Enterprise Engagement Alliance Curriculum 2.0 Is Launched
The fully updated online Enterprise Engagement Certification and Learning program is now available at Enterprise Engagement Academy from the not-for-profit Enterprise Engagement Alliance. The online Certification program is the first step for professionals seeking to gain a proficiency in this emerging field that can be enhanced by actual practice and training in other areas of engagement.
The Enterprise Engagement Academy Curriculum and Certification program was created in 2012 in conjunction with publication of the book, Enterprise Engagement: The Roadmap, available at Amazon.com. Since then the book and related courses have undergone two revisions. The updated online Learning program features six modules broken into short sessions and quizzes, so that people can learn and test themselves over time. Key elements of the Curriculum program are presented each year at Engagement University, this year held April 19-20 in Chicago.
The Enterprise Engagement Alliance was founded to create a formal field dedicated to fostering the proactive involvement of people across the enterprise. The EEA’s activities include development of a formal Curriculum and Certification program, the Engagement Strategies Media business at EnterpriseEngagement.org to provide ongoing information about the field, and other outreach activities. The EEA is a member of the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) U.S. Technical Advisory Group 260 for Human Resources. The EEA’s proposal to create formal engagement standards was recently approved by the ISO, with Bruce Bolger, Founder of the EEA, as Project Leader for that effort.
The vision of the Enterprise Engagement Academy is to provide a comprehensive learning opportunity, not only about the overall field of enterprise engagement, but also an overview of the many individual disciplines of which it is comprised. The goal is to empower a growing number of professionals who understand how to address different audiences, how the various disciplines of engagement work together, and how to better integrate leadership coaching, engagement assessment, recruitment, learning, communications, innovation, rewards and recognition, analytics, etc.
The Goal: A Common Vision, Nomenclature and Framework
The prime benefit for professionals to participate in the Certification and Learning program is to share a common nomenclature and implementation framework that can be measured, and to demonstrate to colleagues or clients an understanding of the engagement process and effective design. As in any other field, each expert and/or solution provider brings a unique approach based on their experience and expertise.
According to Allan Schweyer, Chairman of the not-for-profit Enterprise Engagement Academy, the purpose of the Certification and Learning program is to help address confusion in the management world related to the definition of engagement and the most effective process for implementation and measurement. At the time of its creation, the EEA did not envision the possibility that ISO would consider formal engagement standards. The EEA is sharing its intellectual property with the framers of the new standards and will adapt its own education program to any formal standards that eventually arise from the ISO effort.
Certification Levels
The Enterprise Engagement Alliance has three levels of proficiency. Each is recognized by the non-profit education research and certification organization TMLU, and by the non-profit Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) for certification and continuing education credit.
1. Certified Engagement Practitioner (CEP). Certification starts with a means for professionals to learn and demonstrate an understanding of the Enterprise Engagement framework, audience characteristics, implementation, and measurement process. This is accomplished through the online training program and quizzes. The Certified Engagement Practitioner can explain the fundamentals of engagement across the enterprise, but has not yet demonstrated detailed knowledge related to program design.
2. The Advanced Engagement Professional (AEP). This level requires a CEP to submit examples of an actual program that has been implemented for an organization (organization name does not have to be revealed for publication) or example plans created on a hypothetical basis following the Enterprise Engagement framework. This series of documents normally comprises 1,200 or more words and includes the goals and objectives of a process designed to achieve clear goals related to customers, employees, vendors, communities, or a combination thereof. It includes the assessment, leadership, communication, learning, collaboration and innovation, rewards and recognition, and analytics elements that comprise the Enterprise Engagement framework.
3. The Master Engagement Professional (MEP). This level requires an AEP to demonstrate having had at least 5 years of experience in sales, marketing, human resources or other management positions that require an understanding of the key levers of engagement and audiences involved. In addition, MEPs must hold related certifications from at least three EEA certification partners, or complete a detailed practicum describing an actual project in which he or she played a significant role and which follows the Enterprise Engagement framework.
Click here for a list of the people who have gained various levels of proficiency.
Maintaining the Certification
To keep certifications updated, practitioners need to earn 120 Professional Education Credits (PECs) every three years. The EEA will publish a list of approved certifications shortly.
Training and Certification Costs
The Certification and Learning program is included in the individual ($125) and corporate annual membership ($500) of the not-for-profit Enterprise Engagement Alliance. Click here for more information.
For information, contact:
Allan Schweyer
