Climate and Investing question writers

Climate and Investing question writers

Purpose 

CFA UK has developed a new qualification in Climate and Investing and is seeking practitioner subject matter experts to support its development.

Building on the launch of the Certificate in ESG Investing in 2019, CFA UK recognises the growing importance of equipping today’s investment professional with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand climate as it relates to investing and to integrate climate considerations into the investment decision making process.

Question writers are responsible for writing the assessment material for the qualification. This will be in the form of individual questions, rather than an whole examinations paper.

Each question writer is required to:

• Write questions with identified answer keys, according to the syllabus specification and question writer guidelines
• Ensure that each question meets the requirements in terms of required level, appropriateness for the qualification and specification
• Submit a short rationale for why each question key is correct and why each distractor is an incorrect answer
• Submit the material to CFA UK within the agreed time-scale and in the format specified
• Send a revised version of the material to CFA UK following feedback
• Attend, where necessary, an editing meeting at which the revised draft of the assessment material is evaluated and amended where required (likely to be via video conferencing)
• Carry out all these services in line with CFA UK instructions and schedules.

Who are we looking for?

The purpose of the new qualification is to enable investment professionals to understand the implications of impact and investing in an investment organisation and incorporate the relevant tools, techniques and data into investment decision making.

As such we are seeking investment professionals with subject matter expertise in the following areas:

• climate science, climate change risks and consideration
• regulation, policy response and corporate reporting as it relates to climate
• climate change impacts and opportunities
• climate risk measurement – data, metrics, targets and scenario analysis
• climate stewardship and engagement
• climate as it relates to list investment instruments
• climate as it relates to private investment instruments
• portfolio management and climate related aspects
• climate as it relates to serving client needs

Applicants who do not have the specified industry experience will not be considered.
Experience in writing assessment material is not essential as training will be provided, however it is preferred if applicants have this experience.

Typical question writing process

1. Question Writers submit agreed number of questions by set deadline
2. Questions are reviewed by internal CFA UK staff
3. If required, CFA UK staff provide first-stage feedback to Question Writer and agree date for re-submission
4. Questions are reviewed by Impact and Investing Panel
5. If required, Impact and Investing Panel provide panel feedback to Question Writer and date for re-submission is agreed
6. If required, Question Writer attends Impact and Investing Panel for final review of questions.

What you will gain:

• Insight into qualification development and delivery by helping to define and determine the requirements and set the competency standards for those entering the sector
• Working with the Impact and Investing Panel, you will help define and determine the requirements of the assessment and set the competency standard for those entering the sector
• Build your profile within the CFA UK network of volunteers, the wider membership and the industry
• The opportunity to interact with an interesting and engaged group of fellow practitioners from a range of sectors
• The opportunity to meet and network with other like-minded investment professionals
• Receive training in how to write examination standard questions.

If your skills and experience match our requirements, you will be contacted and asked to attend training in question writing. Following the training, you will be asked to submit some sample exam standard questions, which will be reviewed by CFA UK. If these meet CFA UK’s requirements, you will be commissioned to write a number of exam standard questions, according to your availability.

You will receive clear commissioning guidance. Question Writers are paid on a per-question basis, after questions have been approved by the Impact and Investing Panel (£23 per level 3 question; £30 per level 4 question). Consultancy contracts are short-term but may be renewed based on question writing performance and question development needs. 

Compliance Notes:

• Group members should seek prior compliance clearance from their employers
• Members will participate in a personal capacity and not as representatives of their employer.