Sri Lanka Establish the Certification Body of National Productivity Secretariat (NPS-CB), a National Initiative for Certification of Productivity Specialist.
NPS-CB is a certification body operating under the National Productivity Secretariat (NPS). NPS is the sole Government body undertaking productivity and quality initiatives in Sri Lanka General Requirements for Certification Bodies and Certification of Person Scheme and Certification Scheme APO-PS 101:2023, Requirements for Productivity Specialists, by the Asian Productivity Organization (APO).
Certification decisions are taken impartially and collectively by the NPS-CB/ Technical Working Panels (TWPs) and monitored by the Certification Council, the highest management in NPS -CB consisting of representatives from various industries and government agencies.
Certified Productivity Specialist
The Productivity Specialist Certification Program is designed to recognize individuals highly skilled in the application of productivity solutions, encompassing activities like consultancy, training, promotion, and research.
Roles and responsibilities
In general, the job responsibilities of productivity specialists may include but are not limited to the following:
- Defining the scope of project assignments and details of productivity problems of client organizations.
- Performing diagnosis of client organizations, identifying productivity problems, recommending appropriate productivity solutions, and then assisting in planning, executing, and sustaining recommended productivity solutions.
- Conducting research on productivity concepts and measurement or improvement techniques, developing improvement methodologies, and publishing articles related to productivity.
- Developing promotional and training programs and materials, giving presentations and conducting training sessions to disseminate productivity knowledge and skills among client organizations to increase capabilities and transfer skills.
- Providing effective, efficient, sustainable productivity solutions found on basic, universally accepted principles.
- Undertaking continuous learning and professional development to ensure contextual awareness, acquire knowledge of the latest productivity techniques and technologies, and sharpen skills to better serve clients.
- Facilitating sustainable productivity solutions implemented ethically and fairly while achieving the intended outcomes.
Benefits to Productivity Specialists Certification
- Improved career and business prospects.
- Use of the authorized certification logo on business documents.
- Listing in the public online register of Certified Persons.
- Networking with other Certified Persons in the productivity specialist community.
- Opportunities to participate in APO international assignments, conferences, and other events.
- Proof of commitment to ongoing professional development.
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CRITERIA |
Tier 1: CERTIFIED PRODUCTIVITY SPECIALIST |
Tier 2: CERTIFIED SENIOR PRODUCTIVITY SPECIALIST |
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Academic/Work Qualifications |
SLQF Exit level 4 or above (UGC recognized University degree) with at least 5 years of work experience, or GCE (Advanced Level), TVEC recognized NVQ Exit level 6, or TVEC recognized NVQ level 5/4 with Basic Certificate Course on Productivity and Innovation with 10 years of work experience or equivalent. |
SLQF Exit level 4 or above (UGC recognized University degree) with at least 5 years of work experience, or GCE (Advanced Level), TVEC recognized NVQ Exit level 6, or TVEC recognized NVQ level 5/4 with Basic Certificate Course on Productivity and Innovation with 16 years of work experience or equivalent. |
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Prerequisite Productivity Knowledge and Understanding |
· Completed comprehensive training programme, with knowledge and understanding in 8 productivity solutions. · Evidence of practice illustrating knowledge and understanding is acceptable. |
· Completed comprehensive training programme, with knowledge and understanding in 8 productivity solutions. · Evidence of practice illustrating knowledge and understanding is acceptable. |
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Essential CPS Knowledge |
· Completed the CPS Preparatory Course (Exemptions may be granted for applications with more than 8 years of productivity improvement experience subjected to approval by the CB.) |
· Completed the CPS Preparatory Course (Exemptions may be granted for applications with more than 8 years of productivity improvement experience subjected to approval by the CB.) |
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CPS Written Examination |
· Passed the CPS Written Examination conducted by the CB. |
· Passed the CPS Written Examination conducted by the CB. |
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Productivity Work Experience |
· 2 years of work experience. · Implementation of 2 productivity improvement projects. · Undertaken 200 hours of consultancy, training, promotion, or research activities in the last 12 months. |
· 8 years of work experience. · Implementation of 8 productivity improvement projects. · Undertaken 2,000 hours of consultation, training, promotion, or research activities with at least 200 hours of practice in the last 12 months. |
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Client Testimonials |
· 2 positive client testimonials from projects undertaken in the last 24 months. |
· 3 positive client testimonials from projects undertaken in the last 24 months. |
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Process Skills |
· Possess Process Skills one or more processes that include Consultancy, Training, Promotion and Research. |
· Possess Process Skills one or more processes that include Consultancy, Training, Promotion and Research. |
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People Skills |
· Possess People Skills in Client Relationships, Stakeholder Management, Communication and Team Management. |
· Possess People Skills in Client Relationships, Stakeholder Management, Communication and Team Management. |
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Productivity Domain Expertise |
· Knowledge and experience in data collection and productivity diagnosis techniques. |
· Knowledge and experience in data collection and productivity diagnosis techniques. |
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· Knowledge and understanding of at least eight (8) productivity solutions. |
· Knowledge and understanding of at least fifteen (15) productivity solutions. |
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· Knowledge and experience in at least one(1) foundational or focused productivity improvement solution. |
· Knowledge and experience in at least three(3) foundational or focused productivity improvement solutions. |
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Code of Conduct
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· Knowledge and practice CPS Code of Professional Conduct. |
· Knowledge and practice CPS Code of Professional Conduct. |
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CRITERIA |
Tier 3: CERTIFIED MASTER PRODUCTIVITY SPECIALIST |
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Professional Qualifications |
· Certified Senior Productivity Specialist or equivalent. |
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Work Experience |
· Active and continuous practice as a productivity specialist at time of application. · Minimum of 14 years of work experience as a productivity specialist. · Undertake at least 4,000 hours on consultancy, training, promotion or research of which serving 1,000 hours in assignment leadership roles. |
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International Assignments |
· At least 5 international assignments done overseas or in-country. |
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Client Testimonials |
· 5 positive client testimonials from projects undertaken in the last 24 months. |
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Code of Conduct
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· Knowledge and practice CPS Code of Professional Conduct. |
Certification Process
The NPS-CB Certification Flowchart outlines the step-by-step process for individuals seeking certification under the Productivity Certification Body of Bangladesh, specifically for the Certified Productivity Specialist (CPS) designation. The process ensures rigorous assessment and validation of competencies in line with APO-CB standards.
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Step |
Process |
Actions |
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1 |
CPS Preparatory Course |
Complete the CPS Preparatory Course organised by NPS-CB partner(s). Exemptions may be granted if Applicants has more than 5 years’ experience in the field of productivity improvement. |
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2 |
CPS Written Examination |
Pass the CPS Written Examination. Applicants who fail May take the exam again. |
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3 |
Submission of Application |
Applicants complete the PCBB prescribed application form and submit it with supporting documents and fees(if any). |
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4 |
Desktop Review |
NPS-CB verifies the application information to ensure all requirements are met and to confirm the authenticity of supporting documents. |
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5 |
Face-to-Face Assessment Interview |
Addend a Face-to-Face assessment interview to assess the competency of applicant. |
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6 |
Approval of Certification |
Qualified Applicant is approved by the Approving Authority in NPS-CB. |
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7 |
Commencement of Certification |
Qualified applicant shall sign the certification agreement to comply with code of professional conduct and rules of certification before receiving a coded certificate and the certified person’s name will be listed on the Register of Certified Persons for a period of 3 years. A certified person is entitled to use the certification logos with respect to their level of certification. |
Re-Certification Requirements
The re-certification requirements for all tiers of certification are as follows
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CRITERIA |
RE-CERTIFICATION |
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Continuous Professional Development (CPD) |
Certified persons are required to undergo a minimum of 90 hours of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) in the preceding 3 years. |
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Positive Client Testimonial |
Certified persons are required to submit at least 2 positive client testimonials on productivity projects undertaken in the last 3 years. |
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Submit Application for Re-certification |
Applicants who meet the requirements of recertification shall submit their application on prescribed forms at least 3 months before the expiration of the certification. Acceptance of applications after the expiration of the certification will be at the discretion of NPS-CB. |
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Desktop Assessment |
Applicants must pass the desktop assessment conducted by NPS-CB |
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Re-certification Period |
The recertification will be valid for 3 years. |
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Code of Professional Conduct |
·During the period of recertification, certified persons must comply with the Code of Professional Conduct. |
Re-Certification Process
The NPS-CB Re-Certification Flowchart outlines the step-by-step process for individuals seeking re-certification under the National Productivity Secretariat Certification Body of Sri Lanka, specifically for the Certified Productivity Specialist (CPS) designation. The process ensures rigorous assessment and validation of competencies in line with APO-CB standards.
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Step |
Process |
Actions |
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1 |
Notification for Renewal of Certification |
Notify Certified Person on renewal of certification 6 months before the expiry of certification. |
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2 |
Submission of the renewal application |
Applicants complete the prescribed Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and Recertification Application Form and submit it with supporting documentation and fees. |
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3 |
Desktop Review |
Certification Office will verify documentation for completeness and request for submission of missing information or support documents. |
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4 |
Desktop Assessment |
Desktop assessment to assess the competency of applicants for re-certification. |
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5 |
Approval of Certification |
Qualified Applicant is approved by the Approving Authority in NPS-CB. |
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6 |
Commencement of Certification |
Qualified Applicant shall sign the certification agreement to comply with code of professional conduct and rules of certification before receiving a coded certificate and the certified person’s name will continue to be listed on the Register of Certified Persons for a period of 3 years. A certified person is entitled to use the certification logos with respect to their level of certification. |
CPS Preparatory Course
NPS-CB has introduced the CPS Preparatory Course for interested parties as a pre-requisite to certification. The aim of this course is to equip the candidate with knowledge on essential productivity solution topics promoted by NPS-CB and requirements specified in the APO-PS 101:2023 Standard to allow them to prepare for the CPS Written Examination. NPS-CB has worked with training partners for the conduct of this course. Please contact the NPS-CB Secretariat for details of training partners for the CPS Preparatory Course.
CPS Written Examination
The CPS Written Examination is a prerequisite for applicants for the Certified Productivity Specialist scheme. The examination is designed to assess the knowledge and competency of candidates on the requirements of APO-PS 101: 2023 standard and strategic productivity improvement solutions. The examination duration is 2.5 hours, and the passing marks is 70. Contents of the examination cover the following topics:
- APO-PS 101:2023 Standard
- Code of Professional Conduct
- CPS Process Skills
- CPS People Skills
- Productivity Diagnosis
- Organization Climate Survey
- Kaizen
- 5S
- 7 QC Tools
- Balance Scorecard
APO-PS 101:2023 Requirements for Productivity Specialist Standard
The NPS-CB Certified Productivity Specialist scheme is based on the APO-PS 101:2023 Requirements for Productivity Specialist Standard published by the Asian Productivity Organisation. The standard is available from this link. https://www.apo-tokyo.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/APO-PS-101_2023-Requirements-for-Prodcutvitiy-Specialists-Issue-1-for-web.pdf
Price Breakdown for NPS-CB CPS Certification
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Pre-requisites |
Certification (3 Years) |
Recertification (3 Years) |
Appeal / Reinstatement |
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CPS Preparatory Course (3-day Course) Rs. 00.00
CPS Written Examination Rs. 00.00
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Application Fee Rs. 00.00
Assessment Fee Rs. 00.00
Certification Fee Rs. 00.00
Total Fees: Rs. 00.00
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Administrative and Assessment Fee Rs. 00.00
Recertification Fee Rs. 00.00
Total Fees: Rs. 00.00
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Appeal Fee Rs. 00.00
Reinstatement Fee Rs. 00.00 |
Appeal
Applicants or Certified Persons may appeal against the certification decisions of NPS-CB by writing in with the nature of appeal and submit together with the appeal fees to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Suspension and Withdrawal
Upon receiving a complaint or feedback on inappropriate, undesired behavior or performance of a certified person, it will be independently investigated and a fair resolution determined by the NPS-CB. If a certified person is found to have infringed on any laws and regulations or not to have complied with the Code of Professional Conduct under this scheme, actions including warnings, suspensions, and withdrawals of certification may be taken according to APO-PS 101:2023 standard.
Feedback
Any feedback on NPS-CB and Certified Persons from relevant interested parties should be written to Chair of NPS-CB at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For more information about the Application for Certified Productivity Specialist Certification Scheme, Details of CPS Preparatory Courses and CPS Written Examination please email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 011-2186028.
Download Applications from here
1. Certified Productivity Specialist (CPS)
2. Certified Senior Productivity Specialist (SPS)
3. Certified Master Productivity Specialist ( MPS)
CPS Preparatory Course - Registration