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Five Key Tenets for Governing Certification Boards

Governing a certification board takes a special set of skills members of your certification board may not be familiar with, or even experienced in leadership positions they’ve held.  Often members of the certification board come from the profession and may have held leadership positions within related associations and societies—this is great exposure.  But while they may understand the dynamics of their profession, even those with experience serving on boards will benefit from having their responsibilities described in the particular context of certification.  Consider orienting your certification leadership to these key tenets in governing certification programs before their service begins (frequent reminders are also a good idea!)

1. Accept authority for and autonomy over all matters related to certification.  This responsibility falls squarely onto the lap of your certification governing board who should be responsible for all certification decisions, everything from refund policies to the number of exam retakes a candidate can have.  The authority and autonomy of the certification board provides assurances that no unrelated party can influence a certification outcome, and keeps governance “above board.”

2. Be impartial in all decisions and actions and be clear in all published documents that awarding certification is based on an individual’s ability to meet the requirements to earn and maintain certification, and nothing else.

3. Avoid real and perceived conflicts-of-interest.  Provide examples of conflicts-of-interest and have each member of the certification board sign conflict-of-interest agreements and declare any they might have.  This provides greater accountability from your board members.

4. Understand transparency matters and is directly linked to perceptions about the credibility of your program.  Publish all policies affecting candidates and certified persons to reinforce that all individuals are treated fairly and consistently.  Inform individuals of the “rules” of certification engagement from the outset—there should be no surprises.

5. Exercise fiduciary responsibility, and understand that it extends beyond protection of the assets of the organization.  It includes safeguarding the reputation and integrity of the certification program, from how appeals are conducted, to how the examination is developed, to how the intellectual property is protected.  In certification, your reputation is everything.

Categorized in: Industry News