1. Tell us about your experience putting together your portfolio for the AL-CIP?
Compiling the portfolio felt less like an exam and more like an audit of my leadership DNA. I began by mapping every project to one of the six AL‑CIP competency domains, then pulled objective evidence—outbreak metrics, audit dashboards, published articles—rather than narrative alone. The biggest task was distilling decade of work into concise, outcome‑focused stories. I blocked two hours every morning for three weeks, treating it like a consulting engagement with myself as the client. The process clarified not only what I’ve achieved but how each initiative advanced patient safety at scale.
2. Can you provide tips for writing a successful rationale?
1. Start with the gap. Identify the specific patient‑safety or compliance problem your work addressed before describing the intervention.
2. Quantify impact. Use hard numbers—reduced outbreak days, increased vaccination uptake, dollars saved. CBIC reviewers value measurable outcomes.
3. Tie to a competency. Open each rationale with “This demonstrates Domain X: ___” so reviewers instantly see alignment.
4. Show leadership layers. Highlight how you influenced executives, frontline staff, and external stakeholders, not just your immediate team.
5. Reflect, don’t report. Conclude with what you would refine next time; demonstrating insight is as important as success.
3. What advice would you give to someone considering the AL-CIP?
Say yes—and schedule it like a strategic project, not an after‑hours hobby. Block dedicated writing time, collect artefacts as you go (meeting minutes, audits, policy revisions), and build a “living portfolio” even before you apply. Join or form a peer group; a 20‑minute monthly call to critique each other’s rationales accelerates progress and keeps momentum. Finally, approach the credential as a leadership development journey, not merely a title—the reflection it forces will sharpen your strategic lens long after the certificate arrives.
4. What does earning your AL-CIP mean to you?
The AL‑CIP is my global calling card. It signals to ministries, CEOs, and frontline teams that I pair evidence‑based practice with measurable leadership results.
The credential validates a promise I made during medical training to design systems that prevent the next infection before it starts. It’s both a milestone and a mandate to keep pushing the boundaries of IPAC innovation.