Steps to completing and enrolling on the Fellowship plan

Step 1 - Complete Advanced Diploma

Learn more about the Advanced Diploma in Insurance

If you have gained the Advanced Diploma or ACII please move to step 2:

Step 2 - Enrolment on the Fellowship plan

If you are intending to apply for Fellowship you must complete the Fellowship enrolment form and send it to us, with the appropriate fee.

If you have pre-1992 ACII it will be necessary for you to submit a summary of ten years relevant work experience since qualifying as an Associate (a Curriculum Vitae will suffice), along with your enrolment application form and Fellowship plan.

Enrolment gives you the following benefits:

• access to the Fellowship Advisory Service (FAS);
• CII Continuing Professional Development folder and guidance notes.

Please note that enrolment is valid for five years from the date of its acceptance by the CII. You must remain a member of the CII while on the Fellowship programme. If you do not successfully complete the Fellowship programme within five years, you will have to re-enrol and pay a further enrolment fee unless the FAS grants an extension due to special circumstances.

Fellowship plan

The plan should cover the period up to application for election to Fellowship and it enables you to set an agenda for how you plan to become a Fellow. To obtain the maximum benefit from planning the next stage of your career, it is important to identify your major overall objectives and to combine these with practical, tangible and achievable interim goals.

If you require assistance with any aspect of the plan the FAS can offer guidance. Your plan should be realistic and include goals that will stretch you and help you to develop as a professional.

Current position

To be most effective, the plan should be based on an analysis of your current position. Familiarise yourself with the following sections and decide on your major achievement.

Objectives set to reach Fellowship

This section prompts you to set a timetable for the completion of each step of the Fellowship programme. Please note that the minimum time that must elapse between completing the Advanced Diploma/ACII examinations and applying for election to Fellowship is three years. If you are unsure of the date you completed the Advanced Diploma/ACII examinations please contact the FAS.

You are also asked to state how you have ensured that the personal objectives you have set to reach Fellowship meet with those of your employer. The needs of your employer's business should be central to your considerations when planning your route to Fellowship. If your plan fits corporate objectives, you are more likely to receive support from your employer and so obtain the greatest career benefit from your chosen route.

Major achievement chosen to support election to Fellowship

The plan must include details of your proposals by way of a major achievement.

If you are intending to undertake another professional or managerial qualification as your major achievement you should read the guidelines and then complete the application form and send it in with your Fellowship plan. If you have already completed a professional or managerial qualification which you would like to use as your major achievement, please also enclose a copy of your certificate or results notification (these must be attested to be a true copy of the original by a person other than yourself who is a current member of the CII or PFS) with the application form and documentary evidence.

If you propose to submit a dissertation, project report or portfolio of published work as your major achievement you should read the relevant guidelines. Once you are confident that your major achievement will meet the guidelines, complete the relevant section on your plan with details of your chosen major achievement. Employer agreement is essential if you are intending to use a work-based dissertation or project report as your major achievement. If this is the case please ensure that you obtain your employer's endorsement of your intended major achievement.

Other considerations

When completing your plan you should also consider the requirements of the CII's CPD scheme. You need to maintain your CPD records, as the Institute will request them at some point between enrolment and application for election to Fellowship.

The plan can be used as a basis for further analysis of your current position and identification of areas where you can see opportunities for acquiring or improving skills or knowledge, which will be important for your future. When completing your plan you are also encouraged to consider:

• what current skills/technical knowledge you need to maintain;
• what new skills/technical knowledge you need to learn;
• what constrains there are on your learning (eg, time, geographic or physical constraints);
• what resources are available to you;

We recommend that you identify those areas you feel would enhance your personal development and career. The emphasis should be on acquisition of experience, skills and knowledge which will extend your interests and will help you realise your career aspirations and potential.

What if my circumstances change?

During your progression to Fellowship your professional or career situation may change. If so, you may need to review your plan to reflect your new circumstances and goals. If you decide to change your choice of major achievement we recommend that you notify the FAS so that they can advise you.

Download the enrolment form here »

Step 3 - Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

One of the requirements for election to Fellowship is the completion of three years' Continuing Professional Development (CPD). You will be sent CPD guidance notes which contain further information on CPD. Record sheets are contained within those guidance notes, which can be used to document your CPD or you are able to use our CPD easy online system to record and submit your CPD logs. Regardless of the date you enrol onto the Fellowship programme, you will be able to backdate CPD records to the date you become an Associate of the CII, enabling you to apply for election to Fellowship three years thereafter.

If you are recording CPD under a CII CPD scheme, this will be accepted towards your Fellowship commitment. If you have recorded CPD activities under another CPD scheme, it is possible that you may be able to use these records towards your Fellowship commitment. For further advice please contact Customer Service on 020 8989 8464.

Your CPD record will be requested at some point between enrolment and application for election to Fellowship. If your CPD records have not been requested by the CII when you are ready to submit your application for election to Fellowship, you should submit them for assessment with your application. The CII will confirm in writing if your CPD record meets the requirements of the CII scheme.

If you have been given a dispensation from completing CPD records under the CII CPD scheme, please contact the FAS to find out whether you will be required to submit evidence of three years' CPD to be able to progress to Fellowship.

Step 4 - Business Ethics Programme (BEP)

The Business Ethics Programme (BEP) recognises that insurance professionals will frequently be called on to make decisions that involve complex ethical issues. This programme is not designed to tell you what is right or wrong - this would be impossible with such a complex area - but to give you a framework to help you decide how best to make the right decision.

Businesses, and the people working within them, have a growing awareness of the possible impact their decisions may have on others. In this climate of awareness, businesses need to be ready to respond to scrutiny by ensuring that their actions are ethically acceptable. The BEP provides you with the means to approach this crucial aspect of business life with confidence, enabling you to make a valuable contribution to the industry in which you work.

The BEP is a compulsory element of the Fellowship election process. If you have not already applied for the BEP, please complete a Business Ethics Programme application form and return as detailed on the form.

The BEP is built around a framework for evaluating business ethics, contained in a book, Just Business by Dr Elaine Sternberg, one of the leading authorities in this field. As well as this core text, the BEP consists of a guide to the business ethics model and a sample worked case study to give you an insight into the level of response, which will be expected of you. You will also receive two case studies for you to consider and return to the CII for assessment.

As it uses distance learning, you can undertake the BEP at any time after enrolment. We recommend that you undertake the BEP in either the first or second year of your Fellowship programme. This will help you to avoid any last minute rush and also, because the BEP is designed to have a practical value to you throughout your professional life, the earlier you do it, the more value you are likely to gain from it.

When undertaking the BEP, you should read the core text, making use of the model guide to help you focus on the way in which the issues are considered. You should then attempt to evaluate the two case studies, presenting your answers following the format identified in the model guide. Once submitted your analysis of the case studies will be passed to a CII tutor for evaluation. The case studies will not be returned to you, therefore we advise that you retain a copy.

You will be advised, in writing, if you have satisfactorily completed the BEP. If you have not completed the BEP to the satisfaction of the CII assessor, you will be given written feedback outlining the areas that you need to re-consider. You must complete the BEP before you make your application for election to Fellowship.

Step 5 - Major achievement

There are three types of major achievement. You need only choose one which must be attained after you have passed the Advanced Diploma/ACII. If you change your mind about the major achievement that you wish to submit for Fellowship, please advise the FAS. This is particularly important if you want to study for another professional or managerial qualification: you must check that it is appropriate.

Confidentiality

Many work-related projects and dissertations include information of a sensitive commercial nature. Where this is the case, you may change names and references (eg, to 'company x' or 'product y') provided that the actual names and references are disclosed on a separate sheet of paper which will be made available to the FAS only, not to assessors. We may undertake investigations, as considered appropriate, to ensure the validity of the information.

Publication

Please bear in mind the fact that, if you are successful, the CII has the right to publish your major achievement, put it in the CII library for public view or place on its website.

Categories for assessment

The categories for assessment used by the Fellowship Assessment Board to judge each major achievement are set out below. Please read these very carefully - many people fail to be elected to Fellowship because they do not observe the rules. Remember, you only need one from the three major achievement options listed below.

You should undertake one of the following options:

• Option 1 - Additional professional or management qualification
• Option 2 - Dissertation
• Option 3 - Projects

Example

Lucy works as a regional underwriting manager within a large commercial insurer. She joined from university onto a Graduate Training Programme and, as part of her training, completed the Advanced Diploma in Insurance, attaining the designation 'ACII'.

Upon completing five years' work experience, she applied for and was awarded 'Chartered Insurer' status.

Lucy is keen to continue to advance her career. She sees ongoing structured professional development as essential to the fulfilment of her ambitions.

Lucy decides to enter for CII Fellowship. This involves her meeting a number of requirements related to advanced professional development:

For her 'major achievement', Lucy decides to obtain an additional professional qualification: the CII/Cass Business School MSc in Insurance and Risk Management.

Through the MSc Lucy explores the growing relationship between insurance, risk management and financial services developing her technical understanding.

As a holder of the Advanced Diploma, Lucy can take a fast-track route to completion of the MSc via exemptions from four of the compulsory eight core modules. She must take four core modules, select five elective modules from a choice of fifteen, and complete a dissertation.

As a part-time student she completes this in eighteen months, rather than the two years it will typically take non-Advanced Diploma holders.

Lucy completes her MSc and fulfils all the Fellowship requirements. She is awarded the Fellowship on completion and, as a member of the CII, is invited to apply to use the designation 'FCII'. She is also entitled to use the designation 'MSc'.

Option 1: Additional professional or management qualification

The Fellowship programme recognises that, for many people, an additional professional or management qualification may be the most valuable form of personal development. As long as these qualifications are relevant to the work done in the context of insurance operations, credit can be given.

All professional and managerial qualifications will be judged against the following criteria:

• it must be gained post ACII;
• it must be obtained by objective assessment by the awarding body with a minimum of four assessments or
• their equivalent at Advanced Diploma subject level;
• it must usually have been awarded after
  1. a minimum of two year's part-time study or
  2. one year's full-time study;
• where achievement of the additional qualification is partially dependent on credits awarded for prior learning;
• assessments equivalent to at least 120 Advanced Diploma credits must be undertaken;
• the subject matter of the qualification must be relevant to your occupation in the insurance sector;
• it must be a complete qualification, which meets the criteria in its own right.

A qualification which has been used to gain credits for the Advanced Diploma/ACII cannot be used as a major achievement. It is advisable to have a qualification assessed by the CII before you start studying towards it.

Examples of qualifications used as major achievements

The following qualifications are just a few which have been used as major achievements:

• ACIB - Associate of The Chartered Institute of Bankers
• ACILA/FCILA - Associate/Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters
• AINZ - Associate of the Insurance Institute of New Zealand
• AIRM - Associate of the Institute of Risk Management
• AMII - Associate of the Malaysian Insurance Institute
• APMI - Associate of the Pensions Management Institute
• ASFA/FSFA - Associate/Fellow of the Society of Financial Advisers
• BA(Hons) Financial Services, Insurance Management or Insurance Studies
• ACCA - Certified Diploma in Accounting and Finance
• CIMA - Chartered Institute of Management Accountants
• CPCU - American Institute for CPCU
• Diploma in Management
• FAII - Fellow of the Australian Insurance Institute
• FIISA - Fellow of the Insurance Institute of South Africa
• GradICSA - Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators
• GradIPD - Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
• LLB (Hons)
• MBA - Master of Business Administration
• Post-graduate Certificate in Education or Law
• Post-graduate Diploma in Marketing
• Solicitor or Barrister.

Download the application form for a major achievement. When making your application, you must enclose documentary evidence of non-CII qualifications demonstrating that the qualification meets the relevant criteria. Such evidence can be:

• details of the method of assessment;
• course outline;
• syllabus summary of the topics covered;
• examination papers undertaken as part of the qualification.

Please note that the Institute is not able to obtain this information on your behalf and failing to supply all the relevant information may delay your application. All information submitted should be in English.

If at the date of application you have already completed the qualification you should additionally submit either the original certificate or a photocopy (a person other than yourself who is a current member of the CII or PFS must attest the copy to confirm that it is a true copy of the original and sign it to that effect).

If your qualification is unacceptable for the CII Fellowship scheme, you will need to choose a different major achievement. Examples of acceptable qualifications are shown above.

Download an application form to use an additional qualification as your major achievement

Option 2: Dissertation

A dissertation, for CII purposes, is a discussion paper covering an insurance-related subject. If your dissertation is employer-based, you must seek their written approval before submitting it. If you choose this route, your dissertation should:

• be typewritten in English;
• be 3-5,000 words long;
• be on an insurance-related subject;
• have been researched and written by you. You may get someone to type it from your own instructions but it is a disciplinary offence to submit someone else's work as your own.

Examples of acceptable practices

• Quoting small sections from the works of others, typically a sentence or paragraph, provided that the author's work is fully acknowledged.
• Writing a dissertation based on previous work which you have written. The dissertation must not be identical to the previous work and must be updated where appropriate. The nature and existence of the previous work must be acknowledged, eg, 'based on my MBA dissertation completed in May 2003'.
• Information quoted should be the most up to date reasonably available.
• Your work may be typed, proof-read and critiqued by another. Their input and the extent of it must be acknowledged in the dissertation, e.g 'typewritten by my secretary James Jones and proof-read by Felicity Brown'. You may ask someone else to comment on any shortcomings in your draft dissertation but any changes must be your own work.

Examples of unacceptable practices

• Plagiarism - that is, using the words of another author as your own.
• Submitting a previous work without authorisation or acknowledgement. For example, a dissertation you used as part of another qualification.
• Using information and data knowing them to be out of date.
• Getting a researcher to write any part of your dissertation.
• Getting a secretary, adviser, consultant, lecturer, writer or any other person to write any part of your dissertation.

Choosing the right subject. Keep to subjects you know well and are confident about. The Fellowship assessors look for an in-depth understanding and developed argument. This is more difficult to do if you decide to investigate a completely new field. If you decide to write a dissertation on an area new to you, please ensure you explain in the introduction your reason for the choice of subject. As you would be learning about the subject during the time you are writing, the requirements to review the whole dissertation once completed is even more important to ensure consistency.

Keep the subject focussed. The assessors like to see a detailed discussion on a specific topic, rather than a shallow treatment of a broad subject.

Put a question in the title. This strategy can help to keep both author and reader focussed. If you are considering a number of alternative subjects, discuss your ideas with colleagues. Bear in mind that it can be difficult to write something new and interesting on some of the most popular topics.

You must state in the introduction to your dissertation why you have chosen this particular subject to research. The subject should generally be linked either to your current or future work, or to an area of special interest to you or to your employer, or to a subject of significance to the insurance industry as a whole. CII Knowledge Services holds copies of successful dissertations and some are published in the Journal of Insurance Research and Practice and on the CII website - see below.

Example Dissertations

CII Knowledge Services holds copies of successful dissertations, some are published in the Journal of Research and Practice and we have a number of online examples available. The following links allow access to examples which have been presented to the Fellowship Assessment Board and the candidates are now Fellows of the CII. The authors have kindly agreed to their work being published online for which we are grateful. Applicants can review these and other example dissertations for suitable ideas for research.

Unsuitable topics

• Purely historical, non-analytical narratives, ie, 'The history of motor of insurance'.
• 'How to…….' or textbook guides, ie, 'How to obtain new business'.
• Lecture notes.
• Extended job descriptions.

Getting the structure right

Compile a contents page. This will help you to see at a glance how your paper will develop. If you struggle to identify the main themes at this stage, now is the time to choose a different subject.

Get the balance right. Remember that the assessors will want to see a balanced consideration of the topic. Be clear on not only how you will incorporate supporting material, but also how you will explain any contradictory evidence.

Keep to the word limit - 3-5,000 words may sound like a lot but it is all too easy to overrun. Check your paper for 'padding'. Make every word count.

Your dissertation must include all of the following:

• a title;
• a contents list;
• an introduction of not less than 200 words;
• a conclusion of not less than 300 words;
• a cross-referenced bibliography. This must set out the publications you have used for authoritative input to your work. Using text verbatim from other sources (except where clearly shown as such) is not acceptable - the dissertation must be your original work only;
• appendices where these add to the text - these are not counted in the word count;
• a word count.

Your dissertation should set out what the subject matter is or what the key findings are. It should then develop this theme, taking account of others' views on the subject as well as your own, supported by the evidence given in the paper.

Presentation

Subdivide the text. It is far easier to read text when it is labelled with sub-headings.

Make sure that there are no mistakes in the text or in any figures. Ask a friend or colleague to check it over. If English is not your first language, invite a native English speaker to read the final draft.

Spend time checking spelling and grammatical errors.

Create a contents page and use page numbers - this will help the reader navigate the paper.

Research

Read widely on the subject before starting. CII Knowledge Services can help access materials (visit it online at www.cii.co.uk/knowledge). The Internet provides access to informantion. Use the most up-to-date information available, but an allowance will be made if your location makes that difficult. Consider how much research material is available. If there isn't much material for you to base your paper on, you will need to be prepared to carry out the initial research yourself. Keep good records on the information you may use later; this will help you with your cross-referenced bibliography. You must include citations.

Do not plagiarise. Fellowship assessors are widely read and have access to subject experts if they suspect plagiarism. Someone else can type the paper for you so long as they do not otherwise contribute and their role is acknowledged. On the other hand, you can include short sections of others' work provided that the author is fully identified.

We strongly recommend that you read other successful dissertations - which are available above and on www.cii.co.uk/knowledge. Y ou should also ask a colleague or academic contact to give you an unbiased critique of your paper before submitting it. Suggestions for reading material which may help with the preparation of your dissertation are given below.

Appendices should be included where you feel that these would be helpful to the reader but they are not a requirement.

Those who assess your dissertation wish to see evidence of your own views being expressed, it is not sufficient just to repeat what others may have already said or written.

The categories for assessment

Introduction and rationale for choice of subject
This section should be at least 200 words long; it should introduce the subject and set out how the paper will develop its theme. It should also explain why you have chosen that subject - it may be a major industry issue on which you hold strong views, a subject about which you or your employer want to know more or a subject that will benefit your career development.

Main text
Over a third of the marks go to this section. Consideration is given as to how you have developed the theme: how you have introduced and analysed or incorporated contradictory and supporting evidence into your case and how the paper has been broken up into clearly developed sections. You should include your interpretation and explained argument prior to reaching a conclusion or making recommendations. Information included within the dissertation should be up-to-date and relevant.

Quality of research
The assessors look to see that you have taken appropriate steps to ascertain what information is available on the subject and its relevance. You should make clear within the text the relevance of research included and use such research to demonstrate specific points. Quality of research is more important than the length of the bibliography and allowance is made if you have only very limited access to research material. You should mention in the introduction to your major achievement if there have been any difficulties or restrictions on your research. The CII however expects you to make every effort to research your subject adequately. The bibliography must be fully cross referenced to the text.

Clarity of argument
The basic premise of your dissertation and your overall objective must be clear and well developed throughout the paper. Arguments should be logical and based on hard evidence where this is available. The arguments contained within the dissertation should be fully developed and then further strengthened by your personal interpretation.

Presentation
Remember the importance of accurate spelling and grammar. You should take care to ensure that your paper is well presented, and free of spelling mistakes, poor grammatical construction and poor syntax. Pages should be numbered and simply stapled together - papers will have to be photocopied so do not use professional bindings or colour (especially if using graphs). A contents page and clearly defined sections within the dissertation are worthy inclusions.

Conclusion
A fifth of the marks go to this section. The conclusion should be not less than 300 words and must draw together the main themes of the paper and put forward firm recommendations or solutions. However, it should not include fresh research or views which have not been included or discussed within the text. The paper must relate back to its title and resolve any issues identified in its introduction. If it is not possible to resolve an issue, then a possible solution or route around an issue should be proposed. Your paper must contain your own thoughts and show where you stand in the debate. Your recommendations need not necessarily be ones that your employer would suggest. You can hold whatever views you like. All you need to do is back them up with evidence. A good conclusion should almost stand alone as a summary of the paper.

Each section of your dissertation will be assessed separately.

You must supply four copies of your dissertation, which will be sent to assessors, so make sure each copy contains all the pages.

Further reading

Below is a list of some books that provide advice to dissertation and project writers. These books are for information only and all submissions must follow the guidance given here. Prices are correct at the time of publication.

Writing an assignment P. Smith. How to Books. ISBN 1 8570 36549. July 2000. £9.99

How to write essays, dissertations and thesis in literary studies N. Fabb and N. Durrant, Longmans. ISBN 0 582 08977 8. November 1993. £14.99

The student's guide to preparing dissertations and theses B. Allison. Kogan Page. ISBN 0 7494 2193 2. 1997. £8.99

How to write essays R. Lewis. Collins Educational for National Extension College. ISBN 1853 568155. January 1999. £24.99

Option 3: Projects

These entail a report in English on a major insurance-related project which you have either led or in which you have been a key member of the project team. If your project is employer-based, you must seek their written approval before submitting your project report.

Choice of project

Make sure that you choose a project which will enable you to answer the questions required. However important a project may have been to you or your employer, you are being assessed on your evaluation of the project, rather than the success (or otherwise) of the project itself. Ideally, pick a project from which you learnt a lot about the way in which you work and from which your skills have developed. These are important issues in the marking scheme.

The project must be led by you or you must play a significant role in it. Significant means that you must represent your company, or a large group, on the project team, must contribute or be responsible for a significant proportion (generally at least 20% of the key inputs to or outcomes from the project group) and be seen by others on the project team as being a significant player in the project.

A project may be your own idea, or an existing one. Although projects must be insurance related, they need not necessarily involve a work-related project for your employer. In keeping with the status of being a major achievement, projects should be major for your employer and in the context of your own professional development. As a guide, it is likely to involve at least 60 working days' input from you.

If the project does not meet all of these criteria, you may submit a further project. Up to three projects in total may make up a Fellowship major achievement.

Examples of acceptable projects

• Development of a new product or service.
• Acquisition of, or merger with, another insurance-related organisation.
• Business development idea with a core insurance related organisation.
• Research project.

Examples of unacceptable projects

• Non-strategic, routine issues.
• Acquisition of, or merger with, a non-insurance related business.
• Development of a non-related product, service or business.

If you choose this route, your project report(s) should:

• be typewritten in English;
• be 3-5000 words long each, regardless of how many projects are covered;
• take the form of a written report;
• be clearly set out - using the 'categories for assessment' headings here;
• not contain any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors;
• include a word count.

The project report(s) should include the following sections:

• definition of the project: what the project was;
• rationale: reason for the project;
• background to the project;
• methodology: how the project was run, including budgets;
• project team members: names and/or responsibilities;
• project timescales;
• measured outcomes and an overview of the project's successes and failures;
• your personal inputs and outputs and your project responsibilities;
• key learning points from the project for you personally;
• any skills and knowledge gained or enhanced as a result of the project.

Please include a statement of how much time you spent on the project, counter-signed by the project manager or, if you are the project manager, by an authorised signatory of your employer.

Structure

Make sure that the categories for assessment are clearly covered in your submission. To gain maximum points establish a structure, using a contents page and suitable headings and sections such as those mentioned above, which make it clear where points are being addressed. It is easy to become so close to your project report(s) that an assessor may not identify what you perceive to be obvious.

The categories for assessment

Introduction and rationale of the project. This includes assessment of the clarity of the objectives, parameters set by, or for, the project group and the methodology used to achieve the desired outcomes.

Your input to the project. Over a third of the marks go to this section. It includes how decisions are arrived at by the project team and evidence of the use of innovation to achieve desired outcomes. There should be evidence to demonstrate the quality of your input to the project and a detailed post-project analysis of your input to the project.

Methodology. The assessors look to see how you have gone about your tasks, how you have conducted or commissioned research, how you have used available resources (within your organisation and outside) and how you have organised your workload, making allowance for any other responsibilities you had outside the project group. An explanation of how the project has affected your other work areas should be included.

Your input into team objectives. This rewards candidates who think and contribute outside of their own areas of responsibility. Effective teamwork is a prerequisite of a good project and these factors are evidence that you played your part in developing the team ethos of the project group.

Presentation. Remember the importance of accurate spelling and grammar. You should take care to ensure that your report is well presented, and free of spelling mistakes, poor grammatical construction and poor syntax. Pages should be numbered and simply stapled together - papers will have to be photocopied so do not use professional bindings or colour (especially if using graphs). A contents page and clearly defined sections within the report are worthy inclusions.

Outcomes of the project. About a fifth of the marks go to this section. You should draw together measured outcomes, budgetary and time compliance of the project. The information should be presented in a balanced and logical order. The solutions should be appropriate to the needs and requirements of the project sponsor. The project outcome should be related back to the original objectives and you should demonstrate that efforts have been made to resolve all issues.

Each section of the project will be assessed separately.

Assessors look at your input rather than that of any others involved in the project. You are not marked down if other members of the project group performed poorly unless you were responsible for their input. Assessors do not expect every project to be exceptionally successful - not every project can succeed in meeting its objectives - but they do look to see that the project's outcomes were in line with what could reasonably have been expected and that lessons have been learnt.

Evidence

Although the project analysis is restricted to a maximum of 5,000 words, you can include documents in an appendix which clarify or prove points that you make in the main text. Appendices are not included in the word count. However you should not include excessive information within an appendix unless it is directly relevant to the project report.

Revise, revisit, refer

Compiling your project report will take some time. It is important that you keep referring back to these guidelines and checking that you are still making the points you initially intended to. Some applications include references to sections which have been deleted, or the introduction identifies different points to those which are eventually found in the conclusion. This happens because a candidate has become so immersed in their paper that their view of the issues changes over time. Try to pass a final draft to someone who has the time to read it carefully. Ask them to consider it against these guidelines and listen to their feedback carefully, the assessors will not have the luxury of asking you what you meant to say. But remember, this is your application, so if a colleague asks you to make changes, you must be happy with them. More than one candidate has failed because they were advised by a friend to remove significant detail which the assessors felt should have been included.

Drafting your Statement of Personal Development (SPD)

The Fellowship assessors will consider your SPD in detail and you should not underestimate the time that it will take to complete.

Your Statement of Personal development should:

• be typewritten in English;
• be clearly set out using the 'categories for assessment' headings below;
• not contain any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors (it helps to have someone else proof read your SPD);
• comprise about 1000 words;
• represent you in a professional, formal manner;
• review what you have achieved by effectively providing an executive summary of your achievements;
• be submitted with your application for election to Fellowship.

Listed below are six categories the assessors will be looking at when they consider your SPD. Please use these headings in your SPD to ensure that you demonstrate coverage of all six areas. Under each heading ensure you give enough detail to demonstrate your personal achievements.

Candidates can be, and are, rejected on their SPD. Usually the Assessors feel that unsuccessful candidates do not address adequately each of the sections below - especially the last three. By using the headings and following trhe guidance carefully you will greatly enhance your chances of success.

The categories for assessment

Candidates can be, and are, rejected on their SPD. Usually the Assessors feel that unsuccessful candidates do not address adequately each of the sections below - especially the last three. By using the headings and following trhe guidance carefully you will greatly enhance your chances of success.

Overview

This sets out, in two or three paragraphs, how you have set about your programme and any key changes during it.

Plan

You should restate the key points of the plan you drafted on enrolment onto the Fellowship programme and also show how you achieved the objectives set. You should also indicate how you acquired or sought out new knowledge and what skills you employed in doing so. You should be able to see some of the effects of this process on your career.

Changes to plan

If your Fellowship plan changed, you should set out what you changed and why you changed it. It may have been for external reasons (eg, a change of job or other circumstance) or for internal reasons (eg, you were unhappy with your progress on your major achievement or identified a new opportunity which you wanted to exploit). The effect of circumstances beyond your control should not be ignored and events, which have caused delay, should be identified. You should also highlight how you were affected by or made use of unplanned opportunities that arose. It would be particularly helpful to indicate whether these opportunities were based on situations which you initiated, or unexpected ones which you were able to exploit. Remember, some situations that involve a great deal of pressure and require innovative approaches often provide insights and development benefits not readily apparent at the time. If you have been involved in any activity which did not feature in your plan but from which you have learned something, describe how it arose, what it involved, how it contributed to achievement of the objectives you originally identified and how it might have contributed to a new aspect of your development. When reflecting on your activities you should consider to what extent you have experienced personal or business benefits through the practical application of what you have learned and exactly how these benefits arose.

Key learning points

What were the key things you learned during your progression to Fellowship? How did you learn them? These should include 'soft' facts (eg, things you learned about yourself or how your views have changed) as well as hard facts (eg, major achievements). This should include the negative experiences as well as the positive ones.

Key skills and knowledge acquired

During your time on the Fellowship programme you will have learned a number of new skills and increased your knowledge base. List the main items. This evaluation stage deserves special attention as it produces a summary of achievements, which demonstrates how you met your original objectives. For any area where you achieved less than you originally planned, reconsider whether the target originally set remains valid or whether you simply require more time to achieve it.

Intentions for the future

What will you do differently in the future? Fellowship is about making a commitment to professionalism as well as achieving a qualification. In this section, set out how you plan to put the lessons of your Fellowship programme to practical use in the future.

Before writing your SPD you may find it helpful to ask yourself the following questions:

• What were the most important things I learned and why were they the most important?
• How have I applied new skills and knowledge in my work?
• In analysing the application of these new skills and knowledge, can I produce evidence of the circumstances in which they were applied?
• What other reading and development have I done outside my Fellowship plan to improve myself further and what do I now need to do for the future to continue my development as my career progresses?

The members of the Fellowship Assessment Board evaluate every SPD very carefully. The most common reason why an SPD fails to meet the required standard is because it does not demonstrate the candidate's self-awareness. It is vital that your application illustrates what you have learned and in particular what you have learned about yourself as a result of negative experiences. You should not be afraid of admitting that you have learned from your mistakes as well as your achievements. In fact, such candid self-awareness is extremely valuable.

It is important that you include sufficient information in your SPD to enable the Fellowship assessors to evaluate your application. Any other correspondence between you and the CII will be kept separate from your application and so the SPD must cover any issue which you feel is relevant to your application. You must include sufficient detail to demonstrate that you have completed all the steps to Fellowship and you should identify how the elements of the application have been useful to you in your work. The Fellowship assessors will also wish to see you demonstrate your ability to reflect on what you have achieved and how you will move your career forward.

Examples of SPDs

The following examples have been presented to the Fellowship Assessment Board. They have been accepted and the candidates are now Fellows of the CII. All names and company details have been changed.

Download the Statement of Personal Development application form

Example 1 - Brian Bond, Pin: 111111G

Overview

Near to the completion of my ACII studies my career as an underwriter took a change of direction. I moved from an underwriting agency specialising in household property insurance to join an international commercial property team at a major Lloyd's syndicate, XYZ Ltd. The opportunities to expand my knowledge and participation in the international commercial property business was a fantastic opportunity from a career point of view but also presented a great challenge to me in terms of my own personal development. My Fellowship plan was therefore based on my personal development as an international commercial property underwriter and the pursuit of my stated objective 'to realise the opportunities presented by making the most of the resources available to me at XYZ Ltd.'

Not long after formulating my Fellowship plan I began to realise that I might not be able to achieve all of my stated objectives at XYZ Ltd because of factors beyond my control which are discussed later in this SPA. For these reasons I eventually decided to look elsewhere to achieve my goals and was fortunate to be offered a position as an international commercial property underwriter at another Lloyd's syndicate, LMN Ltd, in May 2001.

Fellowship

Formulating my Fellowship plan caused me to reflect on my career so far and to articulate in words a plan that I had already embarked on, albeit with a less structured consideration of how I would achieve my objectives and the potential problems I could encounter. I started at XYZ Ltd approximately 10 months before submitting my Fellowship plan. The Fellowship plan SWOT analysis established my strengths as expertise in household property business, a niche area of property insurance and the value of contacts I already had around the world relative to that niche industry. My weaknesses were my lack of experience outside of my niche area, a weakness which I later had to work hard to address at XYZ Ltd. The opportunities were significant offering me a chance to get into the mainstream of international commercial property business in Lloyd's and it appeared that a senior management position might also be possible at XYZ Ltd. The threats were identified as being the limited time available to harness resources and to take advantage of the opportunities before market conditions changed.

My major achievement is my BA (Hons) degree in Insurance studies which I completed in 1999 with a 2.1 grading. The first quarter of this course overlapped with the completion of my ACII in April 1998. My degree was a modular course consisting of eight units taken over four semesters. Some of the units were compulsory and included macro-economics, modern insurance law and strategic management. Three units could be selected from a list of agreed subjects and the eighth unit was a dissertation.

As stated above, my Fellowship plan expressed a programme I had already embarked on. It made me focus upon a two-fold objective: 1) to develop as a leading underwriter in international commercial property insurance and 2) to progress in the management hierarchy at XYZ Ltd. I considered that my knowledge of household property insurance could be valuable in the development of service-based products and would help my personal development.

Changes to Fellowship plan

In April 2000, however, I began to realise that that I would probably not be able to attain my objectives at XYZ Ltd. for reasons largely beyond my control. A number of syndicates including XYZ Ltd. had begun to forecast poor underwriting results for the property business generally. A loss of confidence in the international property business generally led XYZ Ltd. to examine its business and to re-focus on its core UK property and nonmarine liability business. As a result of this I felt that I was unlikely, as an international commercial property underwriter, to progress in the management hierarchy of XYZ Ltd.

The realisation that I would not be able to develop as I had planned at XYZ Ltd was a great disappointment. I had learned a lot there and felt that it was an extremely well managed company. It opened my eyes to how an underwriting business should be run and it made me realise quickly that I still had much to learn about insurance business generally. The approach to business, reporting functions and controls identified the key areas that are critical to underwriting successfully whatever the class of business. There was also an absolute focus on profitability.

Key learning points

At times I found it difficult to make the adjustments needed to become a successful international commercial property underwriter. With guidance from my managers and peers at XYZ Ltd I completed the transformation and this enabled me to market my skills in this business area and eventually to take the position as international commercial property underwriter at LMN Ltd. Managing change has been a recurring theme in my development and I feel that in achieving my Fellowship plan objectives I have learned to use changing circumstances to work to my advantage.

Key skills and knowledge acquired

Completing my degree has also been very valuable. I covered a broad range of subjects and developed skills some of which I had previously considered to be unimportant for an underwriter. For example, I completed a public relations module which gave me a great insight into how to manage PR and how to handle negative as well as positive situations. Most of the modules, but the dissertation in particular, taught me how to research subjects effectively. This skill is not just useful as an academic tool. Undoubtedly it enabled me to develop a technical publication which I edited and launched successfully as XYZ commercial property news. In addition, from a commercial point of view, I now find that I can access sources of information very quickly and this reinforces the underwriting decision-making process.

The past eleven months have been a very testing time for me at LMN Ltd. The exposure as line underwriter has enabled me to develop very rapidly into the management position to which I had aspired three years ago. Overall the experience impacted positively on my personal as well as commercial development.

Intentions for the future

Although I now occupy the position I set my sights on three years ago, I still consider that learning and development are an on-going part of my commercial life. I reflect frequently on my underwriting decisions to try to identify mistakes early and to see if there are better ways of doing things. My development over the last three years has given me a very strong grounding as an international commercial property underwriter but I will continue to develop my personal skills and to test objectives for personal as well as management development. Current market conditions remain very unstable and no one can afford to be complacent over their skills and knowledge. I intend to use all that I have learned and to build on this to anticipate and react to a changing environment.

Example 2 - Jack Jones, Pin: 199999F

Fellowship plan

When developing my Fellowship plan, I did not expect my role within the ISA project to be sufficient for my major achievement. I agreed with my manager to research 'change management within the insurance industry' and produce a dissertation as the basis of my application.

I planned to complete the business ethics programme early in 2000 and start work on my dissertation after the first phase of the ISA project was implemented in April 2000. On reflection, this was not realistic as my involvement increased. The knowledge I had developed was used for post implementation support, introducing the remaining functionality and launching a new fund. In addition, Year 2001 testing delayed some ISA system functionality from being introduced until May 2001.

Changes to Fellowship plan

Although the subject of change management appealed to me, I changed my Fellowship plan. This was due to increased responsibility within the ISA project, particularly from October 2000 when I took over the lead of the user acceptance testing team. Following completion of the project, my manager agreed that the experience gained from development through to implementation, including a leadership role, would be sufficient to submit as my major achievement. This change was also influenced by heavy work demands and the decision my partner and I had made to start a family.

Key learning points

The two years secondment to the project was extremely challenging and allowed me to apply the skills I had developed since 1997 as a business analyst. This project allowed me to increase my knowledge base beyond non-life insurance products. My initial involvement included reviewing existing procedures for Life, Banking and Unit Trust business areas and specifying the correspondence and security requirements for ISA. The knowledge gained with this work and reviewing user requirements and functional specifications was essential when testing the system and providing support to other analysts with their testing.

Key skills and knowledge acquired

I consider the most important development areas were better time management, leadership and project management skills. These skills helped me take the lead of the user acceptance testing team when the Principal Analyst moved to another project. One aspect I found particularly challenging when becoming team leader was the delegation of work. Although my technical skills had strengthened, there was a need to change my approach by letting go of some of the technical aspects. This was needed to make progress in my new role.

I became responsible for drawing up work plans and had to meet objectives through the successful working of the project team. This was evidenced by the delivery of systems within extremely tight time-scales.

I feel my communications skills have improved when representing the department on cross-departmental working groups/project teams and I feel more confident when dealing with senior management. I have developed the use of an analytical approach to problem solving and decision making; reviewing alternatives, considering best/worst case scenarios and assessing risk before moving towards a decision/solution. I learnt how to write Structured Query Language (SQL) to cover gaps in reporting mechanisms. This helped identify data problems, provide management information and data to the Compliance department in advance of regulators' visits.

This project allowed me to develop a breadth and depth of knowledge and a good understanding of the business environment and strategy. At the end of the project I was promoted to Principal Business Analyst in recognition of my achievements.

CPD activities have focused on development opportunities via project works and formal courses including demonstrating the use of skills and knowledge developed. Following an assertiveness course in August 1999, I practiced these skills when negotiating for resources and making requests of others. The time management course was of particular value, given the time-scales imposed by the government for launching ISAs. I reviewed material from the course attended in 1997 and further developed these skills and the discipline to perform higher priority tasks first.

One major CPD activity was the 'First Line Managers' course in July 2001. This enabled me to practice a wide spectrum of competencies and receive '360-degree' feedback. Previous training meant I was comfortable with areas such as change management, presentation skills and report writing. The practice of handling difficult situations has increased my confidence in business practices. Although 'balanced' leadership styles were alternated to suit, feedback indicated I could use the 'telling' style more often.

Intentions for the future

I will continue to be challenged in the fast paced environment of ISA administration. I feel rewarded by the freedom to act and responsibility given for leading and developing a new project team. I have been given another opportunity to participate in a high profile project and lead the user acceptance testing team (this time from day one) in replacing the Unit Trust legacy system.

Following my annual training and development review with my manager in October 2001, an action plan was agreed. I will continue to keep up to date with changes in the Financial Services Sector, including technical reading (ISA managers guidance notes, compliance manual, etc.). IMRO requires a three-stage examination process for employees supervising administration functions. I decided to take these exams to gain credibility in the eyes of my team, peers and managers. Two exams are planned for May 2002 and the remaining exam will be taken when the Financial Services Authority introduces its new rulebook later this year.

Microsoft Access training provided late 1998 helped to specify and build various systems (tracking of tests and errors, interrogation of data, etc.). These skills will be further enhanced by an advanced course planned for July 2002. Other courses planned for 2002 include project management and advanced Microsoft Excel.

I feel project management and leadership skills are the key areas to develop as my career progresses. Initially, I gained an awareness of these areas in my ACII studies and have now supplemented this with further reading and practical application.

Example 3 - Kate Kitts, Pin: 111111F

Overview

In May 2001, I returned to work full-time following maternity leave after the birth of my son. As Training Manager for 123 Ltd, I was responsible for the training and development needs of 250 employees in addition to the supervision of my own team of four Training Officers. Also, as part of the general management team I was attending weekly meetings to review and discuss organisational requirements. Whilst confident in my ability both as a trainer and organiser, I was concerned with improving the weaker areas of my management skills, widening my knowledge base and gaining further responsibility.

The Fellowship programme appealed to me because of its flexibility to fit in not only with my career progression but also the demands of raising a family.

When completing my Fellowship plan, I had expected my NVQ Level 3 in Training and Development qualification would be sufficient to meet the criteria of a major achievement. As a result, my objectives set to reach Fellowship status were targeted quite aggressively, from enrolment in February 2002 to expected application to election in November 2002. It was a disappointment to me that this qualification was not set at the correct level, however, I seized the opportunity to progress to NVQ Level 4 in Training and Development once the CII had confirmed that this would be acceptable as my major achievement.

Fellowship plan

My Fellowship plan was formulated on the basis that attainment of FCII status would demonstrate my commitment to continuing professional development and further develop my management skills.

I was assisted in the pursuit of my goals with the formation of a Quality Assurance Department at Head Office and the agreement that the training area would similarly expand. At the beginning of 2002, I became responsible for managing the branch audit programme and an Audit Officer was appointed to form part of the team under my direct control. In November 2002, my responsibilities increased again with the expansion of my team to include a Customer Service Controller dealing with Lloyd's and Chief Executive complaints. My management role now included all aspects of quality assurance within the department. I have learned to co-ordinate these separate, yet interrelated, activities with each other to achieve the best result for the company. In this way, my Fellowship plan assisted in matching my personal objectives with those of my employer.

Changes to Fellowship plan

Completion of the NVQ Level 4 in Training and Development had the effect of delaying the achievement of my objectives laid down in my Fellowship plan by around six months. This turned out to be an excellent opportunity as the higher level NVQ was much more suited to developing my management skills. I enjoyed the challenge of demonstrating competence within the management of training and completed six additional units. Of particular interest and practical use were the modules on evaluating and improving training and development programmes, which led me to implement an ongoing review of existing training material.

Key learning points

With hindsight, the delay in completing my Fellowship objectives proved fortunate. It highlighted that I should lead by example in terms of commitment to continuing professional development and not become complacent. In addition, I was undertaking the Business Ethics Programme at a time when the company introduced business process re-engineering which increased my understanding of this philosophy.

The completion of all aspects of my Fellowship plan has provided significant opportunities for development both personally and professionally. I consider that the most important development areas were those which enabled me to improve my management skills. Attainment of the NVQ Level 4 in Training and Development and completion of the Business Ethics Programme were of particular benefit.

I hadn't expected the Business Ethics Programme to have such an impact on my daily role but it has been instrumental in my thinking and fundamental in my understanding of the wider business issues. The lessons learned were particularly relevant when I participated in a business process re-engineering project. This involved reviewing the job roles of all supervisory levels within the claims organisation. To obtain accurate statistics, it was necessary to handle personally a supervisory workload and I was able to draw on my experience as a supervisor, as well as my training and audit knowledge. The end result was the creation of two new job roles at supervisory level and a revised organisational structure, which was implemented across all sites of 123 Ltd.

Following on from this, I produced a training programme. My awareness of the need for change and benefits to be gained was reflected in the message imparted within the course. I will evaluate the effectiveness of the training and consider any areas that could be improved as part of my involvement in the post-implementation review.

Key skills and knowledge acquired

I feel that in achieving my Fellowship plan objectives I have learned to use new knowledge and skills to their best advantage for both the company and myself. Most of all, I have improved my knowledge of considerations affecting the company outside my own team and department. Involvement in the wider business issues has enabled me to become a more effective manager with greater insight into the objectives sought by the company.

The completion of my CPD records inspired me to hold a Chartered Insurer title and continue with the ongoing maintenance of my CPD records.

The Business Ethics Programme has helped reinforce my own views of ethical decisions, particularly when faced with staff issues ranging from poor performance and unsuitable trainees to recruitment and the pay review. Equally, I am always looking to improve the productivity and performance of all employees through the implementation and review of effective training and development programmes.

Intentions for the future

I take great pride in my work and I wish to continue to be challenged to progress within the Insurance industry. Having achieved my goal of a management position and widened my responsibilities within that role, I feel I have more to offer at a higher management level again. It remains to be seen whether or not this can be accommodated at 123 Ltd.

I am anxious not to become complacent with my achievements to date. This has led me to enrol on a BSc (Hons) in Financial Services degree programme. In this way, I intend to carry on with my Fellowship plan objectives in terms of demonstrating commitment to continuing professional development and further developing my management skills.

Example 4 - Francis Franks, Pin No: 0010110100Z

Overview

Having worked in the Insurance industry for some time and on completion of my ACII, I was offered a managerial position at EST Insurance Brokers. As I had come from CBS Insurance, I was used to handling vast corporate accounts with all of their subsidiary companies. It proved to be an enormous challenge to grow a brokerage with a tiny client base and no corporate clients. Fortunately, having handled corporate clients my professional approach was very successful and a high growth percentage per annum was achieved. Prior to my departure from the company, the gross premium income was £4 million per annum and as the company had begun with a gross premium income of under £175,000, this was a sizeable growth. My responsibilities increased with the expansion of the business and my managerial skills were really put to the test and honed in this period.

Fellowship Plan

In order to further and strengthen my managerial knowledge, I needed to complete my FIISA as soon as possible. As we were required to specialise back then, I elected to take the Liability route as I felt that this was where I needed the most education. All except one subject were completed under the auspices of the CII. The CII learning programme in South Africa was then taken over by the IISA. I obtained a number of distinctions during my FCII and FIISA studies.

There were no changes to my Fellowship plan as I was fascinated by the Liability field and still remain intrigued by the facets of Liability Insurance. I completed my FIISA by means of this route.

Key Learning Points

Business Ethics which was written to convert my FIISA to a FCII cemented that which I had always believed and allowed me to make good judgemental calls. The company I had worked for was sold in 2000. In a small brokerage there are no peers and only education assists. I was offered a directorship of the new company which had numerous other brokerages, which I declined as I did not feel comfortable with their philosophies.

In 2001 I resigned to start my own brokerage with a colleague we had worked together since 1994.

The completion of all aspects of my Fellowship and in particular Business Ethics stood me in excellent stead in the foundation of my own company and we have striven at all times to uphold a very high standard of ethics and business practice. In the maintenance of this approach, I am continually drawing on the knowledge gleaned in my FIISA/FCII.

Another of the key philosophies of my company is ongoing training and I continually run training workshops, thus ensuring that not only are our staff trained to a high standard, but I am obliged to ensure that my own insurance knowledge is kept updated at all times.

Key skills and knowledge acquired

With the advent of FAIS, the Financial Services Act in 2004, pure skills without the relevant qualifications are no longer recognised or accepted. The requirements of FAIS are stringent and even the smallest insurance brokerage must be compliant. The "fit and proper" standard with regard to qualifications has now been implemented. As a result of my FIISA training, our brokerage was immediately declared "fit and proper" by the Financial Services Board.

As a result of many smaller brokerages not complying with the new FAIS regulations, we have been approached to take over several smaller brokerages and have taken over the running of those with the same business ethics and philosophies as ourselves.

I am confident in the knowledge and skills I have obtained with my FIISA and lecture regularly at the local insurance institute.

I have also recently acted as an "Expert Witness" for a broker who was accused of not having acted professionally. I have received a copy of the judgement handed down in this matter, it was favourable towards the abovementioned broker and the judge offered the plaintiff to pay all costs incurred.

I am called upon, on a regular basis, by insurers to check changes made to policy wordings and to provide critiques on these wordings.

Intentions for the future

Our brokerage has grown from strength to strength and we have managed to increase our turnover by 25% per annum since our inception. My FIISA status has been key to professional status and the management skills learned in the FIISA/FCII courses have been invaluable in the founding of my own brokerage and I continue to draw on these skills constantly.

The key elements of our brokerage and our business philosophy remain the constant training and encouragement of education in all our staff, and the implementation and maintenance of professional business ethics at all times.

As I believe in the basic tenets of the sharing of knowledge, I will continue to be involved with lecturing at our local insurance institute.

It is essential to guard against complacency with regards to one's achievements and to this end, I intend to continue honing my skills by working in the industry and remaining involved in it, both for my personal and business development.

As insurance is such a vast and ever-changing field, there is always scope for acquiring additional knowledge. It is this market which I view as a personal challenge and shall continue to remain a part of this very exciting industry in the future.

Affirmative Action is a key aspect of International business at present and we strive to ensure that we maintain the correct demographics within our company in order to remain compliant at all times.

I perceive the time spent on lecturing, both to my own staff and the insurance institutes, my critiques on new policy wordings and the opinions which I am called on to give by my peers as part of my continuing professional development. The diversity of requests for assistance also ensures the maintenance of a diversity of insurance knowledge.

Example 5 - James Journal, Pin: 0012111111Z

Overview

The initial plan to reach towards the Fellowship was to submit a dissertation on a relevant subject. I had discussions on these lines with my superiors and had tentatively identified some areas. However this plan had to undergo a change, which was primarily brought about because of a job relocation. On review after the job change, I found that acquiring a qualification in Risk Management would in my changed circumstance help both me personally and my employer. I therefore pursued this alternative. Looking back I feel that I have taken the right decision. I have progressed to the post of a General Manager in the company with two promotions in nine years. The Company's business has grown over four times in the past nine years. It was a very fruitful and rewarding experience with the Fellowship plan getting integrated into my work and vice versa.

Plan

After completion of my ACII, I had plans of progressing towards the Fellowship by way of a dissertation on an appropriate technical topic. At that time I was employed in the Head Office Technical Department of an Insurance Company based in the Sultanate of Oman. I had also decided at that time to seek new opportunities on the career front at that time in new markets. Aided by my experience and the ACII qualifications (to no small extent!) I was successful in switching over to a new but rapidly growing Broking Company in the neighboring United Arab Emirates. I joined there as a Technical Manager.

Changes to plan

The new job brought along with it a number of changes to which I had to quickly get used to including adapting to the new role as a Broker (as compared to all my previous positions as an Underwriter) in a very competitive market. My role shifted from that of a purely technical one to that also encompassing administration, marketing and other managerial functions. Further from my Employer's viewpoint the very survival of the company depended on the value added services, which the client would get from a broker. From this angle a company with a better competitive advantage would be the one that has more employees with professional qualifications and competence. This prompted me to review the Fellowship plan. After deliberation and review of the situation it was clear to me that acquiring another professional qualification in a related field would result in a win- win situation for both my Employer and me. After reviewing the various courses available I felt that the Associateship of the Institute of Risk Management would be most suitable and accordingly enrolled for the same.

Key learning points

The additional knowledge gained while doing this course was quite immense. To start with it trained me to look at the risk exposures faced by any organization in a very methodical way. The logical process of collecting information, analyzing the risks, recommending risk transfer mechanisms all became part of the services that could be offered to the clients. This straight away put our company's offerings to the client on a different and unique pedestal. It was possible to suggest comprehensive risk management solutions instead of pure insurance-based solutions.

The CPD (Continuous Professional Development) activities required for completion of the course was equally helpful. Though the activities were part of the job anyway the need to complete this put an added emphasis and focus. I attended as many seminars/ training workshops/ programs as possible and in due course also participated as trainer/ presenter in some of the sessions.

The BEP (Business Ethics Program) was also of considerable practical relevance. After the reading of the course material and going through the case studies it became much easier to resolve things by putting it in the decision making framework suggested. Decision-making became more professional and objective. It helped me arrive at and understand much faster the core issues during meetings internally and externally. I have a proposal of discussing the concepts of this program with the Directors of my company so that they can put it into use in their daily activities as deemed fit.

Key skills and knowledge acquired

The Associateship in Risk management helped me understand many new concepts on Risk Management as previously mentioned. I got the feeling (considering the wide potential of the course) there is a need to gain more in-depth knowledge by supplementary reading on the topics and am therefore pursuing the same. On the insurance front as part of the CPD, training sessions attended helped me in keeping updated with various developments in the products and services. Even more importantly for preparation of the papers of the presentations being done by me a lot of painstaking reading and research was required which helped in keeping updated and gaining a wider perspective. In front of an audience of 50 or more people it can be very embarrassing if a question thrown at you (as the speaker) cannot be answered. After one such experience initially I made it a point to go into any such presentation by not only trying to acquire a thorough knowledge about the subject being discussed but also of any other related areas in which questions can be raised. The CPD activities helped in discovering and building on my potential in public speaking (which was one area where I was not good earlier nor did I have sufficient exposure to the same. In fact to hone up these skills I even attended some sessions at the Toastmasters International public speaking skills meetings). I found that this had a direct impact on my confidence levels as also leadership skills. Looking back it almost seems like the Fellowship programme was tailor made to address the key learning issues that was required of me in my career. Again it was not a digression but a natural progression of my work. Intentions for the future

I firmly believe that the only way to continued professional growth and development is to continue the learning process throughout the career. After attaining the Fellowship of the Chartered Insurance Institute, I have intentions to continue my academic progression. The courses identified for this purpose include a course in Arbitration (Chartered Institute of Arbitrators) and specialized courses in Reinsurance. I will also be trying to progress to the Fellowship of the Institute of Risk Management. In my current role I also plan to spend more time on internal staff training along with the other external presentations. Within my company I have the good fortune of being recognized as a committed professional and it will be my endeavor to rise up further in the hierarchy.

Step 7 - Application for election to Fellowship

You can apply as soon as you have completed all of the steps to Fellowship and have been an Associate for three years. You do not have to be on the Fellowship programme for three years before making your application.

Once we receive your application and payment of your election fee (£200) we will send you an acknowledgement.

Applying for Chartered Status

When you apply for Fellowship you are encouraged to hold a Chartered title and to abide by the regulations applying to Chartered titleholders. If you do not already hold a Chartered title you should consider whether to apply for one when you apply for Fellowship. A Chartered title with the FCII designation shows the world that you have attained and maintain the highest and most prestigious level of professional achievement.

There are three Chartered titles: Chartered Insurer, Chartered Insurance Practitioner and Chartered Insurance Broker. For further details contact Customer Service on 020 8989 8464.

The requirements of the Chartered title holder CPD scheme are the same as the CPD requirements for progression to Fellowship.

Fellowship assessment dates

Fellowship election applications are assessed on a quarterly basis. You should ensure that your completed application is received by the CII by one of the following dates each year:

• 1 February
• 1 May
• 1 August
• 1 October

If there is sufficient demand, the CII may hold additional assessment boards, for further information contact FAS on 020 8530 0818.

Applicants will be advised of their result approximately 10 weeks later.

Assessment

All Fellowship applications will be assessed by specially trained Fellows. Three assessors (Fellows of long standing) will be appointed to review and evaluate your application. Each assessor receives a copy of your major achievement and your statement of personal achievement. Your application will be assessed against the fixed assessment categories set by the Fellowship Assessment Board, described in these guidelines.

The assessors will produce reports for the Fellowship Assessment Board which ensures consistency and standards.

From time to time we may ask a candidate to come for interview before a recommendation is made. If you are called for interview we pay all reasonable expenses incurred, which are agreed with you beforehand.

We regret that we cannot give your result by telephone.

If you succeed

Provided that you have carefully followed these guidelines you are likely to be successful.

You will receive a letter confirming that you have been elected as a Fellow and are entitled to use the designatory letters, FCII, a right that belongs only to members who maintain this status by annual subscription. You may not use the letters FCII or describe yourself as a Fellow until you have received this written confirmation.

Depending on any local arrangements, your Fellowship certificate is sent either to you or to your local institute.

Each year, the applicant judged to have submitted the best Fellowship application will be awarded the CII's Rutter medal and a cash prize.

If you do not succeed

If you do not succeed you will receive a letter, which includes assessors' comments on why your application has been unsuccessful and advice on what further action you need to take.

Your application might not be accepted because of something that you could easily remedy. In this case, you may re-submit your application once this has been put right.

However, more major remedial work might be required. For example:

• the content of your dissertation does not meet the required standard. You may either revise the dissertation, submit a new one or select a different major achievement option;
• the content of your project report does not meet the required standard. This may be because the project report is judged not to have included sufficient detail, because your part in it is not sufficiently great or because of shortfalls in your report on the project. We will write to advise on what you need to do. In some cases, you may have to submit a report on an additional project or start afresh with a different major achievement;
• your published works do not meet the required standard. You may either submit an alternative work or works or choose a different major achievement.

Please note that it is not possible to 'top-up' a deficient major achievement with part of another type of major achievement. For example, if your dissertation is at fault, you cannot submit a published work to raise it to the required standard.

Please note: All re-submissions must be accompanied by an additional election fee (£200), unless otherwise advised.

Download Fellowship election application form »