The process of being certified should take less than three months from application to certification. Those enrolled in a certification offering will invest approximately two weeks of time overall. Figure 6outlines the steps in the Level 3 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 presentation 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,      provide   career guidance and if interested in Level 3 certification
•   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.