The process of being certified at Level 1 should take less than six months from application to certification. Those enrolled in a certification offering will invest approximately two-three weeks of dedicated time overall. Figure 4 outlines the steps in the Level 1 certification process.

1. Application  -  Significant  attention  and  time  is  dedicated  to  the application phase. This is to ensure that the applicant has the depth of experience related to the competences. Applicants must get their supervisors to sign the application to confirm the accuracy of the applicants experience and the support of the MPA for the applicant to participate in the Assessment Event and be granted time off from work.

2. Pre Event Tasks - Candidates must produce their Core Activities Document, a related presentation and portfolio before attending the four-day Assessment Event.

3. Assessment Event (4 days) - Most of the assessment scoring is done at the Assessment Event .In addition to assessing candidates, the WIO-COMPAS mission is to provide professional development, opportunities for networking and a commitment to ethical standards. These sessions are not part of the scoring process. Local guest speakers are invited to the Assessment Event to discuss emerging issues related to MPAs or improved practices related to specific competences.