The SPI Manifesto and the ECQA Certified SPI Manager

Based on the SPI Manifesto (see http://newsletter.eurospi.net) and the latest research in the field including the ImprovAbility model, a group of international experts has turned the skills definition into a syllabus, a set of training materials and examination questions.

All this is recognized by ECQA and is now introduced as a certified profession - SPI Manager.
See www.ecqa.org -> Certified Professions -> ECQA Certified SPI Manager

The tutorial gives an insight into this new qualification.

The ECQA SPI manager certification is adding skills to a CV that already includes project management skills and the process professional will be competent to lead his/her organizations process improvement activities with appropriate support from top management.

The SPI manager can:

• align activities to business goals
• design the organizational framework that will optimize the effect of process improvements
• manage expectations from all involved parties
• identify competence gaps that will compromise the success
• set up teams and monitor their performance
• know state of the art process models/practices/experiences and where to find practical support sources
• manage risks related to process improvement
• plan activities - from concept to implementation
• Facilitate the change process

Link to ECQA: http://www.ecqa.org/index.php?id=37

The ECQA is the result of a number of EU supported initiatives in the last ten years where in the European Union Life Long Learning Programme different educational developments decided to follow a joint process for the certification of persons in the industry.

Through the ECQA it is possible to attend courses for a specific profession in one country and perform a Europe-wide agreed test at the end of the course.
The certificate will then be recognized by European training organisations and institutions in 18 member countries.

Innovation Related

• General Chair of EuroSPI (European Systems and Software Process Improvement and Innovation) since 1994
• 1990 - 1996 Resaercher and lecturer at University of Technology, Graz, Austria
• 1996 - 1998 expert developing the Best Regional Innovation Transfer Method used by regional innovation centres and basing on a study of 200 innovative companies in Europe.
• 2001 - 2003 technical coordinator of a project where 59 innovative teams have been connected using a team-working platform (44 participating research companies) and where rules were analysed, how innovative teams act and behave.
• 2003 - 2006 Project leader of the ORGANIC project developing the course for certified innovation managers. The materials focus on the aspect of learning organisations.
• Since 2003 moderator of the German SOQRATES Initiative (Bayern Initiative), in which now 24 leading companies cooperate in cross company task forces.
• 2005 - 2007 technical coordinator of the EQN (European Quality Network) project in which the standard certification processes underlying ECQA have been developed.
• 2008 - 2009 technical director of the EU Cert Campus project where European learning portals for a cluster of professions have been set up.
• Since 2008 Vice President of ECQA www.ecqa.org
• 2009 - 2011 The EU Cert Campus is launched Europe wide in the DEUCERT project, with Dr Messnarz as Vice President of ECQA.

ISO 15504 and Automotive SPICE Related

He is co-founder of ISCN LTD (Dublin, 1994), founder of ISCN Regionalstelle (Graz, 1997), and owner of the ISCN GesmbH (Graz, 2001).

He is a Principal ISO 15504 and Automotive SPICE assessor.

For 19 years he has worked as a consultant for many automotive firms, such as BOSCH, ZF TE, ZF N, ZF Sachs, ZF Lenksysteme, Audi/VW, Continental Automotive, G&D, Magna, T-Systems, etc.

He is a trainer for:

• iNTACS™ certified ISO/IEC 15504 Provisional Assessor (Automotive SPICE®)
• iNTACS™ certified ISO/IEC 15504 Competent Assessor (Automotive SPICE®)
• iNTACS™ certified ISO/IEC 15504 Provisional Assessor
• iNTACS™ certified ISO/IEC 15504 Competent Assessor