ISACA launches COBIT 5 Certified Assessor Program

To provide an objective and reliable global benchmark for assessors, ISACA has developed the new COBIT 5 Certified Assessor Program. This program gives enterprises a way to have confidence that IT process assessments are performed by well-trained and qualified professionals. When an organisation engages a COBIT 5 certified assessor, it knows that person has demonstrated the knowledge, experience and skill to do an accurate and thorough job. The program also helps assessors differentiate themselves and build credibility with clients and employers.

COBIT 5 is the business framework for the governance and management of enterprise IT. To acknowledge COBIT 5 expertise and meet the global demand for COBIT 5 training, ISACA, a nonprofit association of 110,000 IT professionals in 180 countries, is offering the COBIT 5 Assessor Program credential and course, and the COBIT 5 Foundation and Implementation courses.

The COBIT 5 Certified Assessor Program recognises professionals who have skills to perform COBIT-based IT process assessments and have experience in planning, building, running and/or monitoring IT processes. The assessments provided by COBIT 5 Certified Assessors help IT leaders gain C-level and board member buy-in for change and improvement initiatives. COBIT 5 Certified Assessor requirements include:
· Completing the COBIT 5 Assessor Course
· Passing the COBIT 5 Foundation and Assessor exams
· Proving five or more years of work experience performing process-based activities
· Agreeing to abide by the ISACA Code of Professional Ethics
ISACA’s new COBIT 5 Assessor Course provides a basis for assessing an enterprise’s IT process capabilities against the COBIT 5 Process Assessment Model (PAM). The model is evidence-based to enable a reliable, consistent and repeatable way to assess IT process capabilities.

“ISACA worked with global IT practitioners and experts to provide in-depth instruction on applying COBIT 5 and to recognise those with the experience and knowledge needed for successful assessments of IT processes,” said Roger Southgate, CISA, CISM, FCCA, a COBIT developer and trainer with ISACA. “The courses and exams follow ISACA’s tradition of rigorous instruction and testing, which results in added value for both the professional and the enterprise.”

ISACA also launched the COBIT 5 Implementation Course, which shows how to use COBIT 5 for specific business problems and risk scenarios. The course includes practical exercises and case-based scenarios for using COBIT 5 to govern and manage enterprise IT as normal business practice. The prerequisite to the course is successful completion of the COBIT 5 Foundation Exam.

COBIT 5 training and exams are available through ISACA’s training programs, a global network of accredited training organisations (ATOs) and accredited individual trainers, which have met rigorous assessment standards. Trainers and ATOs are approved, accredited and licensed by APMG, the global exam institute that helped ISACA develop the courses in the program, to deliver COBIT 5 training and exam services.

“The COBIT 5 Implementation course helps those who want a practical understanding of how to apply COBIT 5 to critical business issues,” said Richard Pharro, of APMG. “The Assessor course provides guidance on how to perform a process assessment and analyse the results. Those who pass the exams can be justifiably proud of their achievement.”