IMPLAN Certified Economist Program

Introduction

The goal of the IMPLAN Certified Economist Program is to train individual customers in Input-Output theory and analysis specifically tailored to the IMPLAN Cloud application. The purpose of the program is to elevate the quality and credibility of studies done using the IMPLAN Cloud system by certifying specific people who demonstrate a wide and deep understanding of I-O analysis in general and the IMPLAN Cloud system in particular, who strive to be unbiased in their modeling and reporting, and who have shown a willingness to properly document the methods and data used in their IMPLAN analyses.

Program Benefits

The IMPLAN Certified Economist Program offers numerous benefits to participants. Not only can the certification be added to CVs, resumes, and on platforms like LinkedIn, but members will also be listed on the IMPLAN website with links to their individual or company websites. Businesses and organizations that reach out to IMPLAN to request an analysis will be directed to this list of certified IMPLAN analysts, thereby increasing certified economist members’ exposure to potential clients. IMPLAN Certified Economist studies will carry more weight and may receive more exposure. Participation in the program helps promote best practices and increases the quality of IMPLAN studies in circulation, thereby increasing the credibility of I-O analysis. The program includes access to all IMPLAN training on demand videos and members will have access to a roundtable of members and IMPLAN economists twice a year to discuss software updates, relevant studies, and ask questions of IMPLAN staff.

Requirements

There are five requirements to obtain initial IMPLAN Certified Economist status. The first three steps do not need to be completed in a specific order. The final test will not be administered prior to the formal application.

• • Have a current subscription to IMPLAN
  • Attend a complete IMPLAN cloud-based training class in the past three years via training on demand, virtual class, or live class
  • Publish at least one public¹ report or journal article as a contributing author in the last two years using the IMPLAN cloud-based application and data
  • Submit an application to IMPLAN and pay a fee of $500 to cover operating expenses of the program, which includes access to IMPLAN training on-demand videos
  • Pass, with a score of 80% or greater, a final knowledge test of I-O economics and IMPLAN within 90 days of payment

Disclaimer

While certification can promote and maintain professional standards and can serve as an effective quality improvement mechanism, it cannot guarantee an analyst’s competency in every possible type of study or the quality of a specific study. IMPLAN reserves the right to revoke certification at any time for any reason. The IMPLAN Certified Economist Program certifies individuals, not organizations or specific papers/reports, however organizations that have certified employees can market as such. The IMPLAN Certified Economist Program is only available to users of the current IMPLAN Cloud-based platform. IMPLAN receives no compensation for any studies performed by the analyst.
¹If the report is not public, provide under NDA an analysis to IMPLAN for confidential review