Certification Promotion: Adding Value Through Certification
We hope the following tips will provide additional ideas to join us in our effort to promote The IIA's certification programs in your institute. You can always contact us for more information or to provide suggestions for your certification's promotional and development efforts. Also, don't hesitate to provide feedback regarding your institute's successes with certification promotion.

Exam Study Groups or Review Courses

• Establish an exam study group or review course for those members registered to sit for IIA examinations.
• Arrange for a review-course leader or ask volunteer members who are CIAs, CCSAs, CGAPs, or CFSAs to assist the study group participants in preparing for the exam.
• Notify Pat Brame at patricia.brame@theiia.org of your institute review course so that it can be added to the official listing on The IIA Web site.

Recognize Member CIAs, CCSAs, CGAPs, and CFSAs

• Include formal recognition of all your CIAs, CCSAs, CGAPs, and CFSAs at institute functions.
• Use your institute newsletter to list member CIAs, CCSAs, CGAPs, and CFSAs. Identify their organizations and positions within the organization.
• Profile a member CIA, CCSA, CGAP, or CFSA in your institute newsletter. Focus on a different member each month and include his or her educational background, professional experience, accomplishments, involvement in IIA, impact of certification on career, advice for career advancement, outside interests, etc. Sample questions may include: What motivated them to become certified? How have they benefited from certification? What role did it play in their career progression? And what study tips can they provide?
• Announce the names of members that have just received their designation. Print a list in institute newsletter and encourage others to pursue their certification.
• Have your members' organizations recognize their accomplishments -- give copies of the sample announcement to your members to forward to the their organization for inclusion in their internal newsletter or for posting throughout the organization. All they have to do is fill in the blanks.
• Send out news releases to your local media - fill in the information indicated and send it to the business editors of your local and suburban newspapers in your area. Send it out at least one week prior to the date of your meeting. Or use the sample news release to send out announcements on your individual members' achievements.
• Order any special items you'll need for presentation such as awards, lapel pins, plaques, or special commemorative gifts. (Available from Shane Inc.)
• Order CIA, CCSA, CGAP, and CFSA stackable ribbons to recognize their accomplishment.

Institute Promotion

• Obtain a proclamation - fill in the information indicated and contact your state governor, city mayor, or head of state to make it official.
• Create a flyer on benefits of certification or list benefits in your newsletter.
• Encourage institute leadership to set the example.
• Visit with chief audit executives and encourage them and their staffs to become certified.
• Have member CIAs, CCSAs, CGAPs, or CFSAs staff a "Help Desk" at institute meetings. They can provide answers to questions about the certification programs. This is also a good place to showcase IIA promotional materials.
• Have a member CIA, CCSA, CFSA and CGAP coordinate an institute pre-meeting presentation on professional designations. The presentation should provide members with information about designations that are beneficial to their careers. The goal would be to expose members to designations available to internal auditors and play up the importance of The IIA's certification programs. (PowerPoint presentations can be downloaded from the links above.)
• Invite all CIAs, CCSAs, CGAPs, and CFSAs to stand up and give one reason why they think their designation is important to them. Make a list and include this certification benefit list in your next newsletter to help promote IIA designations and its importance to career progression.
• Display certification brochures at all institute events. If additional copies are needed, contact our customer service center.
• Let your CIA candidates know that they may be eligible to receive professional recognition credit for CIA exam part IV if they have successfully completed examination requirements for any one of the wide variety of designations.
• Don't forget IIA celebrities - invite certified executive committee members and regional and district directors to present certificates to make your recognition ceremonies special. Ask IIA dignitaries to make a presentation regarding the importance of certification in their career.
• Hold a contest and award special gifts to the individual(s) who can correctly identify the answers to an IIA certification history quiz. Don't hesitate to let us know if you need historical questions developed.

Institute Announcements

• Remind your members of upcoming exam dates and deadlines.
• Announce important changes to The IIA's certification programs.