ANSI-IREC Accreditation Program

1. ANSI-IREC Accreditation Program Diana Singhavong American National Standards Institute Pat Fox Laure-Jeanne Davignon Interstate Renewable Energy Council February 14, 2013

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3. What is ANSI-IREC?

4. Why ANSI-IREC?

5. The Answer • Align training with jobs • Differentiate quality training • Provide programs with a means to demonstrate market value • Increase consumer confidence and safeguards

6. How? ANSI-IREC provides third-party verification that programs meet a national standard (IREC Standard 14732:2013) validated by the renewable energy and energy efficiency industry Quality training with market value

7. A Unique Approach

8. Benefits to Programs • Promotes high quality program design and implementation • Distinguishes programs with a national recognition • Provides an edge for enrollment, marketing and funding proposals

9. Benefits to Programs • Aligned with industry-recognized credentials and standards • Training dollars invested wisely • Students “trained as advertised” —Roy Swift

10. Value of the Accreditation Process What did pilot participants have to say about the process?

11. Value of the Accreditation Process All pilot organizations agreed/strongly agreed that accreditation process: • Would provide differentiation and a competitive advantage when competing with other certificate awarding entities in the industry • Is a quality check on current operations “Due to this process, we have implemented a number of great quality control measures.” -Survey respondent

12. Value of the Accreditation Process According to the pilot organizations, the most valuable aspects of the accreditation experience include: • Communication/active participation from program staff • Assessors’ expertise • Third-party validation of program • Improvement of organizational structure and curricula • Continued quality improvement

13. Lessons Learned from an Accredited Organization Nicole Rice, Midwest Renewable Energy Association MREA Photovoltaic Site Assessment Certificate MREA Solar Thermal Site Assessment Certificate

14. Process Overview • Demonstrate Initial Eligibility • Online Preliminary Application • Provide Evidence and Documentation • “Demonstrate” • Onsite Assessment • Role of assessment team • Role of onsite

15. IREC Standard 14732:2013 www.irecusa.org

16. Market Value

17. Linkage with Industry The certificate-awarding entity shall maintain relationships with the subject industry to ensure the continued currency and market value of the certificate

18. Job Task Analysis 10.2 Job Task Analysis Basis for Curriculum or Syllabus: The certificate-awarding entity shall base the certificate program on a current, valid job task analysis (JTA) that has been developed using generally accepted procedures and includes the following: a) An objective or scope that defines the overall job, including conditions and criteria b) A list of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) that define the job c) Criticality ratings for each KSA d) Criteria used for validating the JTA

19. Systematic Program Plan Any one of several processes recognized by education and training professionals that documents the creation or revision of educational programs, workshops, or courses using inter-related components of analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation.

20. Systematic Program Plan • Use of criterion-referenced instruction • Analysis, program design, development, implementation, and evaluation integrated • Defined curriculum for each program • Syllabusfor each course • Instruction conforms to syllabus and curriculum

21. Management System • Documentation • Document control • Internal audit • Management review • Communication of internal audit results The review of an entity’s policies and procedures to determine the entity’s conformance with them.

22. Assessment of Learners • Written examination required • Assessments must be criterion-referenced

23. Assessment of Learners • Requirements for development, administration and scoring • Secure • Routinely reviewed • Provisions for learners with special needs • Protocols for those administering • Criterion referenced passing score • Inter-rater reliability

24. Other Requirements

25. Meeting the Requirements

26. Want to Learn More? Workshop May 7-8 Washington, DC Email Diana to Register dsinghavong@ansi.org

27. Questions? www.ansi.org/ansi-irec dsinghavong@ansi.org patfox@irecusa.org Heading: Verdana 24 Text: Verdana 18

28. Program Fees Application fee $3,000.00 On-site assessment and document review $1,250.00 per assessor per day, plus travel expenses. Fees include: Cost per assessor per number of days required; assessor review of application and all supporting documents; assessor preparation of draft and final assessor report; onsite assessment; ANSI staff coordination of assessment process. Travel expenses include: transportation, meals, and accommodations during days of the assessment. Fees associated with any corrective actions are $1,250 per assessor per day and include: Assessor review of corrective actions, assessor clearance of corrective actions, ANSI staff coordination of corrective action process. If additional subject matter experts (SMEs) are required, the applicant organization will be assessed an additional fee of $1,250 per day per SME, plus travel expenses.