The American Institute of Parliamentarians (AIP) is a not-for-profit educational organization started in 1958 to advance parliamentary procedure. AIP currently has about 1,200 members in the USA, Canada and internationally.
AIP is unique in that it stresses familiarity with several parliamentary authorities, rather than relying exclusively on Robert’s Rules of Order (as the National Association of Parliamentarians does, for example). This diversity enables AIP members to leverage the history and theory of parliamentary practice, giving organizations options in their use of parliamentary procedures. Members of AIP were involved in revising and editing the latest copy of The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure, for example.
The objectives of AIP are:
- promote use of effective democratic, parliamentary practices;
- promote preparation and use of parliamentary literature;
- promote teach of parliamentary procedure;
- promote the training and certification of Parliamentarians;
- promote wider use of Parliamentarians;
- maintain a representative, democratic organization
AIP currently maintains four levels of membership:
- Member – anyone interested in parliamentary procedure who pays their dues. No examination required.
- Certified Parliamentarian (CP) – requires a written examination plus continuing service credits. There are approximately 60 CP’s in the world today. This level is similar to the NAP Regular Member (RM) level with the exception of requiring continuing service credits to achieve this title.
- Certified Professional Parliamentarians (CPP) – a CP with the addition an secondary oral examination covering several other parliamentary authorities, plus additional continuing service credits. There are approximately 50 CPP’s in the world today. This level is similar to the NAP Registered Parliamentarian (RP) certification.
- Designated Teacher of Parliamentary Procedure (CP-T/CPP-T) – Adjunct certification to either the CP or CPP level, showing evidence of monitored teaching experience in parliamentary procedure. This level is similar to the NAP Professional Registered Parliamentarian (PRP) certification.
