Performance-Based Certification: How To Design A Valid, Defensible, Cost-Effective Program

Are your employees qualified?

Looking for qualified people to do competent work? How do you ensure that the people you hire can do the job right? An ever-increasing number of organizations are asking the same questions.

Certification planning is the answer and Performance-Based Certification is the key. This is the only book on the market that addresses the growing need to monitor the qualifications of employees. You'll be able to quickly customize the certification tests and other job aids provided on the accompanying disk.

Create a certification program within your organization to:


* Instill confidence that employees, members, or suppliers are qualified to meet the needs of your customers

* Ensure that your workforce is trained and competent to their job

* Make your hiring process more cost effective and legally defendable

* Recognize competence and consistency of your employees



Once you've identified the need for a certification program, what's the next step? All of the answers are here!

Judith Hale is president of the consulting firm Hale Associates. Their services include consultation on assessment, certification, evaluation, and integration of performance improvement systems with performance management. She is also the author of the Performance Consultant's Fieldbook, Performance-Based Evaluation. Performance-Based Management, and Outsourcing Training and Management all from Pfeiffer

List of Tables, Figures, and Exhibits / xi


Contents of the Website / xiii


Introduction / 1


Chapter 1 The Driver / 11


Why Organizations Certify / 11


Protecting the Public / 12


Reinforcing Professional Stature and Promoting Universal Standards / 13


Preparing People for Jobs Requiring Competence in Multiple Disciplines / 14


Protecting Jobs and Enhancing Professional Stature / 15


Improving Business Processes / 16


Establishing Professional Credibility and Influencing Academic Curricula / 18


Establishing Uniform Performance Standards / 18


Protecting the Brand Name / 19


Raising the Level of Core Competencies / 20


Success Measures / 21


Who to Involve / 21


The Players / 21


Target Audience / 22


Stakeholders / 22


Benefits of Certification / 25


Missteps and Oversights / 26


Tips / 27


Summary / 30


Where to Learn More / 31


Notes / 32


Chapter 2 The Business Case / 33


What Goes into a Business Case / 34


Hypotheses, Premises, and Best Guesses / 36


Metrics or Key Success Indicators / 37


Economic Metrics / 39


Noneconomic Metrics / 42


The Requirements / 43


Missteps and Oversights / 43


Tips / 44


Summary / 48


Where to Learn More / 50


Note / 51


Chapter 3 The Requirements / 53


Distinctions Among Eligibility, Qualification, and Certification / 53


Roles Certification Plays / 54


Gatekeeping or Screening / 54


Recognizing Demonstrated Performance / 57


Recognizing Different Levels of Accomplishment or Different Capabilities / 57


Typical Requirements for Certification / 58


Acceptance of a Code of Conduct / 61


Eligibility / 61


Education, Training, and Development / 65


Endorsements / 67


Experience / 67


External Credentials / 69


Tests / 69


Work Samples / 72


Work or Personnel Records / 72


Maintenance and Recertification / 73


Missteps and Oversights / 74


Tips / 74


Summary / 76


Where to Learn More / 77


Notes / 78


Chapter 4 The Standards / 79


Competencies, Standards, and Criteria / 81


Defi ning the Scope of the Effort / 85


The Job or Task Analysis / 89


Traditional Job/Task Analysis Methodologies / 89


Controlling Bias / 91


Sampling Error / 92


Design Error / 95


Administrative Error / 109


Design of the Credential / 111


Certification vs. Certificate / 111


The Elements / 114


Missteps and Oversights / 115


Tips / 116


Standards / 118


The Design / 119


Summary / 119


Procedures / 121


Focus Groups / 121


The NGT / 122


Outcome-Based Competency Session / 123


Delphi Study / 124


Where to Learn More / 125


Note / 126


Chapter 5 Assessment / 127


Definitions / 127


Rigor and Validity / 130


Sampling Error / 131


Under-Representation / 131


Extraneous Abilities / 132


Test Specifications / 133


Design Errors / 134


Administrative Error / 136


Types of Test Items / 137


Response-Supplied Items / 137


Response-Not-Supplied Items / 138


Computer-Based Testing / 141


Determining the Passing Score / 142


Informed Judgment Method / 143


Contrasting Group Method / 143


Conjectural (Angoff-Nedelsky) Method / 145


Issues in Assessment and Testing / 146


Opportunity to Learn / 146


Adequate Time and Resources / 147


Face Validity / 147


Documentation / 148


Missteps and Oversights / 148


Tips / 149


Summary / 155


Where to Learn More / 161


Chapter 6 Governance and Administration / 163


Responsibilities of the Governance Board / 163


Candidate Rights / 165


Disclosure / 165


Appeals and Exemptions / 167


Preparation and Remediation / 169


Ethics / 170


Fees and Compensation / 170


Test Administration / 174


Responsibilities of the Program Administrator / 175


Establishing Administrative Support Systems / 176


Analyzing Test Items / 177


Missteps and Oversights / 178


Tips / 179


Summary / 187


Where to Learn More / 190


Notes / 191


Chapter 7 Recertification and Maintenance / 193


Stability of Enabling Knowledge / 194


Distinguishing Between Knowledge Atrophy and Knowledge Evolution / 195


Defining the Purpose of Recertification or Maintenance / 198


Redoing the Job/Task Analysis / 199


Timing the Requirement / 200


Missteps and Oversights / 201


Tips / 201


Summary / 203


Where to Learn More / 205


Chapter 8 Implementation / 207


The Marketing Strategy / 208


Defining the Market / 209


Branding the Credential / 210


Launching the Credential / 211


Rolling Out the Credential and Penetrating a Market / 212


Developing and Executing a Communication Plan / 213


Developing Effective Program Materials / 214


Celebrating Success / 215


Missteps and Oversights / 216


Tips / 217


Summary / 220


Where to Learn More / 220


Chapter 9 Going Global / 221


Distinctions Among National, International, Global, and Multi-National Programs / 221


Why Go Global or International? / 224


Determining Reciprocity, Equivalency, and Exemptions / 225


Safeguarding Against Fraud or Misrepresentation / 226


Cultural Issues / 227


Language and Translation / 227


Missteps and Oversights / 229


Tips / 230


Summary / 230


Where to Learn More / 233


Note / 233


Chapter 10 Evaluation / 235


Developing an Evaluation Strategy / 235


Defining Evaluation Processes / 236


Determining What to Measure / 237


Determining Where to Start / 238


Being Clear About Your Purpose / 242


Developing an Agenda / 244


Presenting Your Data / 244


Missteps and Oversights / 246


Tips / 247


Summary / 248


Where to Learn More / 251


Index / 253


About the Author / 269