This paper presents the author’s experience in his capacity as the Co-Leader for CDIO Asia Region in assisting new institutions interested in becoming a CDIO member. The first explains the submission requirements as part of the application process: notably the completion of an application form, and a self-evaluation report; and describe the challenges faced by these potential new members. One recurring theme is the lack of understanding on how to conduct the self-evaluation process; largely due to the lack of in-depth understanding of the CDIO Framework itself. This can be attributed to missed opportunities to get acquainted with CDIO. The author also noted the mismatch between outcomes of the self-evaluation report and the action plans reported in the submitted application form. Therefore a set of 2 documents had been prepared to assist applicants conduct the self-evaluation process to ascertain the current status of a program targeted for revamp. One document provided guidelines for using the CDIO Standards, as it is noted that different faculty can have different administrative responsibilities in the job role (Program Chair, Project Supervisor, etc) besides the academic accountabilities. A summary table highlighting for each standard the key focus areas at the program-level and course-level. Another document complements the first one, by providing guiding questions to aid the interpretation of the scoring rubric on every CDIO Standards. In this manner, this document expanded on the initial set of rubrics to provide greater clarity to all involved in the self-evaluation rating process with a common understanding based on the broad descriptors of scoring (Level 0 to 5) for each standard. Lastly, the paper shares the feedback from institutions that became CDIO members on their experience in using the 2 documents to aid the preparation of the application form and completing the self-evaluation exercise, with particular attention on the formulation of implementable action plans, prioritized based on the results of the self-evaluation exercise, aligned with the objectives of the curriculum revamp that led to the adoption of CDIO in the first place.
