Certification and Accreditation

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Certification and Accreditation

• PROCESSES DESIGNED TO RECOGNIZE INDIVIDUALS AND
  INSTITUTES
• PROTECT PUBLIC

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Primary Reasons

• Health and safety of the occupants of the houses
  and buildings
• Legal/liability related responsibilities for the
  code implementers where applicable
• Legal/liability related responsibilities to home
  inspections
• Improve housing conditions in First Nations
  Communities (e.g., mould)

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First Nations Reasons

• Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples -r
  effective enforcement of Code
• Office of the Auditors General compliance of
  Code
• FNNBOA national occupational standards
• MBO/HPI seeking certification
• Bill 124 in Ontario mandatory testing
• INAC/CMHC, Tribal Councils other stakeholders
  response to Auditors Report potential
  mandatory certification for inspectors (i.e.,
  water/waste water)

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HAMMURABIS BUILDING CODE ABOUT 1800 BC.
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Examples of past certifications from Hammurabis
code

• Code no 229
• If a builder build a house for some one, and does
  not construct it properly, and the house which he
  built fall in and kill its owner, then that
  builder shall be put to death
• Code no 230
• If it kill the son of the owner the son of that
  builder shall be put to death.

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• CERTIFICATION
• RECOGNITION OF AN INDIVIDUAL
• ACCREDITATION
• RECOGNITION OF A PROGRAM AND/OR AN INSTITUTION

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Certification and Accreditation

• Certification to certify, attest, declare,
  make a formal statement that a person is
  qualified or competent.
• Assess qualifications and credentials
• Accreditation officially recognize as meeting
  certain standards
• Assess learning programs and supportive materials

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Typical Elements

• Established standards
• Review of credentials against the standards
• Time limitation
• Continuing upgrading and monitoring
• Ethics and professional practice
• Disciplinary framework

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Typical Steps to Certification

• Step 1
• Education Verification by Transcript
• Step 2
• Write the Professional Practice/Qualifying Exams
• Step 3
• Evaluation of Experience
• Step 4
• Write a Report/Log Book Demonstrating Experience

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Steps to Certification

• Step 1
• Education Verification by Transcript
• the applicant obtains and completes the
  Application for Certification
• submits to the certifying body along with
  official transcripts from educational institute
• provides additional supportive documentation

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Steps to Certification

• Step 1 cont
• Education Verification by Transcript
• Certifying body reviews submission for
  completeness
• registers applicant as Associate Member
• Acknowledgement letter sent to applicant with
  information on exam requirements

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Steps to Certification

• Step 2
• Write the Professional Practice/Qualifying Exams
• Ethics
• Law
• Content Exams

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Steps to Certification

• Step 3
• Evaluation of Experience
• applicants file is evaluated for experience peer
  review
• additional information may be required from
  applicant for evaluation

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Steps to Certification

• Step 4
• Write a Report/Log Book Demonstrating Experience
• applicant submits documents
• Arms length Committee reviews
• applicant is informed of result

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Steps to Certification

• The certification process typically can be
  completed in two to four months assuming that the
  information provided by the member is complete
  and comprehensive.

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Points to consider

• Use of established standards to evaluate against.
• A very well defined arms length process. This
  process can be long hand such as OACETT or a web
  based such as CECAB.

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Points to consider - cont

• A long term custodian of the process.
• A long term keeper of the documents and archives.
• A component of Law, Ethics and Professional
  practice.

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Points to consider - cont

• A credible method of recognizing those
  practitioners working in the field without
  compromising certification standards.
• A sunset clause for the above process.

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Points to consider - cont

• A very well defined, transparent and nationally
  recognized method/s of assessing prior learning
  and experiences.
• Long term certification in context of changing
  codes and professional requirements that includes
  elements of continuing education.

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Points to consider - cont

• Possible peer assessment during certification and
  for the maintenance of the certification.
• A mechanism to establish portability outside the
  jurisdiction.

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Points to consider - cont

• Designing of new and/or Identification of current
  continuing educational opportunities with
  recognized credibility.

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Questions?

• How do we create a pool of professionals to start
  the process?
• How do we ensure ethics professional standards?
• How do we generate arms length?
• How do we make it reasonable for all concerned?
• What concerns do you have regarding
  certification?
• Any other questions?