The International Trade Centre (ITC) and Institute for Supply Management (ISM) have entered into an agreement based on mutual recognition of each institution’s supply chain management certification programs. Under the joint initiative, current holders of ITC’s Modular Learning System in Supply Chain Management (MLS-SCM) diploma who also have at least three years of professional experience can apply to ISM to obtain the Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) credential. Likewise, current CPSM holders can apply to ITC to obtain an MLS-SCM diploma.

Patricia Francis, ITC executive director, said the agreement between the two organizations highlights the importance of working toward common standards. “This agreement comes in response to a changing global marketplace in which professionals are expected to be more mobile than ever before and have widely recognized qualifications suited to an international career,” Francis said.

Thomas W. Derry, ISM CEO praised the cooperative relationship for its goal of providing a wider range of services to supply chain management professionals. “Both our organizations recognize the role purchasing and supply management make to corporate, national and international prosperity,” Derry said. “This reciprocity agreement will allow supply management professionals to possess globally recognized credentials that will amplify their influence and impact in the global marketplace.”

ITC has offered the MLS-SCM professional certification program since 2002 through a network of licensed institutions in more than 50 countries. The Modular Learning System in Supply Chain Management is composed of 18 modules covering a comprehensive set of skills and knowledge required in a changing global marketplace.