The application process is thorough and extensive for two reasons. One is to accurately confirm an applicant's education, employment and professional experience related to the level of certification requested. The other is to achieve efficiency in guiding MPA professionals to the appropriate level of certification before entering the Program.

The Secretariat serves as gatekeeper to the Program. They send out applications, and they provide WIO- COMPAS information to MPA institutions and professionals to assist them in understanding the Program levels, competences and process. The application review process is as follows:

1. Secretariat screens applications for completeness and entry requirements

2. If approved, a personal assessor is assigned to the applicant to confirm the appropriate type and level of
experience related to the competences

3. Assessors may contact the individual to conduct a telephone conversation to clarify issues arising from the application

4. Assessors submit their acceptance recommendations onto the Program to the Secretariat

5. If the number of qualified applications exceeds the number of spaces available for the certification offering to which they have applied, the Secretariat follows the WIO-COMPAS selection policy, which ranks applicants by the following factors:
a. Completeness  of  application  (Secretariat  screens  for  entry  requirements)  and  all  supporting documentation/evidence
b. Appropriateness of professional experience
c. Number of years of work experience in MPAs
d. Level of active involvement in management of the MPA
e. Equitable country representative (i.e. seeking regional balance)
f.  Likelihood of applicant to stay employed at MPA/commitment to future career in MPAs (must commit/
plan to staying at least two years after being certified)
g. Gender balance (when possible)
h. Ability to pay certification fees or only require minimal scholarship assistanceSecretariat provides the Board with the list of recommended candidates. The WIO-COMPAS Board reserves the authority to deny an applicant if they have specific information that counters the applicant's evidence

6. Board approves candidates and acceptance letters are forwarded to candidates for enrolment.

Guidance for Applicants Not Accepted
For those applicants who do not meet the entry requirements for the level of certification to which they have applied, or whose array of competences are short of the competence standards, WIO-COMPAS provides a detailed summary of their performance "gaps" as they relate to the Program's competence areas. The review also advises the applicant of training courses that might increase the applicant's competence and their chances of being accepting into the Program at a later date. The review may also recommend that the applicant applies for a lower level of certification than the one for which they originally applied.

For details of the Certification Processes and Events at all 3 levels see sections 4, 5 and 6.