1. What are the benefits of being certified as CITBCM?

• To enable IT professionals have the required domain knowledge, such as Data Centre, IT Disaster Recovery Planning (ITDR) and Business Continuity Management (BCM) to carry out more holistic resiliency planning for its organization.
• To attest to have proper skill sets and domain knowledge in maintain resilience of the IT systems, and ensuring the operational efficiency of the Data Centre.
• To achieve professional recognition to an individual in the IT business resilience area, which include Data Centre and BCM.
• To obtain sound knowledge using proper data centre management, IT disaster recovery planning and business continuity management towards a business perspective.

2. Am I eligible?
The Certification is intended for:

• Those who intended to make a career as IT manager trained with ITDR, BCM and Data Centre.
• IT professionals who are involved in management of data centre and business continuity.
• Experienced IT managers who want to attain recognized professional qualification.

3. If I do not have a recognized diploma/degree, can I apply to be CITBCM?

• Yes, you can still apply for CITBCM (Associate) or CITBCM.
• However, you have to take the NUS-ISS preparatory course, pass exam and submit your competency report, which will be assessed by the Board of Assessor.

4. If I do not have knowledge and skills in BCM, can I apply to be CITBCM?

• Yes, as long as you have at least 1 year experience in one of the domains – ITDR, Data Centre or BCM and attend the NUS-ISS preparatory course, pass the exam and submit the competency report, which will be assessed by the Board of Assessor, you will be eligible for the Associate CITBCM.
• If you have 3 or more years of experience in one of the domains and at least 1 year experience in the other two domains, and attend the ISS preparatory course, pass the exam and submit the competency report, which will be assessed by the Board of Assessor, you will be eligible for the CITBCM.

5. Can non-members apply to be CITBCM?

• All applicants must be SCS members.
• If you not a member of SCS, you can apply for certification and membership at the same time.

6. When is the certification enrolment?

• Enrolment will start in May and November of each year.
• For pilot certification, the enrolment will start from today and closing date is 30 July 2010.

7. Does CITBCM certification cover IT infrastructure and data centre?

• Yes, the certification will equip you with the skills and competence not just in IT or BCM, but a combination of 3 domain knowledge in IT System Recovery, Data Centre and Business Continuity Management. This will help you in ensuring holistic resiliency of the critical IT systems and business functions with strong foundation & management on the infrastructure of the Data Centre.
• Yes, the certification will provide you with sound knowledge using proper IT disaster recovery planning, data centre management and business continuity planning towards a business perspective.

8. When will my certification expire?

• The tenure of the CITBCM certification is 5 years.
• CITBCM must keep the SCS membership valid and apply for re-certification to maintain the professional title.

9. What is the difference between CITBCM and other BCM certifications e.g. DRII, BCI, etc?

• Practitioners for each of three domains – ITDR, DC and BCM often operate independently and do not fully understand and appreciate the concerns of the other. CITBCM is developed to encompass all three domain areas.
• The CITBCM shall comprise 7 key competency areas, which will inter-relate the 3 domains:
  1. Program Management
  2. Risk Management
  3. Business & Technology Impact Analysis
  4. Resiliency Strategy
  5. Planning and Testing
  6. Crisis Communications Management
  7. Audit, Review and Maintenance

10. Which are the universities that have accredited CITBCM so far?

• The certification is a first of its kind in Singapore and the region, so the CITBCM resource panel will continue to develop the certification in the following months to get accreditation from the universities such as NUS, NTU, SMU, SIM, and etc

11. Do I have to take CITBCM course and exam to attain certification?

• Yes, if you have a diploma/degree and less than 3 years experience in all three domain areas.
• No, if you have more than 6 years experience in all three domains – ITDR, DC and BCM.

12. Who is the current appointed course and exam agent?

• NUS–Institute of Systems Science (ISS) is the appointed course and exam agent for CITBCM preparatory course.

13. Is the course and exam funded under CITREP?

• Yes, the 5-day course and examination will be funded by CITREP. The application is in process – subject to CITREP approval.

14. Is the exam compulsory?
Yes, the exam is compulsory for CITBCM (Associate) and CITBCM.

For CITBCM (Associate) applicants:

• Upon passing the exam, you will be required to submit a competency experience report of minimum 2,000 words. The report will be assessed by the Board of Assessor.

• Upon passing the exam, you will be required to submit a competency experience report of minimum 4,000 words. The report will be assessed by the Board of Assessor.

15. Is the course compulsory?
Yes, the course and exam is compulsory for CITBCM (Associate) and CITBCM.

For CITBCM (Associate) applicants:

• 5–day CITBCM preparatory course and exam is compulsory.
• Applicant should possess at least a diploma/degree.
• Applicant should have at least 1 year experience in ONE domain – ITDR, DC or BCM.

• 5–day CITBCM preparatory course and exam is compulsory.
• Applicant should possess at least a diploma/degree.
• Applicant should have at least 3 years experience in ONE of the domains AND 1 year experience in each of the other two domains.

16. When are the exam held?

• Exams are held twice a year in February and August.

17. When will the courses commence?

• 5 – day CITBCM preparatory course: August 2010

18. Who can I contact for more information on course and exam?

• Contact NUS-ISS at 6516 2020 or email: isstraining@nus.edu.sg
• Website at www.iss.nus.edu.sg

19. How can I go about applying for this certification?
The application process will require 3 copies of each of the following documents:

1. Application Form   (Form BCM1)
2. Self-Assessment Report   (Form BCM2A)
3. Validator Assessment Report   (Form BCM2B)
4. Competency Experience report
5. Educational Certificates
6. Letter of Recommendation from Employer
7. Curriculum Vitae
8. CITBCM Exam certificate (For CITBCM Associate and CITBCM)
9. SCS Membership Application (For non-member)
10. Certification fee and membership fee

20. Who can I contact for more information about CITBCM certification?

• Please contact SCS certification secretariat (CITBCM) at 6226 2567 x 12.