The Business of Certification

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The Business of Certification
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Panel Members

• Graham Brent - Executive Director, National
  Commission for the Certification of Crane
  Operators
• Ida Darragh - Director of Testing, North American
  Registry of Midwives
• Angie Wickstrom - Vice President of Operations,
  National Federation of Professional Trainers

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Panel Members

• Alan Russell -Director, Health Sciences
  Institute, National Academy of Sports Medicine
• Dede Pahl - Executive Director, Investment
  Management Consultants Association

Moderator
Clarence Buck Chaffee President, The Caviart
Group(Former Executive Director of the Council
of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards)
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National Commission for the Certification of
Crane Operators (NCCCO)
Graham J. Brent Executive Director
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NCCCO Overview

• Formed in 1995
• Catalyst was crane accident rate, especially in
  construction
• Mission is to improve safety by ensuring crane
  operators are appropriately qualified
• Accredited by NCCA, NSSB. ANSI Accreditation
  application in process.

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NCCCO Overview

• Endorsed by industry organizations, labor unions,
  employers
• Official recognition from OSHA, DoE, DoD and
  other government agencies
• Adopted by states as mandatory program (10 to
  date) 1996-2003
• Program centered around Mobile Cranes

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NCCCO Overview

• Written Exam - Core Exam plus 4 Specialty Exams
• Practical Exam - 3 Categories
• Recertification - Written and Practical Exams
• 2004-present Expansion of program into other
  areas
• 1996-2005 250,000 exams administered in 16 exam
  categories.
• Exams offered on demand, daily
• Current no. of certificants 25,000

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NCCCO Overview

• 1996 Mobile Crane Written Exams first
  administered
• 1999 Mobile Crane Practical Exams added
• 2000 Recertification Examinations developed
• 2004 Tower Crane (Written and Practical) Exams
  developed
• 2005 Overhead Crane Written Exams developed
• 2006 Overhead Crane Practical Exams developed
• 2007 Rigging, Signalperson programs planned

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North American Registry of Midwives (NARM)
Ida Darragh Director of Testing
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NARM Overview

• Challenges
• Small Program
• Small Budget
• Varied Legal Status

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NARM Overview

• Solutions Small Program
• Slow Growth is O.K.
• Increase value of certification through licensure

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NARM Overview

• Solutions Small Budget
• Utilize volunteer manpower
• Most services in-house
• Must have commitment and passion
• Reward with CEUs and recognition
• SME activities at conferences
• Focus on future

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NARM Overview

• Solutions Legal Status
• Increase number of licensed states
• Organize/educate consumers and midwives
• NCCA Accreditation
• NOCA and CLEAR

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National Federation of Professional Trainers
(NFPT)
Angie Wickstrom - Vice President of Operations
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NFPT OverviewCertifying personal fitness
trainers since 1988

• NFPT Strategy Summaries for Business Development
• Exploit your niche and your resources
• Additional (spin-off) product and service
  development
• NFPT Human Capital

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NFPT Overview

• Understand logistical process and operations
• Look at logistics from a consumer perspective
• Look at logistics from an employee perspective
• Be involved in the collective efforts of other
  organizations
• Understand your market and how to reach them
• Identify your target market
• Recognize market segments
• Have a marketing plan

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NFPT Overview

• NFPTs strategy for sustainable competitive
  advantage is differentiation. The essential
  criteria for this particular strategy include
• Value provided by the unique features of the
  certification
• High level and emphasis on customer service
• Superior quality
• Rapid innovation

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National Academy of Sports Medicine
Alan Russell, MS, ATC, PES Director, Health
Sciences Institute
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NASM Overview

• Health Fitness Industry
• 75 organizations collectively offering 300
  certifications
• Only 6 (to date) have NCCA-accredited
  examinations
• NASM founded 1987
• Mission
• Personal health improvement organization that
  delivers health fitness solutions, based on
  current clinical and scientific evidence, through
  a variety of innovative pathways
• Certification/Specialization
• NCCA Accredited NASM-Certified Personal Trainer
  (2005)
• Non-accredited Corrective Exercise Performance
  Enhancement

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NASM Overview

• Active certificants 25,000
• Market share
• 2000 (lt 2)
• 2006 ( 40) expected to sit gt7k exams
• Annual sales
• Rate of sales growing consistently over past 5
  years, however rate of growth up significantly in
  2006
• Influenced accreditation shoppers
• 2006 (YTD) monthly quarterly record sales
• Current pass rate 58

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NASM Overview

• Develop a scalable model
• Focus on customers (end-consumers
  professionals)
• What do they want?
• What are their challenges?
• How do they want it delivered?
• Align strategic partners to advocate
• Public policy
• Quality consistency of preparation,
  credentialing processes
• Registry of qualified professionals, facilities
• Industry-accepted best practices

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Investment Management Consultants Association
(IMCA)
Dede Pahl - Executive Director
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ICMA Overview

• Founded in 1985
• More than 6,000 IMCA members
• More than 4,500 CIMA designees
• Between 760 870 take exam yearly
• 66 increase since 2000

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ICMA Overview

• Promote and protect the interest of investment
  management profession by keeping members abreast
  of the latest developments and marketing
  techniques through
• The CIMA Designation
• Advanced Education Certificate Programs
• Conferences
• Publications
• Networking

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ICMA Overview

• Certificate programs
• The Alternative Investments Certificate
• The Endowments Foundations Certificate
• The Essentials of Investment Consulting
  Certificate
• The Investment Strategist Certificate
• The Wealth Management Certificate

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ICMA Overview

• Publications
• The Monitor (bimonthly)
• Journal of Investment Consulting (semiannually)
• 2 National Conferences
• 5 Specialty Conferences
• 7 Web cast Events annually