Professions are knowledge-based occupational groups. They have also been characterised as associations who claim exclusive ownership and control over a particular field of knowledge and practice and they have been given a specific societal mandate. It may however be questioned whether these characteristics hold true for professions in the context of current trends of economical, technological and organisational change. We might argue that the introduction of market principles serves to diffuse professional knowledge, and secondly, professional fields of knowledge based on a compartmentalisation of the world into areas of single jurisdiction is no longer a valid way of representing a complex world (Fournier 2000).The two overall questions addressed in the paper are: How do professional associations of today place knowledge in their boundary work and their effort to define an exclusive competence over a particular field of practice? And how is knowledge played out in the discourses of change and challenges? Embedded in these questions is also the issue on how the strategies of the associations are linked to on one hand the formal educational system, and on the other hand a work-based competence structure. Theoretical and analytical frameworkInspired by Julia Evetts (2003) and Freidson (2001), professionalism is seen as a unique form of occupational control of work and, although it is under pressure from political and ideological forces, we may argue that it is a desirable way of providing complex , discretionary services to the public. In this study professionalism is a key word in order to understand occupational change and the role of knowledge. Methods and data sourcesThe empirical data conducted for the study are policy documents and qualitative interviews with key informants from two professional associations; Norwegian Nurses' Association (Norsk Sykepleierforbund) and Union of Education Norway (Utdanningsforbundet). The data sources enable us to draw a picture of the two associations' orientation and self understanding of knowledge, and their strategies and actions concerning professional work. Results and the importance of the studyThe data will be conducted this spring. Although it is too early to draw any conclusions, I believe that a study like this contributes with empirical examples that highlight important aspects of the role of knowledge in the work of professional associations. In addition, through the analysis of the data and the following discussion the study will also provide a theoretical contribution especially on how the concept of professionalism is being used to promote and facilitate occupational change.