The process of being certified at Level 2 should take less than six months from application to certification. Those enrolled in a certification offering will invest approximately three weeks of time overall. Figure 5 outlines the steps in the Level 2 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. Most of the assessment scoring is done at the Assessment Event.

2. Pre-event Tasks - Candidates must produce a case study report and portfolio before attending the Assessment Event.

3. Assessment Event (4 days)-A full four days of Program time is necessary to accomplish the objectives of the Event. The Assessment Event provides a valuable means for:
•	assessing candidate's competences and  provide career guidance exploring new areas of knowledge on topics of current global interest related to MPAs through guest speakers
•   enabling regional networking of professionals
•	providing a venue for reflection of the practice of MPA management in its current state and the future challenges it must address.
•   committing to the WIO-COMPAS Code of Ethics and
Leadership
•	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.