Professionalisation

In November 2016 the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) approved SAAMA’s application to register a professional designation – “Certified Senior Asset Manager” (now the Certified Senior Principal in Asset Management)  (CSAM™) – in terms of the national qualifications framework. This emanated from collaboration of leaders in AM from countries across the globe, including South Africa, linked to the preparation, and launch in 2014, of the international standard (ISO55001) on the management system requirements for Asset Management (which was also adopted in SA as a SANS). Leveraging collective global experience, the document sets out principles to be adopted by asset-intensive organisations to most effectively and efficiently manage assets.

Following this initial introduction of the CSAM designation, SAAMA participated in a global initiative through the World Partners in Asset Management (WPiAM) in which the CSAM specification was reviewed to be aligned globally, and other designations (CPAM and CTAM) were added.  These professional designations are for practitioners in asset management, typically employed within asset-intensive organisations, but they also apply to external advisors or service providers providing support to these organisations. SAAMA applied to SAQA for this adjusted and expanded suite of designations to be adopted, and this was approved in March 2022.

In April 2024 SAQA approved SAAMA’s application to register the professional designation “certified maintenance planner” (CMP).  The aim of this pioneering designation is to give recognition to the essential role that professional maintenance planners perform in Asset Management.  To learn more about this designation, please click here.

The Certified Asset Management Assessor (CAMA) designation indicates knowledge of the requirements of asset management, such as may be appropriate for assessors of practice, whether internal to an asset-intensive organisation assessing the need for improvements, or external, such as an auditor. WPiAM provides a mechanism to secure the CAMA designation from them (by passing its examination, available on line) and submitting evidence of the extent of relevant experience in the industry. Members of SAAMA, which in turn is a one of the member organisations of WPiAM, are able to apply at reduced rates.