes paramount.

To ensure that the professional capacity of the individual practitioners involved effective and commercially oriented utility management is of the highest quality and consistency, IP3 and WEDC/LU have created a Certified Utility Management Specialist™program. The goal of this professional certification program is to create a world class standard in utility management skills development and to provide participants who complete the requirements of the program with a comprehensive and internationally recognized certification in the technical and managerial aspects of competitive utility management.

Through both professional development courses and their Masters programs in the municipal/urban services, engineering, and environmental sectors, WEDC/LU is a leader in the United Kingdom and elsewhere on utility management strategies, operations, and planning training and research. Since it’s founding in 1994, IP3 has been an important contributor to utility management reform training, research, and consulting, having trained hundreds of participants from over 175 countries worldwide. The combined experience and leadership of these two institutions in the field of utility management and reform is unparalleled, and the knowledge gained from participants by achieving the professional certification will have global reach.


Standards in Utility Management

The Certified Utility Management Specialist™ program was created to foster standards of knowledge, understanding, and skills set development in the field of utility management that are highly valued by governments, private sector firms, financial institutions, NGOs, and other relevant stakeholders. Our goal is to foster worldwide excellence in the management and operation of competitively run utilities, through standards that are widely recognized and consistently applied. We will do this by successfully identifying, defining, documenting, and championing "best practices" approaches to competitive utility management development and transfer this knowledge to participants through education and training.

Each training course on the Catalog of Approved Courses will have undergone a review to ensure the quality standards consistent with the certification requirements and with adult learning and professional development are being met. At a minimum, all courses will provide intensive training on the current theory, practical issues, and challenges facing decision-makers today in the management and operation of "best-in-class" utilities in a variety of sectors. Training methodologies used focus on transferring of knowledge and exchanging of ideas in an adult learning environment. For further information, please view Standards.

We expect all graduates of the Certified Utility Management Specialist™program to be active practitioners in this field and anticipate that this credential will lead to increased demand and compensation for their services in the industry worldwide.

Requirements of the Certified Utility Management Specialist™ Program

To enter into the professional certification program, participants must be mid-career professionals holding a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) with a minimum of two-years professional experience. To receive the Certified Utility Management Specialist™ certification participants must complete the following requisites:

• Completion of 24.0 continuing education units (CEUs)¹ of training from the list of approved courses of which at minimum 15.0 CEUs must be obtained from IP3 or WEDC/LU’s course offerings and up to 9.0 CEUs may be earned from a third party training institution from the Catalog of Approved Courses (the list of approved courses will be updated regularly as additional qualified courses are added).
• Successful completion of a "pass/fail" essay examination at the conclusion of their course work.
  
• Completion of a comprehensive Utility Management Strategic Action Plan detailing how the participants’ knowledge gained in the field of competitive utility management will be applied on-the-job.
  
  NOTE: Those participants who have received previous training or relevant work experience in some aspect of utility management may be eligible for CEU credit towards the 24.0 CEU units. Please contact registrar@globalcertifications.org more details.
  
  ¹ IP3 and WEDC/LU use the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) definition of a Continuing Education Unit (CEU). 10.0 hours of "contact" training is the equivalent of 1.0 earned CEU (for example, a one-week training course with six hours of "contact" training per day would earn 3.0 CEUs). "Contact" is defined as classroom sessions, professional site visits, session preparations, and action planning development. For further information on CEU standards, please visit www.iacet.org. IP3 is an Authorized Provider of IACET CEUs.

Key Benefits to the Certified Utility Management Specialist™ Program

Enhance Job-Related Skills for Professional Career Advancement. Each professional certification is geared towards both short-term and immediate job skills enhancement and long-term career development. By obtaining a "Professional Certification", you will have the requisite expert skills set to provide top quality services to your institution and be recognized internationally as a specialist in your field.

Practical and Convenient Course Scheduling for Busy Professionals. Our courses are offered in locations worldwide and are conducted in convenient one-to-three week time periods. Soon-to-be-offered e-learning ("online") courses will allow participants to take courses "any place and any time". This allows for maximum concentration on the course subject matter without significant time away from the office.

Work With and Be Qualified to Join Our Distinguished Faculty. IP3 and WEDC/LU faculty are selected and retained based on two premises: their practical work experience in the appropriate subject matter and their ability to teach and communicate in an adult learning environment. All of our faculty have hands-on, practical experience and all have extensive teaching capabilities. Once certified, all graduate become eligible to join the global faculty as a resource in future IP3/WEDC/LU programs.

Global and Comprehensive Depth of Utility Management. The partnership between IP3 and WEDC/LU spans five continents, over 200 countries, thousands of alumni, and scores of project activities. There is no greater leadership in the utility management field.

Who Should Become a Certified Utility Management Specialist™ ?

Managers and Directors of Utilities responsible for overall management, leadership, and corporate governance of both public and private sector utilities in the water, electricity, telecommunications, transportation, and municipal services sectors.

National, State, or Local Government Officials responsible for planning, managing, and monitoring utility improvement, commercialization, and reform programs in all relevant sectors.

Donor Agency Officials responsible for planning and financing utility operations, expanding service coverage, and transitioning utilities to commercial operations programs.

Engineers, Economists, and Financial Analysts from utilities, regulatory agencies, or other organizations seeking to advance in utility leadership positions within their industry.

Consultants and Professors involved with providing advice and technical assistance to utilities.

Individual Course Certificates and Overall Professional Certification

Each participant who attends a course from the approved course list for the Certified Utility Management Specialist™program will receive a certificate of achievement from the organization that is sponsoring the particular training course.

Once the requirements for the overall Certified Utility Management Specialist™ program is completed, a joint certificate from the Institute for Public-Private Partnerships and the Water, Engineering and Development Centre of Loughborough University will be issued proclaiming satisfactory completion of the requirements of the professional certification program.

Approved Courses for the Certified Utility Management Specialist™ Program

The Catalog of Approved Courses contains the currently approved courses for Certified Utility Management Specialist™ program, including course titles, sponsoring organization, curriculum, and contact information. Links from this page can take you to all relevant course and registration information.

Third party training vendors who would like their training courses considered for the approved course listing must complete the Training Provider Application Form.

For institutions that would like a customized training course to be conducted by IP3 and/or WEDC/LU to be considered as an approved course for the professional certification program should contact registrar@globalcertifications.org for more details.

NOTE: Those participants who have received previous training or work experience in some aspect of utility management may be eligible for CEU credit towards the 24.0 CEU units. Please contact registrar@globalcertifications.org for more details.

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