The new accreditation system will be tiered, and based on accreditation for Centre Member practitioners participating in and successfully completing the Centre’s executive education and professional development programs.

The accreditation framework will also entitle eligible practitioners to use the Centre’s certified post-nominals (listed later in this post). A record of accreditation and eligibility for practitioners to use accreditation post-nominals will be able to be checked by contacting the Centre, which maintains records of participation in professional development programs on its database.

The new framework comprises four tiers: Foundation, Advanced, Leadership, and Eminent.

Foundation – MCCPA
Any public affairs practitioner working in a Centre Member company is eligible to use the post-nominal MCCPA accreditation – Member Centre for Corporate Public Affairs.

The MCCPA post-nominal can only be used with the authorisation of the Centre while a practitioner is working in an entity that is a Centre Member.

Practitioners can check their MCCPA status by contacting the Centre. Details of team members in Member entities are maintained on the Centre’s secure database.

Advanced – GCCPA
Practitioners in Member entities who have achieved a requisite of 40 credits in any three years will be accredited as a Graduate of the Centre for Corporate Public Affairs (GCCPA), and are eligible to use the post-nominal GCCPA accreditation. Credit points for the GCCPA will be backdated for Centre modules completed since 2015.

Each Centre executive education module carries credit points, and 40 credit points are required in any 36 months to obtain and maintain a GCCPA accreditation. Credit points available include:

- the Centre’s Institute x 30 credit points
- between 5 and 10 credit points for completing a full day module, depending on the level of content
- between 5 and 10 credit points for completing a Centre module online
- x 15 credit points for participating in the Annual Head of Function and Senior Practitioner Roundtable
- x 2 credit points for participating in a Centre webinar
- x 3 credit points for attending the Centre’s Annual Oration
- x 2 credit points in any one year (self-assessment) for reading the Centre Newsletter, listening to the Centre’s podcasts, or reading the Centre’s blog.

Leadership – FCCPA
A Fellow of the Centre for Corporate Public Affairs (FCCPA) is an accreditation available for leaders in the function whose employing entity is a Member of the Centre for Corporate Public Affairs. Centre Fellows are eligible to use the post-nominal FCCPA accreditation.

A practitioner is eligible for FCCPA accreditation and use of the FCCPA post-nominal when:
• the practitioner has participated in the Centre’s International Best Practice Study Tour, and within any 36 months participates in the Centre’s Annual Head of Function and Senior Practitioner Roundtable, or
• the practitioner has in any two years been a Guest Faculty Member in a Centre executive education module, and within any 24 months participates in the Centre’s Annual Head of Function and Senior Practitioner Roundtable
• the practitioner has participated in the Centre’s International Best Practice Study Tour, and in any 24 months has been a Guest Faculty member in a Centre executive education module.

Eminent – SFCCPA
The Senior Fellow of the Centre for Corporate Public Affairs (SFCCPA) is awarded by the Centre for outstanding and sustained innovation, leadership, and performance in professional development in corporate public affairs. The Fellow need not be employed by an entity that is a Member of the Centre for Corporate Public Affairs.

The SFCCPA may not necessarily be awarded annually. When it is awarded, it is done so at the Centre’s Annual Oration.

We are confident that this new approach to accreditation across the Centre’s membership in Australia, New Zealand, and Asia will further cement corporate public affairs as a management discipline, and as a professional management function.