withdigital was invited to an exclusive event to celebrate the 40th anniversary of BCS, The Chartered Institute of IT, being granted its Royal Charter on 31 July 1984.
This was an opportunity to reflect on BCS’s role in the technology sector, and the significant importance the Charter has to empower IT professionals to demonstrate competence in an ever-evolving field. Professional registrations like CITP (Chartered IT Professional) are key to building trust in the industry which underpins and enables so many aspects of our professional and personal lives.
As a Chartered IT Professional (CITP) I was asked to speak at the event on “Why CITP is important for the future of our sector”. Here’s what I had to say:
I started coding when I was nine years old, a plucky amateur trying to navigate the world of software, with an actual physical book as my manual. At sixteen, I had the audacity to start my own business. Once that first invoice was paid – I was technically an IT professional.
I’ve now been doing this for over 20 years, growing and improving the business and my skills as I go. In my company, withdigital, I’ve thankfully surrounded myself with a team that holds each other to account and raises each other’s standards. But it’s also worth noting that just over 40% of the work we take on, is us repairing the damage or replacing systems, created by enthusiastic amateurs.
So I’ve seen and learned that being self-taught and entrepreneurial is not enough. I’ve needed to properly professionalise what I do, and have to prove our professionalism and our standards to others. And that goes to the heart of the Charter, and what Chartered IT Professional (CITP) status is about. It’s about demonstrating that we have the skills, the knowledge, and the commitment to be leaders in our field.
We’re here today to celebrate 40 years of BCS’s Charter, and over 20 years of Chartered IT Professional status. So, let’s flex this 40 year old Charter and push the opportunity we have, under Royal Warrant, to show the world that we’re not just techies making geeky stuff happen; we’re experts, and professionals, and can demonstrate and prove it.
Every week this year, the headlines have led with an IT failure of one kind or another. Whether it be the “Horizon and Post Office” scandal, the worldwide outages caused by an update to CrowdStrike, or train station wifi being hacked. The public is surrounded by news of IT failures. In my own work, I’ve been told by clients that they “don’t want another database, the last one didn’t work” and that their last IT upgrade “made things slower and worse than before”. Badly considered and/or implemented IT systems surround us. And give those of us doing good work a bad name.
So, imagine a world where every IT professional holds themselves to, is held to, or is working towards, the highest standards. A world where clients and users can look for a mark of quality to trust that their projects are in the hands of qualified, experienced professionals. A world where IT is seen as a true force for good, a driver of innovation and economic growth.
That might seem a distant dream for many of us. But in other sectors and industries it’s a given that professionals would have or be working towards Chartered status – if you’re an Accountant, Architect, or Surveyor, it’s a necessity to trade.
That’s the world we can create. But it will take a collective effort. We need to work together, as a sector, to promote the CITP and encourage its adoption. We need to show our customers the value that the CITP brings.
This won’t happen overnight. I’m very proud to call myself a Chartered IT Professional. But, it’s not just about individuals becoming Chartered. It’s about our whole sector led by leaders and employers encouraging this, and it’s about our customers and users, whether private, public or third sector looking for the CITP as a mark of quality. As the IT Industry, or Digital, or Tech or whatever you want to call us… we must take ourselves more seriously, proving we can, and will, operate to the highest standards.
There are several key steps to achieving this:
1. Educate and inspire: we need to educate our colleagues about the benefits of the CITP, both in achieving it, and working towards it. We need to inspire them to strive for excellence. Share our own experiences and the positive impact the CITP has had on our careers.
2. Advocate for CITP: we need to advocate for CITP within our organisations and with our clients. Highlight the value that the CITP brings to projects and teams. Emphasise the importance of having qualified IT professionals leading the way.
3. Support Continuous Professional Development: CITP is not a one-time achievement. It requires ongoing professional development to get there, and to maintain it. Encourage your colleagues to participate in training programs, conferences, and networking events before and after achieving Chartered status.
4. Promote CITP to clients: let’s make it clear to our clients that we value Chartered status. Showcase the benefits of working with Chartered IT Professionals. Highlight the increased quality, reliability, and security that CITP can bring to their projects.
5. Collaborate: work with other industry bodies, professional associations, and Government to promote the CITP. Work together to raise awareness and encourage them to look for CITP when hiring or commissioning IT work.
I believe, by taking these steps, we can create a more professional and respected IT industry. We can inspire the next generation of IT professionals to hold themselves to the highest standard. And we can ensure that IT, digital, or tech, continues to be a force for good in the world. To make good on our BCS mission, and to truly make IT Good for Society.
