Article I. Members of the Board of Directors

Members of the Board of Directors may represent accredited, active, or associate members.

Section 1. Accredited. Accredited members are members with Certified Public Manager® programs which have been accredited by the National Certified Public Manager® Consortium. Accreditation will be granted for a five-year period.

Section 2. Active. Active members are members which have applied for membership and which are developing their programs for accreditation. Active membership will be granted for an indefinite period.

Section 3. Associate. Associate members are members which have an interest in establishing Certified Public Manager® programs but which do not meet the criteria for active membership. Associate memberships will be granted for two-year periods and may be renewed upon written application.


Article II. Applications for Membership

Section 1. Accredited. A written request for an initial accreditation review or a review for continued accreditation is an application for accredited member status.

Section 2. Active. Active membership may be requested in writing by an associate member. The application must include a letter from the Governor or other appropriate governmental officials which demonstrates support for the proposed program.

Section 3. Associate. Associate membership may be requested in writing by an eligible entity with an interest in establishing a Certified Public Manager® program. 

Section 4. Action. Accredited and active memberships will be granted upon a majority vote of the accredited and active members of the Board of Directors. Associate memberships will be granted upon favorable action on the application by the Executive Council. (Amended 5/99)

Section 5. Inactive. A member may be placed on inactive status by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors for non-payment of fees, non-attendance at annual meetings, lack of continued accreditation, failure to maintain program standards or lack of graduates. Prior to a vote a task force appointed by the Chair will review and recommend action to the Board. Inactive status is subject to annual review by the Board of Directors. (Adopted 5/99)

Section 6. Withdrawal. Requests for withdrawal of membership or of accreditation will be made in writing to the Chair of the Board of Directors and may be submitted at any time. (Amended 5/99)


Article III. Accreditation

Section 1. Purpose. Accreditation standards outlined in Section 2 of this article are standards which are intended to maintain and improve the quality of Certified Public Manager® programs. The standards are not intended to dictate curriculum or administrative specifics for each program but are intended to provide a framework within which each program may be evaluated.

Section 2. Standards.

A. Program Administration. Each program must have an advisory board including representation from local and state government and provisions for membership for, one or more CPM graduates and which will support the program by constructive review of curriculum and administrative procedures.
(Amended 9/07)

B. Program Design. Each program will provide opportunities for participants to apply the training to their work environment situations. The core curriculum shall incorporate the following competencies.

1. Personal and Organizational Integrity
Increasing awareness, building skills and modeling behaviors related to identifying potential ethical problems and conflicts of interest; appropriate workplace behavior; and legal and policy compliance.

2. Managing Work
Meeting organizational goals through effective planning, prioritizing, organizing and aligning human, financial, material and information resources. Empowering others by delegating clear job expectations; providing meaningful feedback and coaching; creating a motivational environment and measuring performance. Monitoring workloads and documenting performance. Dealing effectively with performance problems.

3. Leading People
Inspiring others to positive action through a clear vision; promotes a diverse workforce. Encouraging and facilitating cooperation, pride, trust and group identity; fostering commitment and team spirit. Articulating a vision, ideas and facts in a clear and organized way; effectively managing emotions and impulses.

4. Developing Self
Demonstrating commitment to continuous learning, self-awareness and individual performance planning through feedback, study and analysis.

5. Systemic Integration
Approaching planning, decision-making and implementation from an enterprise perspective; understanding internal and external relationships that impact the organization.

6. Public Service Focus
Delivering superior services to the public and internal and external recipients; including customer/client identification, expectations, needs and developing and implementing paradigms, processes and procedures that exude positive spirit and climate; demonstrating agency and personal commitment to quality service.

7. Change Leadership
Acting as a change agent; initiating and supporting change within the organization by implementing strategies to help others adapt to changes in the work environment, including personal reactions to change; emphasizing and fostering creativity and innovation; being proactive.

8. Adoption
The competencies shall be incorporated into the curriculum on or before September 2010 by all programs accredited as of September 2005. New members of the Consortium shall design their programs incorporating the competencies at their request for initial accreditation.

Paragraph 8 shall be deleted automatically September 2010. (Section B amended in its entirety 9/06)

C. Program Hours. The program must be at least 300 hours of structured learning activities. At least 250 hours must be instructor or facilitator directed and at least 200 hours address the competencies of the core curriculum. The remaining hours must be approved learning activities with specific learning objectives. Such learning activities may include but are not limited to application projects, structured readings, comprehensive examinations, and other approved workshops/courses. (Amended 9/06)

D. Learning or Job-Related Projects. There must be a requirement for a written demonstration of participants' effectiveness in applying the core competencies to their job environment. (Amended 9/06)

E. Evaluation of Participants. The program must provide substantive evaluation of all competencies described in Section 2B. Evaluation may be by oral examinations, written examinations, or assessment evaluations. (Amended 9/06)

F. Program Evaluation. The program must measure program effectiveness.

G. Enrollment Prerequisite. The program shall not require participants to enroll in or complete an academic degree program as a condition for admission. (Amended 9/06)


Article IV. Program Review Procedures

Section 1. Initial Accreditation Review.

A. Request for Initial Review. When an active member has developed a program which it feels meets all accreditation standards, it may request an accreditation review. Written requests will be made in writing to the Board of Directors no later than six months before the member expects to award the Certified Public Manager® designation. The Chair will appoint an accreditation review committee consisting of three members of the Consortium from the following categories: (1) a Consortium member from an accredited program; (2) a CPM instructor; and (3) a Certified Public Manager®. The Chair of the review committee shall not be a former or current mentor of the requesting member.

B. Program Review Materials. The requesting active member will submit the following program materials to each member of the accreditation review committee:

1. A narrative descriptive overview of the program which provides information such as linkages with higher education and the role of an advisory governing board. (A program brochure will be helpful.)

2. Information concerning the organization and function of the program to include an organization and functions chart which describes responsibilities for administration of the program, funding data, and biographical data on instructors. (Amended 5/99)

3. Copies of program administrative materials such as policies on confidentiality, examinations, job-related project(s), electives, and certification requirements.

4. Coursework delivery schedule.

5. Curriculum materials which include module titles, synopses of key points, learning objectives, and training schedules.

6. Copies of examination or participant evaluation instruments.

7. Copies of coursework evaluation forms and a summary of a random sample of these evaluations.

8. A listing of a representative sample of participants indicating names, addresses and telephone numbers.

9. A statement of perceived strengths and weaknesses (if any) of the program and planned enhancement and corrective actions (if any).

C. Committee Review Actions. The committee will review these program materials and, within ninety calendar days following receipt of all accreditation materials, the committee chair will report committee initial findings and recommendations in writing to the active member and solicit comments. Travel costs incurred as a result of a site visit will be paid by the active member requesting accreditation.

D. Procedures for Initial Accreditation Review. There shall be attached to the Bylaws procedures to be followed in the initial accreditation reviews. These procedures shall be approved and may be amended by the Board of Directors at an annual meeting and shall not be retroactive.

E. Site Visit for Initial Accreditation. A site visit is mandatory for an initial accreditation review. At least one member of the accreditation review committee shall personally visit the program requesting the review. Travel expenses for one committee member to conduct the site visit shall be paid by the member requesting a continued accreditation review. (Amended 9/06)

F. Committee Recommendations. The final report of its findings and recommendations will be submitted to the Board of Directors at the next annual or special meeting. A copy of the final findings and recommendations will be furnished to the active member.

G. Action by Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may grant accreditation, deny accreditation, which may be cause for further action pursuant to Article II of these Bylaws or may grant provisional accreditation. The action of the Board of Directors will be furnished in writing to the active member within fifteen calendar days.

If provisional accreditation is granted, a second accreditation review will be conducted with final action by the Board of Directors taken within six months of initiation. The Board of Directors may grant or deny accreditation as a final action on the application for accreditation.

Section 2. Continued Accreditation Review.

A. Request for Continued Accreditation Review. At an annual meeting one year preceding the expiration of accreditation, accredited members will request in writing accreditation reviews.

B. Procedures for Continued Accreditation Review. There shall be attached to the Bylaws procedures to be followed in the continued accreditation reviews. These procedures shall be approved and may be amended by the Board of Directors at an annual meeting and shall not be retroactive.

C. Site Visit for Continued Accreditation Review. A site visit for continued accreditation is required unless the chair of the Consortium grants a waiver upon the request of the chair of the continued accreditation committee. Travel expenses for one committee member to conduct the site visit shall be paid by the member requesting a continued accreditation review. (Amended 4/02)

Section 3. Development Review. When an active member has developed no more than 50 percent of its program, a developmental review to provide feedback regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the program may be requested in writing to the Board of Directors. The Chair normally will appoint the mentor program as a committee to conduct the developmental review. Travel costs incurred as a result of a site visit will be paid by the member requesting the review. An informal report of the findings and recommendations of the committee will be furnished to the requesting member.

The Board of Directors may initiate a developmental review of an active member if it appears there has been insufficient progress by a member to implement its Program. The Chair will appoint a review committee of at least three representatives of accredited members and will receive its findings and recommendations at the next meeting of the Board of Directors. Travel costs incurred as a result of a site visit will be paid by the member being reviewed.

If this review is not completed because of a failure on the part of the member being reviewed to provide sufficient information for review, the membership status of the member will be assessed in accordance with Article 1, Section 2 of the Bylaws.

Section 4. Special Review. A special review for cause may be conducted at any time at the request of a majority of voting members of the Board of Directors. The Chair will appoint a special review committee consisting of not less than three representatives or accredited members which will submit a report of findings and recommendations at the next meeting of the Board of Directors. The Consortium will fund site visits determined to be required for special reviews.

Section 5. Fee Structure. Fees shall be charged by the Consortium for the Initial Accreditation Review, and each Continued Accreditation Review. An annual meeting fee/membership fee shall be assessed to each accredited, active and associate member. Fees shall be payable to the National Certified Public Manager® Consortium, and mailed to the Consortium’s designated address. Fees are payable as follows: (Amended 6/01)

A. Initial Accreditation Fee - $500.00 payable by check or purchase order at the time the review materials are submitted to the chair of the review committee. Travel expenses for a site visit by one member of the accreditation review committee are payable by the member requesting initial accreditation. (Amended 6/01)

B. Continued Accreditation Fee - $500.00 payable by check or purchase order at the time the review materials are submitted to the chair of the review committee. Travel expenses for a site visit by one member of the accreditation review committee are payable by the member requesting continued accreditation. (Amended 6/01)

C. Annual Dues/Meeting Fee - $400.00 per accredited, active and associate member, payable upon receipt of invoice. (Amended 6/00; 6/04)

D. Payment of Fees (Adopted 6/01)
a. Membership Dues/Annual Meeting Fee

(1) Accredited and active members failing to pay membership fees/annual meeting fee within 90 days of the date of the invoice shall be ineligible to vote or participate in an annual meeting or for an initial or continuing accreditation review until the arrears are paid in full, including the current year and accreditation review fees. An official purchase order is acceptable for payment. (Amended 4/02)

(2) Associate members failing to pay membership dues/annual meeting fee shall be ineligible for renewal of associate status or for active status until the arrears are paid in full, including the current year. An official purchase order is acceptable for payment. (Amended 4/02)

b. Initial or Continuing Accreditation Fees

An active or accredited member requesting initial or continuing accreditation and failing to pay the required fee by the date of the annual meeting shall not be considered for initial or continued accreditation at the annual meeting. An official purchase order is acceptable for payment.

E. Fee Changes. Fees may be changed by the Board of Directors at an annual meeting, but shall not be retroactive. (Amended 5/99)


Article V. Amendments and Exceptions These Bylaws may be amended by a majority of the voting members of the Board of Directors. Proposed amendments to the Bylaws must be distributed to members of the Board of Directors at least thirty days before such amendments are to be considered. Voting on such amendments may be done at any meeting of the Board of Directors, by telephone, or by mail. Exceptions to these Bylaws may be approved by a majority vote of the voting members of the Board of Directors at any meeting of the Board of Directors, by telephone, or by mail.