Maintaining Your CITP|FIBP Certification

Maintaining Your CITP|FIBP Certification

 

Maintaining Your CITP Designation

Certification is valid for a three-year period from the date of certification indicated on your certificate; your current three-year cycle dates can also be viewed in your online account. CITPs must maintain the designation by meeting the following requirements:

  • Continual Learning: Completing thirty (30) Professional Development Units (PDUs) over each three-year certification period
  • Ethics: Annual agreement to abide by the CITP Standards of Ethical Conduct
  • Fees: Payment of all annual CITP dues during the recertification period

These requirements are summarized below and are detailed in the CITP Candidate Handbook. Maintenance requirements are strictly enforced, and it is your responsibility to comply with all policies and procedures. Failure to meet these requirements will result in loss of certification (see the Failure to Recertify and the Reinstatement sections below).

 

Recertification Requirements Rationale

Periodic recertification is required to promote professional development and continued learning to ensure that individuals who hold the credential maintain an ongoing commitment to learning in their area(s) of practice to strengthen their knowledge and skills.

Recertification also provides encouragement to, and acknowledgement for, participation in ongoing professional development activities. To support this purpose, the recertification requirements require continuing education and professional development activities that enhance ongoing professional development, encourage opportunities for new learning, and provide a process for both planning and recording professional development achievements. The rationale for each requirement adopted by the Certification Council, based on SME recommendations, can be reviewed within the CITP Candidate Handbook.

 

Variants of the CITP

The certification scheme includes the following variants of the CITP:

  • Retired CITP:
    • Individuals that have previously qualified for the CITP who cease professional activity by way of retirement are able to use a retired designation status.
    • Retired CITP status requests must be approved by FITT. Please contact certification@fitt.ca to obtain access to the Declaration of Retirement form.
    • Recipients cannot continue use of the retired status if they resume international trade professional activity.
    • Retired CITPs are exempt from continual learning requirements only.
  • Honourary CITP:
    • The Certification Council awards the Honourary CITP to senior experienced international trade practitioners who are recognized leaders and outstanding practitioners within their professional community.
    • FITT Board or Certification Council recommends Honourary candidate for Certification Council’s consideration. Candidates’ entry route is by the invitation of the FITT Certification Council.
    • Honouary CITPs are exempt from recertification requirements.

 

Ethics and Fees

CITPs are required to complete the Annual CITP Dues and Ethics Attestation Form available via their online account by the annual deadline; your annual deadline can be viewed in your online account. Failure to complete the annual requirements by the annual renewal date will result in your certification being listed as inactive. If your certification is inactive you may not represent yourself as certified and may not use the credential until you receive official notice that the annual requirements have been satisfied. You are required to complete the annual requirements to maintain certified status during the three-year certification period.

For a complete list of certification fees, refer to the CITP Certification Fee Schedule.

 

Continual Learning

CITPs must complete 30 hours of professional development units (PDUs) over each 3-year certification cycle. The mandatory certification maintenance process provides CITPs with the opportunity to create an individualized professional development plan, demonstrate the reinforcement and expansion of their knowledge and skills, and retain their knowledge of current practice.

    Only PDU activities directly related to the CITP competencies and exam outline are accepted.

    You can earn PDUs through a variety of activities including workshops, conferences, conventions, seminars, college/university courses, webinars, presentations and authorship, and in-service training events. The following includes an updated list of acceptable professional development activities, breakdown of number of PDUs awarded and required evidence for each activity.

    All PDU activities are subject to review and approval:

    • Only PDU activities directly related to the CITP competencies and exam outline are accepted.
    • Credit is only granted after the activity has been completed and documented.
    • Credit is not granted for time spent at networking or social functions or for breaks.

    Evidence must show:

    • Evidence of attendance and/or completion (as specified in the following table)
    • Date(s) of activity
    • Length in time or start and end times of the activity
    • Provider of the activity
    • Description of topics covered by the activity

     

    Professional Development Activities

    PDUs Awarded

    Required Documentation

    Participation in workshops, seminars, webinars, and/or training events

    1 PDU for each hour of instruction

    Evidence of attendance includes, but is not limited to, certificates of completion, certificates of participation, letter verifying attendance, syllabus

    Participation in conferences/ conventions

    1 PDU for each hour of instruction

    Evidence of attendance includes, but is not limited to, certificates of completion, certificates of participation, letter verifying attendance, conference program and receipt of attendance

    Instructor-led formal education held in-person or online through college/university or other training organization

    1 PDU for each hour of instruction

    Transcripts verifying course credit

    Self-paced online learning

    1 PDU for each hour of instruction

    Evidence of completion includes, but is not limited to, certificates of completion, letter verifying completion, transcripts verifying credits achieved

    Auditing of FITTskills courses (applicable only to certificants who have not previously taken the courses)

    1 PDU for each hour of instruction

     Attestation of course completion

    Authorship of an article, book chapter, or book (all content must be directly related to international trade)

    2 PDUs for each article, 10 PDUs for each book chapter, 10 PDUs for each peer-reviewed academic journal article, and 30 PDUs for each book

    Copy of published content with individual listed as author

    Presentation/delivery of a course, workshop, seminar, webinar, and/or training event, podcast and/or vodcast

    3 PDUs for each hour of instruction

    Evidence of session with individual listed as presenter

    Co-producing/co-developing content for a course, workshop, seminar, webinar, training event, podcast and/or vodcast 1 PDU for each hour of instruction for co-producing/co-developing content Evidence of session with individual listed as co-producer/co-developer

    Participation in formal FITT curriculum initiatives, including developing/reviewing/validating content for courses, evaluating student assessments, providing subject matter expertise in student activities

    1 PDU for every hour of participation

    Evidence of participation is provided by FITT

    Participation in the CITP exam development activities (e.g., item writing, item review, cut score studies)

    1 PDU for every hour of participation

    Evidence of participation is provided by FITT

    In-service training provided by employers including, but not limited to, lunch and learn sessions

    1 PDU for every hour of participation

    Evidence provided by employer, including but not limited to, email confirmation

    Active participation in a formal mentorship program, either as a mentor or mentee (receiving mentorship from a CITP)

    1 PDU for every hour of mentorship (Maximum of 5 PDUs over each three-year period)

    Verification of participation from the program sponsor, employer, or other appropriate third party

    Work as an international trade practitioner (your work in a domain area related to the CITP competencies)

    2 PDUs per year for full-time employment (30+ hours per week) or 1 PDU per year for part-time employment (less than 30 hours per week)
    (Maximum of 6 PDUs over each three-year period)

    Evidence of employment includes, but is not limited to, job description, letter from employer, letter from clients (self-employed)


    Important considerations:

    • You can begin earning PDUs as soon as you are CITP certified
    • PDUs must be obtained during each certification renewal cycle
    • You cannot carry over PDUs from previous cycles
    • All PDU activities are subject to review and approval
    • Credit is only granted after the activity has been completed and documented
    • Credit is not granted for time spent and networking or social functions or for breaks
    • To maintain the integrity of FITT’s certification program, a percentage of CITPs are selected randomly for PDU audit each year

    Professional development activities must be tracked through the tracking system accessible in your online account. The dashboard helps you keep track of your accumulated PDU credits. CITPs are encouraged to add their professional development activities as they complete them.

     

    Applying for Recertification

    Certification is valid for a three-year period from the date of certification indicated on your certificate; your current three-year cycle dates can also be viewed in your online account. Submit the CITP Recertification Application form via your online account at least sixty days before your three-year certification period expires. As part of the recertification process, you will need to confirm that your annual CITP dues have been paid and that your certification remains valid and in good standing. Outstanding annual CITP dues will need to be paid in advance of submitting the online recertification form.

    Recertification Application Verification
    The Certification Council reserves the right to audit and verify any information provided on recertification applications. 

    A portion of recertification applications are audited to ensure that all requirements are met. If your application is selected for audit, the documented proof of completion you provided with your recertification application will be reviewed for confirmation that all requirements are met. Evidence of all continuing education activities completed since the date of last recertification is required. You should retain documentation/evidence as backup, after uploading it with your application, in case further information is needed. You are advised to retain all recertification documentation for at least 4 years after each recertification deadline.

    If any areas of non-compliance are identified during the audit (or any review of a recertification application) you have 60 days to submit any required information. If the required information is not provided, your certification will expire at the end of the allowed time or on the normal expiration date (whichever comes last). If your application is selected for audit and you do not respond or do not submit the requested documentation, certification is not renewed. 

    Incomplete Applications
    Recertification applications are considered incomplete if any of the required information is missing and/or illegible, or if all CITP annual dues have not been paid. Recertification applications must be complete before they are processed and approved.

    Recertification Acceptance
    A recertification notice and updated certificate is issued once all renewal requirements have been met and CITP dues have been paid. Recertification applications are not accepted if certification is in a state of suspension or has been revoked.

     

    Failure to Recertify

    Recertification is mandatory for all certificants. If you do not successfully recertify by your expiration date you are no longer certified. If certification is not renewed it will expire on the last day of the month three years after the certification was last earned. Once your certification has expired or been suspended or revoked you may not represent yourself as certified and may not use the credential until you receive official notice that the recertification requirements have been satisfied or that certification status has been reinstated. 

     

    Reinstatement

    If certification has been expired for 365 days or less, you may reinstate by meeting all of the recertification requirements, submitting a complete recertification application, and paying all outstanding CITP required annual dues. If the application is approved, your expiration date for the reinstated credential will be the same as if the certification had been renewed on time.

    If certification has been expired for more than 365 days, you must reapply for certification, meet all eligibility requirements in effect at the time of re-application, and pass the examination. 
     

    Questions?

    Carefully review the detailed information contained in the CITP Candidate Handbook for complete details regarding the CITP designation. Contact certification@fitt.ca with any questions.

     

    Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) is trademarked for use within Canada. FITT International Business Professional (FIBP) is trademarked for use internationally. Both reflect the same FITT certified designation.