• An AMSRS member's QPMR accreditation is reviewed annually, either in April or October.
• The review, called a diary assessment, is undertaken by a QPMR assessor.
• A QPMR accredited member is required to submit a Professional Development Diary for a specified 12 month period.
• A QPMR accredited member is required to have undertaken professional development activities over the year and achieved a minimum 100 points on the QPMR continuing professional development point requirements to maintain QPMR status.
• There is no provision for automatic carry-over of accreditation from one year to the next.

Professional Development Diary

• All members renewing their QPMR accreditation are required to submit a completed Professional Development Diary outlining all their professional development activity over the previous 12 months.
• All non-AMSRS professional development activities require documentary evidence to accompany the diary point claims.
• This documentary evidence for the activities you have nominated must be provided with the diary in order to fulfill QPMR renewal requirements.
• Failure to provide sufficient support material may result in a request for such material and a delay in obtaining assessment results.

QPMR RENEWAL PROCESS

       QPMR Point Requirements
       QPMR Renewal Diary (PDF)
       Diary (excel format)
       Diary (Word Version)
       In-House Training Summary (Word) 
       QPMR Renewal Payment Sheet

Professional Development activities

Appropriate professional development activities are broadly defined as those that result in the improvement and broadening of market and/or social research knowledge and skills and the professional qualities needed throughout a researchers' working life. 

• Activities that count towards professional development are wide-ranging - from professional reading to attending seminars and courses to participating in special industry groups.
• There are 16 categories under which people can obtain professional development points.
• Full details on what constitutes professional development activities under the categories and the documentary evidence (and the learning outcomes) required for each category can be found under the QPMR Point Requirements  tag above.
• A suggested reading list to assist QPMR members with their professional development can also be found on the website.  We encourage members to include readings as part of their professional development activities as they are a good alternative if course attendance is limited.   PLEASE NOTE: We do not claim this as a definitive or recommended text list for market and social researchers; rather it is a list of suggested titles designed to enhance continued professional development activities.
• QPMR members are required to maintain a record of their attendance and involvement in professional development activities as outlined in the Required information for each category section here.  This information goes into the Professional Development Diary.
• Members who fail to demonstrate that they have met their professional development requirements within the required QPMR diary cycle will not be issued with accreditation or a certificate. Their QPMR status will be revoked.

Please note: Whilst members are not required to undertake activities in each category the total minimum number of points necessary to maintain QPMR status is 100 points.

AMSRS Professional Development Program

• AMSRS runs a Professional Development program (PDP) consisting of training courses, seminars and webinars of varying durations for members.
• PDP activities are designed to improve the standard of market and social research by assisting in the development of research-related skills for both buyers and suppliers of research. 
• These courses include speakers from within AMSRS membership base, as well as international speakers and academics that specialise in the teaching of market and social research.
• The Program is developed by practitioners, administered nationally and delivered by Divisions according to local needs.
• Accessing the Program provides one of many ways to meet your continuing professional development obligations under QPMR.
• QPMR point allocations for courses are listed on PDP promotional material.
• Further details on the PDP program can be found here.

Accreditation renewal fees

• QPMR accredited members are required to pay an annual renewal fee.
• Payment of this fee is required either when submitting the diary or upon receipt of an issued invoice.
• QPMR accreditation and Certificates will not be issued until all outstanding QPMR fees have been paid.

Certificate of Accreditation

• Following successful renewal a certificate of QPMR accreditation will be issued to members. This is in the form of a hard copy document or a downloadable PDF file. 
• Certificates will not be issued until all outstanding QPMR fees have been paid.

Confidentiality

• All information provided by renewing QPMR accredited members to the AMSRS and the QPMR assessors will be treated as confidential.
• QPMR assessors sign a confidentiality agreement prior to the commencement of the assessment process.

More evidence required

• QPMR assessors make requests for further information when insufficient evidence about professional development activities has been provided to support the QPMR diary claim. 
• If members are required to provide more evidence they will be advised of the information necessary to conclude the assessment and a due date for this information to be provided.
• Once more information about professional development activities has been provided the QPMR assessor checks to see it is sufficient and marks the QPMR renewal application as either meeting Compliance or Non-compliance.

Suspending QPMR

• Information on how to suspend your QPMR accreditation can be found here.

Withdrawing from QPMR

• QPMR members who withdraw or are revoked from the accreditation scheme and then later (longer than 12 months) decide that they do in fact want to be recognised as a QPMR member, are required to go through the application process and re-apply for QPMR accreditation.
• Members do not gain automatic re-entry as a QPMR accredited members because they have previously had the accreditation.
• Please Note: Entry into the QPMR scheme will be via an exam from 2010 onwards.

Information about QPMR Assessors

QPMR Assessors

• The Executive Director of AMSRS assigns QPMR assessors for the diary assessment process.
• The QPMR assessors are selected from AMSRS members who are Fellows.
• Fellows are market and social research practitioners who have substantial industry experience and have been recognised for their contribution to the development of the industry.

Training of Assessors

• QPMR assessors are trained in a consistent manner and are required to adhere to a set of audit guidelines when undertaking the QPMR assessment process.

Further information
For further details about gaining, renewing or suspending QPMR ring 02 9566 3100, or send an email to qpmr@amsrs.com.au now.