IASA CITA-P Certification

In 2012 after many years working as a Enterprise/System Architect I wanted to verify my skills via certification. Many of the certification programs were vendor specific and mainly knowledge based. You read the book, do the course and then take the test. However I was looking for a certification which was based on real experience, which was not vendor specific and was recognised globally. I had taken the IPMA Project Management certification which was experience based and found that I not only verified the skills I have, but also allowed for time to reflected on my experience and how I could improve my skills. A really worthwhile certification. After some searching I found the IASA CITA-P Certification which has a similar model to IPMA and is a widely recognised certification for IT Architects.

IASA CITA-P has a three stage process:

• Application
• Submission of Assessment Documentation
• Interview with a Panel

The certification required that self-assessment documentation be supplied which was estimated to take around 80 hours. In actual fact I think it took around 160 hours to write the documentation and compile my references but it was worth it. The certification required a lot of effort and was challenging but at the same time was inspiring, opened new perspectives and provided insight into myself as an Enterprise/System Architect.

Application and Acceptance

In order to be accepted for the certification I had to supply a CV, Assessment Document and attend a telephone interview with IASA to ensure that I had the right level of experience to take the certification. Once my application was accepted I received instructions regarding the Self Assessment documentation.

IASA Proficiency

The proficiency assessment consisted of following pillars which are described in detail in the ITABoK:

• Business Technology Strategy
• IT Environment
• Design Skills
• Human Dynamic
• Quality Attributes
• Software Architecture

This was where a lot of the effort was placed in the certification. Each of these pillars have a number of sub-sections where the candidate describes their experience and knowledge in the given skill areas, this is supported with examples of work from projects the candidate has been active in.

Candidate Experience

The second document to be submitted is the Candidate Experience document and is based on a description of experience from projects. The candidate is required to describe experience in terms of project failures and successes. This was basically a case of selecting actual projects I been involved in, detailing the experiences and what I had learned from these projects.

Interview with Panel

After submission of the documentation I was called to an interview with the panel of assessors. I was required to give a presentation for the panel regarding IT Architecture. After that there were two sessions of question and answer. This was possibly the most nerve racking part of the process as the panel directed a sustained series of questions based on the assessment throughout the interview. After the interview was complete the panel thanked me for my time and then it was just a case of waiting for the result.

Conclusion

Looking back at this certification I can say that it did require a great deal of effort. During the certification I had a chance to reflect on my experience as an architect and perhaps gain another perspective on my skills. Even after the certification process I continue to be inspired and motivated from having received the certification and from being a member of IASA.
I would highly recommend this certification program to any Enterprise/System Architects who are looking for a professional certification. It is a challenging but very rewarding experience.