Association of Change Management Professionals Japan Becomes First Japanese Organization to Receive International Change Management Education Accreditation

The Association of Change Management Professionals Japan (Tokyo, Japan; Representative: Masaki Yagi) has been awarded QEP™ (Qualified Education Provider) accreditation by the Association of Change Management Professionals (ACMP), an international body for change management.

QEP™ is a designation that recognizes education providers and programs that align with the international standards set by ACMP. This marks the first time a Japanese organization has received this accreditation.

As a result, individuals who complete the association's 'Change Management Practitioner Course' can now meet the 21-hour educational requirement necessary to apply for the international Certified Change Management Professional (CCMP™) certification.

Change Management Education to 'Embed Change on the Frontline'

Many companies are advancing various transformations, such as DX implementation, business process re-engineering, organizational restructuring, and new system deployments. However, even when mechanisms or systems are introduced, they often fail to gain understanding or buy-in from the frontlines, leading to a lack of behavior change or successful adoption.

Change management is a practice focused on identifying the impact of change on people and organizations, supporting stakeholder involvement, facilitating behavioral change, and ensuring successful adoption at the frontline.

ACMP Japan has been providing education based on practical issues faced by Japanese companies, such as building consensus and frontline adoption. With this QEP™ accreditation, the position of their 'Change Management Practitioner Course' as a program aligned with international standards has been further solidified.

About the Change Management Practitioner Course

The 'Change Management Practitioner Course' is designed for those involved in DX, business transformation, and organizational change who are struggling with frontline buy-in, behavioral change, or adoption.

In this course, students learn to define the goals and background of their transformation, manage stakeholder engagement, address resistance, design communication strategies, and plan for adoption, all based on their own actual work projects. The course emphasizes creating practical plans that students can immediately apply to drive change within their own companies.

1. Systematic Learning Based on International Standards Students systematically learn how to organize transformation goals, understand its impact, manage stakeholder engagement, design communication, and plan for sustainable adoption, in line with international standards.

2. Content Tailored to Japanese Business Contexts Rather than learning theoretical models from an overseas context in isolation, the program is designed to address issues common in Japanese companies, such as consensus-building, cross-departmental coordination, frontline relationships, and decision-making processes.

3. Practical Outputs Based on Actual Transformation Themes Students use actual transformation themes they are involved in to develop concrete plans for engagement, communication, and adoption. Through lectures, case studies, dialogue, and workshops, students apply lessons to their own work environments and create actionable change management plans.

4. Applicable to a Wide Range of Organizational Changes The change management principles covered in the course can be applied to various initiatives, including DX, business reform, system updates, and organizational restructuring. The strength of this approach lies in its versatility across any scenario involving change in people and organizations.

Comment from Representative Director Masaki Yagi Transformation cannot move forward simply by introducing systems or rules. It is crucial to design how the frontline perceives changes, how to involve stakeholders, and how to connect this to behavioral change and adoption. I believe this QEP™ accreditation is a major milestone in providing change management education that adheres to international standards while being tailored to the practical realities of Japanese business. While the need for transformation is increasing, many transformation leaders often feel isolated, or their policies fail to take root. That is precisely why I believe there is a need for learning that systematically captures the changes in people and organizations to move forward together with stakeholders.