Portal Member User Guide
Everything you need to navigate, use, and get the most from your member portal.
Logging In
Go to your association's portal URL and click Sign In at the top right. Enter your registered email address and password. If you have forgotten your password, click Reset Password on the login page and follow the instructions sent to your email.
First-Time Access
New members receive a welcome email with a portal invitation link. Click the link, set your password, and you will land directly on your Member Dashboard. If you did not receive the email, check your spam folder or contact the Secretariat.
Browser & Device
The portal works on any modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari). It is responsive and works on mobile phones and tablets, though a desktop or laptop gives the best experience for learning and form-heavy sections.
After logging in you land on your Member Dashboard. The green banner at the top shows your name, member type, status, and Portal Member ID. From here you can access every feature of the portal through the cards displayed below.
Dashboard Cards
| Card | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Learning Hub | Your CPD hours logged and active courses enrolled |
| Assignment Briefs | Open marketplace briefs you can apply for |
| Ethics Cases | Ethics concerns you have reported or are involved in |
| My Transactions | Invoices and payments linked to your membership |
| Support | Open or track a system support ticket |
| Events | Upcoming webinars and association events |
| Articles | Knowledge articles published by the association |
| Notifications | System alerts and membership updates |
Top Buttons
View Digital Passport — opens your shareable Digital Passport showing your verified credentials. User Guide — returns you to this page.
Updating Your Profile
Click your name or avatar to access your profile. You can update your job title, employer, province, phone number, and professional biography. Keep your profile current — it feeds your Digital Passport and consultant listing.
Digital Passport
Your Digital Passport is a verified, shareable summary of your membership credentials including your member type, membership status, competency score, ethics commitment date, and CPD progress. Employers and clients can scan the QR code or visit the verification link to confirm your active status in real time.
Use the Notifications & Alerts button at the top of the page to manage portal alerts and email preferences for articles, courses, events, polls, support updates, and reminders.
Membership Certificate
Active members can download their Membership Certificate as a PDF from the My Account section. The certificate includes a QR code that links directly to the public member verification page for immediate third-party validation.
Browsing Courses
Click Learning Hub from your dashboard to browse the full course catalogue. Courses are organised by category: Planning and Monitoring Frameworks (100 series), Mobile Data Collection (200 series), and Data Analysis and Visualization (300 series). Each course card shows the duration, delivery mode, CPD hours, and member price.
Enrolling in a Course
Click a course to view the full outline and lesson list. To enrol, contact the Secretariat or follow the registration link shown on the course page. Once enrolled, all lessons for that course appear in your My Learning section.
Completing Lessons
Each lesson is an article or video. Work through lessons in order. Mark each lesson as complete using the Mark as Done button at the bottom. Your progress percentage updates automatically.
CPD Hours
CPD hours are awarded automatically when you complete a course. Your total CPD hours are visible on your dashboard card and in your Digital Passport. Your member type specifies how many CPD hours are required per year — the progress bar shows you how close you are to meeting that target.
Course Catalogue (2026)
| Code | Course | Days | CPD Hrs | Mode | Member Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZM 101 | Understanding Planning Developmental Frameworks | 5 | 20 | Online | ZMW 1,500 |
| ZM 201 | Mobile Data Collection Using ODK and KoboCollect | 4 | 16 | Hybrid | ZMW 2,000 |
| ZM 301a | Excel Skills for Data Analysts | 3 | 12 | Online | ZMW 1,200 |
| ZM 304 | Data Visualization and Dashboarding (Power BI + Tableau) | 5 | 20 | Hybrid | ZMW 3,500 |
Browsing Briefs
The Assignment Briefs card on your dashboard shows how many open briefs are currently available. Click it to see the full list. Each brief includes the client organisation, assignment type, duration, required sectors, and posting date.
Requesting an Introduction
To apply for a brief, click Request Introduction on the brief page. You will be asked to confirm your availability and submit a brief expression of interest. The Secretariat reviews all requests and coordinates the introduction with the client organisation.
Expert Profile
Your expert profile (bio, skills, sector experience, and availability) is what clients see. Keep it updated via your profile settings. A complete, well-written profile significantly improves your chances of being matched.
Consultant Marketplace (Public Page)
There is also a public Consultant Marketplace page that non-members can browse. Your profile appears there only if you are an active member with a published expert profile.
Events
The Events card shows how many upcoming webinars and events are published. Click it to see the events calendar. Each event shows the title, date, platform (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet), duration, and CPD hours awarded for attendance. Meeting links are shared by the Secretariat before the event date.
Articles
The Articles section contains knowledge articles, technical briefs, and thought leadership pieces published by the association and its members. You can like articles and leave comments. The number of published articles is shown on the dashboard card.
Code of Ethics
All members are required to sign the association's Code of Professional Ethics as part of membership. Your ethics commitment date is recorded and visible on your Digital Passport. Non-compliance may affect your membership status.
Reporting a Concern
If you witness a violation of the Code of Ethics by another member, you can report it through the Ethics Cases section. Your report is reviewed by the Ethics Committee. All cases are handled confidentially in accordance with the association's ethics procedures.
Tracking Your Case
Cases you have reported are listed in your Ethics Cases view with their current status (Under Review, In Investigation, Resolved, or Closed). You will receive a notification when your case status changes.
Viewing Invoices
Click My Transactions from your dashboard to see all invoices related to your membership (annual dues, course fees, and any other association charges). Each invoice shows the amount, due date, and payment status.
Making a Payment
Payment instructions are included on each invoice. The association accepts bank transfers, mobile money (MTN/Airtel), and other approved payment methods. Once payment is confirmed by the Secretariat, your invoice status changes to Paid.
Payment Queries
If your payment does not reflect within 3 working days of transfer, contact the Secretariat with your transaction reference number via the Support system.
The bell icon in your portal header and the Notifications dashboard card show unread alerts. Notifications are sent for key events including:
- Membership application status changes
- Invoice and payment confirmations
- New assignment briefs matching your profile
- Upcoming CPD deadlines
- Ethics case status updates
- New articles and events published
Click any notification to go directly to the relevant page. Use Mark all as read to clear the unread count once you have reviewed them.
The Verify Member page (also accessible from the portal dashboard) lets you search for any member by Membership ID or NRC number. Enter the ID and click Verify now to see their:
- Full name and member type
- Membership status (Active / Suspended / Expired)
- Competency score and ethics commitment status
You can also scan the QR code on a member's printed certificate — this opens the verification page with the result pre-loaded.
Support Tickets
Use the Support card on your dashboard to open a support ticket for any technical issues, billing queries, or general membership questions. Every ticket gets a reference number — keep this handy when following up. Open the ticket detail page to add images or documents when you need to show supporting evidence.
Contacting the Secretariat
For urgent matters, the Secretariat contact details are listed on the public website. Response time for support tickets is typically 1–3 working days.
Common Issues
| Issue | What to do |
|---|---|
| Cannot log in | Use Reset Password on the login page |
| Membership status shows incorrect | Open a Support ticket — include your Member ID |
| Payment not reflecting | Open a Support ticket with your bank reference |
| Course progress not saving | Refresh and ensure you click Mark as Done per lesson |
| Digital Passport not loading | Clear browser cache and try again; open a ticket if it persists |
Where to find it
Open your Digital Passport and click Notifications & Alerts at the top of the page. A popup window lets you turn alerts on or off for new articles, courses, events, polls, support ticket updates, reminders, membership notices, and system notices.
How it works
Use the master switch to enable or disable alerts completely, then fine-tune each category below it. If you turn off a category, you will not receive portal notifications or email messages for that type. The settings apply to your member profile.
What to expect
- Articles: New knowledge articles published by the Secretariat.
- Courses: Learning hub course releases and major course updates.
- Events: Upcoming events, webinars, and schedule changes.
- Polls: Poll invitations and reminders to vote.
- Support tickets: Ticket progress, comments, and resolution updates.
- Reminders: CPD, renewal, and other follow-up reminders.