Key Steps to Building a Certification Program: Develop and Implement the Certification Program

Step 5: Develop and Implement the Certification Program

Structure and Governance:
The governing body, such as a Certification Board, is charged with oversight of the certification program and controls all essential decisions related to certification activities (e.g., eligibility criteria, program development and administration, evaluation of assessments, review of complaints and appeals). The governing body should represent all stakeholders, including candidates, employers, regulators, customers, educators, and the public.
The autonomy of the governing body is ensured when it exists as a separate unit within the parent organization that has complete authority over all essential certification decisions. Also, a certification organization must not require that candidates complete its own training program to satisfy certification requirements. It cannot state that its training program is the only available route to certification.
The governing committee of the certification program must include individuals from the certified population, as well as voting representation from at least one consumer or public member. To ensure a balance of program input, the governing body may implement a rotating system of representation over a set period of time.

Policies and Procedures:
Developing a certification program requires a significant amount of planning and, as a result, a number of policies and procedures need to be developed and put in place ensure the smooth functioning of the program. Policies and procedures should be developed for:

• Granting certification (e.g., eligibility criteria including handling of exceptions such as grandfathering, prior learning assessment recognition, assessment and recognition of foreign credentials; assessment process)
• Maintaining certification and recertification
• Disciplinary action and credential suspension or revocation
• Ensuring the security and integrity of assessment instruments
• Developing and periodically reviewing certification schemes and assessment instruments
• Resolving appeals and complaints
• Maintaining the certification program
• Contractors
• Reasonable accommodations for candidates with special needs (e.g., disabilities, language)
• Impartiality
• Confidentiality (i.e., all information obtained in the certification process should remain confidential).

The certification body also needs to implement a records system to track candidates throughout the process. Policies need to be established regarding how these records are to be managed and disposed of to ensure the integrity of the process and confidentiality of the information.

This post is based on content from 'ABC's of Certification' by Human Resource Systems Group, Ltd.