PWS_SPeD_Certification_Program_v1.pdf

National Accreditation of DoD Security Professional Education Development (SPēD) Certifications

Performance Work Statement Defense Security Service

Center for Development of Security Excellence

PART 1

GENERAL INFORMATION

1. GENERAL: This Performance Work Statement (PWS) describes the technical requirements necessary to provide consultation, facilitation, and mission support services to the Defense Security Service (DSS), Center for Development of Security Excellence (CDSE) who administers the Department of Defense (DoD) Security Professional Education Development (SPēD) certification program. The Government shall not exercise direct supervision or control over the contract service providers performing the services herein. Such contract service providers shall be accountable solely to the Contractor who, in turn is responsible to the Government for the accomplishment of the work. The Contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and services necessary to perform the consultation, facilitation, and mission support services as defined in this PWS except for those items specified as government furnished property and services. The Contractor shall perform to the standards in this contract.

1.1. Description of Services/Introduction: The contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform national accreditation services as defined in this Performance Work Statement except for those items specified as government furnished property and services. The contractor shall perform to the standards in this contract.

1.2. Background: In accordance with DoD directives, CDSE administers three core and several specialize certifications with each in various stages of development. The DoD directs each SPēD certification be accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). NCCA standards require demonstration of a valid and reliable process for development, implementation, maintenance, sustainment, and governance of certification programs. Certification programs that receive NCCA Accreditation demonstrate compliance with the NCCA’s Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs, which were the first standards for professional certification programs developed by industry.

In December 2012, the NCCA accredited DoD’s first security professional certification, the Security Fundamental Professional Certification. The second security certification, Security Asset Protection Professional Certification (SAPPC) was accredited by NCCA in January 2014.and the third, Security Program Integration Professional Certification (SPIPC) followed with NCCA in February 2015. In addition to NCCA accreditation of the three core certifications, SFPC, SAPPC, and SPIPC, the certification program received NCCA accreditation for three of its four specialty certifications: Physical Security Certification (PSC) in March 2016, followed by Industrial Security Oversight (ISOC) in November 2017, and Adjudicator Professional Certification (APC) in April 2018.

1.3. Objective: Contractor support is required to assist the DSS CDSE Certification Division in the accreditation development, conferral, maintenance, and sustainment of nationally accredited DoD Security Professional Education Development (SPēD) certifications.

1.4. Scope: The contractor will provide accreditation consulting and administrative services which meet the NCCA Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs as developed by the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE). Included in these services are:

- Consulting on the twenty-four NCCA Standards and required documentation in order to submit DoD-sponsored SPēD certifications

- Explanation as required within each standards Commentary

- Guidance on the maintenance of NCCA accredited certifications

- Advice and assistance of fees and notification of changes thereof

- Assist government personnel in establishing (ICE) on-line accounts via the internet

- Advice and guidance as required, such as establishing accounts.

The contractor shall accomplish submitting DoD-sponsored SPēD certifications for accreditation to the NCCA board, coordinating on any queries arising from certification submissions, and provide certification accreditation maintenance guidance to include annual report submissions.

1.5. Type of Contract: The government will award a firm-fixed price contract.

1.6. Period of Performance: See Section F of the Contract.

1.7. Place of Performance: The work to be performed under this contract shall be conducted at the Contractor’s facility at 2025 M. Street NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20036 with face-to-face meetings and collaboration sessions at CDSE’s office located in the CDSE facility, Linthicum, MD 21090. Other face-to-face meetings and collaboration sessions may be required in the National Capital Region (NCR), as well as, throughout the United States.

1.8. Hours of Operation: The contractor is responsible for conducting business, between the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday thru Friday, except Federal holidays or when the Government facility is closed due to local or national emergencies, administrative closings, or similar Government directed facility closings. For other than firm fixed price contracts, the contractor will not be reimbursed when the government facility is closed for the above reasons. The Contractor must at all times maintain an adequate workforce for the uninterrupted performance of all tasks defined within this PWS when the Government facility is not closed for the above reasons. When hiring personnel, the Contractor shall keep in mind that the stability and continuity of the workforce are essential.

1.9. On-Site Working Conditions, Holidays and other Closures:

1.9.1. Smoking Restrictions. DSS facilities are smoking restricted workplaces. Due to the nature of the work, facilities, and requirements, Contractor staff may only smoke in designated smoking areas.

1.9.2. Holidays. Government personnel observe the following days as holidays and the Government facilities will be closed and unavailable to Contractor personnel on the following days:

New Year’s Day January 1st* Martin Luther King’s Birthday Third Monday in January

President’s Day Third Monday in February Memorial Day Last Monday in May

Independence Day July 4th* Labor Day First Monday in September Columbus Day Second Monday in October

Veterans Day November 11th* Thanksgiving Day Fourth Thursday in November Christmas Day December 25th*

*If the date falls on a Saturday, the Government holiday is the preceding Friday. If the date falls on a Sunday, the Government holiday is the following Monday.

1.9.3. Other Observed Days. In addition to the days designated as holidays, the Government observes the following days:

• Any other day designated by Federal Statute

• Any other day designated by Executive Order

1.9.4. Contractor Compensation. It is understood and agreed between the Government and the Contractor that observance of such days by Government personnel shall not otherwise be a reason for an additional period of performance, or entitlement of compensation except as set forth within the contract. In the event the Contractor's personnel work during the holiday, they may be reimbursed by the Contractor, however, no form of holiday or other premium compensation shall be reimbursed either as a direct or indirect cost, other than their normal compensation for the time worked.

1.9.5. Contractor Dismissal. When the Federal, State, Local or other Governmental entity grants excused absence to its employees, assigned Contractor personnel scheduled to attend meetings in DSS facilities or require access to DSS facilities may also be dismissed; for critical tasks already in operation or scheduled, the Contractor agrees to continue to provide sufficient personnel, and must be guided by the instructions issued by the Contracting Officer (CO) or Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). For the majority of the tasks defined within the PWS that do not require onsite support, the Contractor must continue to maintain an adequate workforce for the uninterrupted performance of all tasks.

1.9.6. Furlough or Other Absence. If Government personnel are unavailable due to furlough or any other reason, the Contractor must contact the CO or the COR to receive direction. It is the Government's decision as to whether the contract price/cost shall be affected. Generally, the following situations apply:

• Contractor personnel who are able to continue contract performance (either on-site or at a site other than their normal workstation), must continue to work and the contract price shall not be reduced or increased.

• Contractor personnel who are not able to continue contract performance (e.g., support functions) may be asked to cease their work effort. This may result in a reduction to the contract.

1.9.7. DSS Social Events. It is understood and agreed between the Government and the Contractor that in the event Contractor personnel wish to attend DSS social events, such as the annual picnic, holiday parties, etc., they must coordinate their work schedules with the COR and obtain approval of their company’s supervisor prior to the event. The Government is not responsible for reimbursing any expenses to the Contractor for attending any DSS social event. It is understood and agreed between the Government and the Contractor that Contractor personnel may be requested to attend DSS formal meetings, such as All Hands, DSS Governance Meetings, etc.

1.10. Contract Management: Notwithstanding the Contractor's responsibility for total management during the performance of this contract, administration of the contract requires maximum coordination between the Government and the Contractor. The following individuals shall be the Government points of contact during the performance of this contract:

1.10.1. Contracting Officer (CO). All contract administration shall be effected by the CO.

Communications pertaining to the contract administration shall be addressed directly to the CO. No changes to the performance work statement are authorized without a written modification to the contract executed by the CO. If at any time the Contractor believes any person other than the CO has given direction that changes the performance work statement the Contractor shall immediately inform the CO by the most expeditious means.

1.10.2. Contracting Officer Representative (COR). N/A.

1.10.3 Key Personnel: The following personnel are considered key personnel by the government:

1.10.4. Contract Manager: Responsible for the performance of the work. The name of this person and an alternate who shall act for the contractor when the Contract Manager is absent shall be designated in writing to the contracting officer. The Contract Manager or alternate shall have full authority to act for the contractor on all contract matters relating to daily operation of this contract. The Contract Manager or alternate shall be available between 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 pm, Monday thru Friday except Federal holidays or when the government facility is closed for administrative reasons.

1.10.5. The Contract Manager (and Alternate) must have 24 semester hours in mathematical, engineering, and/or quantitative analysis courses; 15 or more years cost analysis experience; and familiarity with Defense Department Data Sources (e.g. cost and software data reporting, EVM).

1.10.6. SPēD Accreditation Program Manager: Must have a high degree of expertise with the following systems/protocols: Experience in compiling, analysis, and submitting DoD SPēD certifications meeting the various NCCA standards for national accreditation. Expertise and knowledge of the DoD SPēD certifications, the organizational structure of, knowledge of the DoD Security Training and Accreditation policies, and organizations and business functions supporting the DoD SPēD certification that include the Defense Security Training Council and its working groups, the DoD SPēD Program Management Offices and its Customer Service Representatives, the SPēD Program Management Office (CDSE Certification Division), and functions, business processes, and systems contributing to candidate certifications and conferrals by the Office of Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence.

1.11. Quality Control: The Contractor shall develop and maintain an effective quality control program to ensure services are performed in accordance with this PWS. The Contractor shall develop and implement procedures to identify, prevent, and ensure non-recurrence of defective services. The Contractor’s quality control program is the means by which he assures himself that his work complies with the requirement of the contract. A Quality Control Plan (QCP) shall be delivered 30 days after receipt of order. After acceptance of the quality control plan the Contractor shall receive the contracting officer’s acceptance in writing of any proposed change to the plan.

1.12. Quality Assurance: The Government will evaluate the Contractor’s performance under this contract in accordance with the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP). This plan is primarily focused on what the Government must do to ensure that the Contractor has performed in accordance with the performance standards. It defines how the performance standards will be applied, the frequency of surveillance, and the minimum acceptable defect rate(s). See Part 7, Attachment 1 for the Performance Requirements Summary.

1.13. Performance Evaluations in Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS):

1.14.1. Performance Evaluation. Continual monitoring of performance is one critical element to the success of the contract. Performance evaluation reports shall be prepared at the time of final acceptance of work, termination, annually or other times, as appropriate. Performance evaluations are done in CPARS at www.cpars.gov by focusing on elements of quality control, effectiveness of management, timely performance and compliance with safety standards.

1.14.2. Less Than Satisfactory Performance. If the COR concludes that a Contractor’s overall performance is less than satisfactory, the Contractor shall be advised in writing. Contractors taking exception to the evaluation ratings are encouraged to submit comments in writing within CPARS.

If the Contractor submits written comments, the COR shall include them in the report, resolve any alleged factual discrepancies, and make appropriate changes to the report. If the Contractor’s performance is found to be less than satisfactory, actions may warrant the Government to make new arrangements with different suppliers and/or modify existing arrangements.

1.14.3. Subcontractors. The prime Contractor is responsible for the management, performance and monitoring of all subcontractors who are working on this contract. If a subcontractor’s performance is less than satisfactory, the Government expects the prime Contractor to take effective actions to correct less than satisfactory performance. Less than satisfactory performance by a subcontractor may reflect adversely on the Contractor’s performance evaluation within the CPARS system.

1.15. Monthly Status Report: The Contractor shall provide a monthly status report electronically to the COR no later than the 5th of each subsequent month. This report shall summarize the activities performed by the Contractor in support of this contract; specifically, the report shall include outline tasks accomplished, meetings attended, problems encountered, mitigation strategies, risks and any other relevant performance information.

1.16. Electronic Contractor Manpower Reporting Application (eCMRA): The Contractor shall report ALL Contractor labor hours (including subcontractor labor hours) required for performance of services provided under this contract for the Defense Security Service via a secure data collection site. The Contractor is required to completely fill in all required data fields using the following web address:

http://www.ecmra.mil. Reporting inputs shall be for the labor executed during the period of performance during each Government fiscal year (FY), which runs October 1 through September 30. While inputs may be reported any time during the FY, all data shall be reported no later than October 31 of each calendar year, beginning with 2018. Contractors may direct questions to the help desk at:

http://www.ecmra.mil. eCMRA data shall also be reported as part of the monthly status report in a format provided by DSS.

1.17. Post Award Conference/Periodic Progress Meetings: The Contractor agrees to attend any post award conference convened by the contracting activity or contract administration office in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 42.5. The contracting officer, Contracting Officers Representative (COR), and other Government personnel, as appropriate, may meet periodically with the Contractor to review the Contractor's performance. At these meetings the contracting officer shall apprise the Contractor of how the government views the Contractor's performance and the Contractor shall apprise the Government of problems, if any, being experienced. Appropriate action shall be taken to resolve outstanding issues. These meetings shall be at no additional cost to the government.

1.18. Security Requirements:

http://www.cpars.gov/ http://www.ecmra.mil/ http://www.ecmra.mil/

1.18.1. Security Clearance. Contractor will require Secret clearance to access DSS information systems and to analyze, discuss, and advise on challenges, opportunities, and initiatives related to implementing the mission of CDSE.

1.18.2. Facility Clearance. There is no requirement for the Contractor to possess or maintain a facility clearance.

1.18.3. Physical Security. The Contractor shall be responsible for safeguarding all government information provided for Contractor use.

1.19. Nondisclosure Agreements: In performance of this contract, the Contractor may have access to controlled unclassified information (CUI) and other sensitive, non-public information. The Contractor agrees (a) to use and protect such information from unauthorized disclosure in accordance with Department of Defense Instruction 8582.01, Security of Unclassified DoD Information on Non-DoD Information Systems, June 6, 2012; (b) to use and disclose such information only for the purpose of performing this contract and to not use or disclose such information for any personal or commercial purpose; (c) to obtain permission of the Government Program Manager before disclosing/discussing such information with a third party; (d) to return and/or electronically purge, upon Government request, any non-public, sensitive information no longer required for Contractor performance; and (e) to advise the Government Program Manager of any unauthorized release of such information. The Contractor shall have its employees assigned to this contract execute a non-disclosure agreement for delivery to the Government. The Government will require Contractor personnel to sign a non-disclosure statement to protect non-public information in the possession of the Government.

1.19.1. Non-disclosure Agreements for Task Orders. N/A.

1.19.2. Release of Information. The Contractor and its personnel may have access to Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and other controlled unclassified information (CUI) that is not releasable to the general public. The Contractor or its personnel shall not release any information or documents that they are provided during performance of the contract without the express written permission of the CO through coordination with the COR.

1.20. Identification of Contractor Employees: In accordance with DFARS 211.106, contractor personnel shall never identify themselves as representing the Defense Security Service (DSS), but rather shall identify themselves as being under contract to DSS. Contractor personnel shall 1) identify themselves as contractor personnel at meetings by introducing themselves or being introduced as contractor personnel;

2) display distinguishing badges or other visible identification for meetings with Government personnel;

and 3) identify themselves as contractor employees in telephone conversations and in formal and informal (e.g. email, email signatures) written correspondence.

1.21. Organizational Conflict of Interest: Contractor and subcontractor personnel performing work under this contract may receive, have access to or participate in the development of proprietary or source selection information (e.g., cost or pricing information, budget information or analyses, specifications or work statements, etc.) or perform evaluation services which may create a current or subsequent Organizational Conflict of Interests (OCI) as defined in FAR Subpart 9.5. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer immediately whenever it becomes aware that such access or participation may result in any actual or potential OCI and shall promptly submit a plan to the Contracting Officer to avoid or mitigate any such OCI. The Contractor’s mitigation plan shall be determined to be acceptable solely at the discretion of the Contracting Officer and in the event the Contracting Officer unilaterally determines that any such OCI cannot be satisfactorily avoided or mitigated, the Contracting Officer may affect other remedies as he or she deems necessary, including prohibiting the Contractor from participation in subsequent contracted requirements which may be affected by the OCI.

1.22. Data Rights: The Government has unlimited rights to all documents/material produced under this contract. All documents and materials, to include all source codes to run and update products produced under this contract shall be Government owned and are the property of the Government with all rights and privileges of ownership/copyright belonging exclusively to the Government. These documents and materials may not be used or sold by the contractor without written permission from the Contracting Officer. All materials supplied to the Government will be the sole property of the Government and may not be used for any other purpose. This right does not abrogate any other Government rights.

1.23. Contractor Travel: N/A

1.24. Other Direct Costs: N/A

1.25. Special Qualifications: The contractor is responsible for ensuring all employees involved in the review and submission of DoD SPeD certifications for accreditation, are qualified and recognized by the NCCA, possess and maintain the knowledge, skills and expertise in national certification, licensure, and accreditation recognized by the NCCA throughout the execution of this contract.

PART 2

DEFINITIONS & ACRONYMS

2. DEFINITIONS AND ACRONYMS:

2.1. Definitions:

2.1.1. Contractor. A supplier or vendor awarded a contract to provide specific supplies or service to the government. The term used in this contract refers to the prime.

2.1.2. Contracting Officer. A person authorized to enter into, administer, and or terminate contracts, and make related determinations and findings on behalf of the government. Note: The only individual who can legally bind the government.

2.1.3.Contracting Officer Representative (COR). An employee of the U.S. Government appointed by the contracting officer to administer the contract. Such appointment shall be in writing and shall state the scope of authority and limitations. This individual has authority to provide technical direction to the Contractor as long as that direction is within the scope of the contract, does not constitute a change, and has no funding implications. This individual does NOT have authority to change the terms and conditions of the contract.

2.1.4. Defective Service. A service output that does not meet the standard of performance associated with the Performance Work Statement.

2.1.5. Deliverable. Anything that can be physically delivered, but may include non-manufactured things such as meeting minutes or reports.

2.1.6. Key Personnel. Contractor personnel that are evaluated in a source selection process and that may be required to be used in the performance of a contract by the Key Personnel listed in the PWS. When key personnel are used as an evaluation factor in best value procurement, an offer can be rejected if it does not have a firm commitment from the persons that are listed in the proposal.

2.1.7. Physical Security. Actions that prevent the loss or damage of Government property.

2.1.8. Quality Assurance The government procedures to verify that services being performed by the Contractor are performed according to acceptable standards.

2.1.9. Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP). An organized, written document specifying the surveillance methodology to be used for surveillance of contractor performance.

2.1.10. Quality Control. All necessary measures taken by the Contractor to assure that the quality of an end product or service shall meet contract requirements.

2.1.11. Subcontractor. One that enters into a contract with a prime contractor. The Government does not have privy of contract with the subcontractor.

2.1.12. Workday. The number of hours per day the Contractor provides services in accordance with the contract.

2.1.13. Work Week. Monday through Friday, unless specified otherwise.

2.2. ACRONYMS:

CDSE Center for the Development of Security Excellence CFR Code of Federal Regulations CO Contracting Officer CONUS Continental United States (excludes Alaska and Hawaii) COR Contracting Officer Representative DD250 Department of Defense Form 250 (Receiving Report) DD254 Department of Defense Contract Security Requirement List DFARS Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement DOD Department of Defense DSS Defense Security Service FAR Federal Acquisition Regulation GFI Government Furnished Information GFM Government Furnished Materials NCCA National Commission for Certifying Agencies NISP National Industrial Security Program OCI Organizational Conflict of Interest OCONUS Outside Continental United States (includes Alaska and Hawaii) ODC Other Direct Costs PII Personally Identifiable Information POC Point of Contact PRS Performance Requirements Summary PWS Performance Work Statement QA Quality Assurance QAP Quality Assurance Program QASP Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan QC Quality Control QCP Quality Control Program SPēD Security Professional Education Development TE Technical Exhibit

PART 3

GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY, EQUIPMENT, AND SERVICES

3. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED ITEMS AND SERVICES:

3.1 Materials: The Government will submit DoD SPēD certification information into the ICE Online Web Tool, located at: http://www.credentialingexcellence.org/l/li/, for the review and approval by the NCCA Governance Board. This includes DoD policies, procedures, all supporting documentation, and psychometric certification data in order to respond to the NCCA’s 24 Standards for national accreditation review and conferral.

http://www.credentialingexcellence.org/l/li/

PART 4

CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS AND SERVICES

4. CONTRACTOR FURNISHED ITEMS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

4.1 General: The Contractor shall furnish all supplies, equipment, facilities and services required to perform work under this contract that are not listed under Section 3 of this PWS. The contractor will assist in preparing certifications for NCCA Accreditation which demonstrate compliance with the NCCA’s Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs Contractor support is required to assist the DSS CDSE Certification Division in the accreditation development, conferral, maintenance, and sustainment of nationally accredited DoD Security Professional Education Development (SPēD) certifications.

4.2. Facility Clearance: There is no requirement for Contractor to possess or maintain a facility clearance.

4.3. Materials and Equipment: For any tasks performed offsite or at a Contractor facility, the Contractor shall furnish materials, supplies, and equipment necessary to accomplish the requirement.

4.4. 508 Compliance: Upon request from CDSE, the Contractor shall provide DHS Trusted Tester 508 certification to ensure fully 508-compliant solutions on specific products as identified in Part 5 of the contract. The Contractor shall provide validation of compliance.

4.5. Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FEDRAMP) compliant

PART 5

SPECIFIC TASKS

5. SPECIFIC TASKS:

5.1. Basic Services. The contractor shall provide services for the submission, maintenance and management of DSS Security Professional Education Development (SPeD) Certifications that meet NCCA standards.

5.2. Provide advice and guidance on tasks retrieved from the NCCA Certification Accreditation: Self- Assessment Checklist pertaining to Standards 1-24: Purpose, Governance, and Resources;

Responsibilities to Stakeholders; Examinations; Maintaining Certification; Maintaining Accreditation;

and, outline specific tasks required for the performance of this contract.

5.2.1. Assist with standard 1, Purpose: The purpose of the certification program must be to recognize each individual who meets established criteria. These criteria must uphold standards for practice in a profession, occupation, role, or specialty area. Specifically, the certification program must identify the population(s) being certified and the certification program must make publicly available the purpose of the certification and the designation or mark issued to those certified. The certification program must provide the rationale for the appropriateness of its requirements. If the program does not issue a designation, a reasonable explanation must be provided.

5.2.2. Assist with standard 2, Governance and Autonomy: The certification program must be structured and governed in ways that are appropriate and effective for the profession, occupation, role, or specialty area; that ensure stakeholder representation; and that ensure autonomy in decision-making over all essential certification activities. Specifically, The certification program must have established policies and procedures showing that the governance structure and the process for selection and removal of certification board members protects against undue influence that could compromise the integrity of the certification process; the certification organization must identify its status as a legal entity (or part of a legal entity) and demonstrate that the certification board has autonomy in decision-making for all essential certification policies and activities; The composition of the certification board must include individuals from the certified population and may include other appropriate stakeholder groups. The certification program must identify its stakeholders and provide an ongoing mechanism to solicit their input; The certification board must include at least one member, with voting rights, that represents the public or nonemployer consumer interest. The certification program must document how the public interest is routinely represented and protected; The certification program must demonstrate that members of the certification board do not have a conflict of interest in their overall capacity to serve that could compromise the integrity of the certification program.

5.2.3. Assist with standard 3, Education, Training, and Certification: Appropriate separation must exist between certification and any education or training functions to avoid conflicts of interest and to protect the integrity of the certification program; Clearly delineated policies and procedures, with defined roles and responsibilities, must demonstrate that all functions performed by the certification board, its certification staff, certification committee members, and all subjectmatter experts (SMEs) are impartial related to education/training leading to initial certification; If the certification organization or a related entity offers examination review courses or materials to prepare for the certification examination, or education/training that meets the eligibility requirements, it must meet the following requirements:

• The organization or related entity must not state or imply that the examination review courses and/or preparatory materials are the best or only means for preparing adequately for the certification examination.

• There must be no advantage given to candidates who participate in examination review courses or education/training that meets the eligibility requirements.

• The purchase of these courses and materials must be optional.

• The certification organization or related entity must not state or imply that its education or training programs are the only or preferred route to certification.

5.2.4. Assist with standard 4, Financial Resosurces: The certification organization must have sufficient financial resources to conduct ongoing, effective and sustainable certification and recertification activities; The certification program's financial reports must demonstrate adequate resources available to support ongoing certification and recertification activities; For programs that are not independently financially viable and are supported by another entity, written agreements with that entity and documentation of financial viability of that supporting entity must be included with the application.

5.2.5. Assist with standard 5, Human Resources: Staff job descriptions, lists of volunteers (non-subject-matter experts) and their qualifications, curriculum vitae or biographies, policies and procedures related to oversight and monitoring of staff, organizational charts, and lists of contracted vendors; The certification program must identify primary personnel responsible for conducting certification activities (e.g., staff, consultants, psychometricians, vendors) along with their roles and qualifications for those certification activities; The certification program must demonstrate appropriate oversight and monitoring of those personnel performing certification activities.

5.2.6. Assist with standard 6, Information for Candidates: The certification program must publish certification information that concerns existing and prospective certificants; Materials outlining all processes and procedures regarding application and eligibility; A description of the examination used to make certification decisions; Descriptions of examination processes, including all modes of examination delivery and the circumstances in which they are offered to potential candidates;; ProcedPolicies related to reconsideration of adverse certification decisionsures for candidates requesting a testing accommodation; A nondiscrimination and fairness policy; A policy for retesting of failing candidates;

Annual reports of the total number of candidates examined, pass/fail statistics, and the number of individuals currently certified for each program.

5.2.7. Assist with standard 7, Program Policies: The certification program must establish, enforce, and periodically review certification policies and procedures related to certification and challenges to certification decisions; A certification program must enforce and periodically review policies and procedures for determining an applicant, candidate, or certificant's compliance with established certification requirements; In establishing the eligibility requirements for taking the certification examination, the certification board must provide a rationale, either qualitative and/or quantitative, for all eligibility requirements; The certification program must not unreasonably limit access to certification;

The rationale for the retesting policy for candidates who have failed the examination must be provided;

The process for reviewing requests for accommodation must follow all applicable jurisdictional laws and regulations; Information must be available to interested parties for all requirements to obtain and maintain certification. The process to request reconsideration of an adverse decision must be made available to applicants, candidates, and certificants affected by the decision.

5.2.8. Assist with standard 8, Awarding Certification: The certification program must award certification only after the knowledge and/or skill of the individual candidate; If any current certificants were granted certification without having to meet the examination requirements established for certification, a rationale must be provided to explain how the knowledge and/or skill of those individuals was evaluated and found sufficient. Any procedure for granting a credential in the absence of evaluating the knowledge and/or skill of an individual by a program's examination is not permitted once the program has applied for accreditation. Once a program has been accredited, it may grant reciprocal certification to individuals who hold a similar certification only if the program can demonstrate content and empirical equivalence between its examination and the examination of the other program. It must also provide evidence of comparability between its certification and recertification requirements and the other program's requirements; If a certifying body issues a trademark, service mark, or certification mark ("mark") to recognize achievement of a particular credential, the certifying body must have in place policies to ensure appropriate use of any such mark.

5.2.9. Assist with standard 9, Records Retention and Management Policies: The certification program must have a records management and retention policy for all certification related records;

Programs must maintain records of applicants, candidates, current certificants, and previous certificants for the period of time appropriate for the legal environment applicable to the certifying program. At a minimum, programs must verify the names of current certificants and certificate numbers (if applicable) as requested; The policy must indicate the length of time records are retained for certificant information, personal information, and examination results; The policy must indicate the length of time records of examination data and reports required to provide evidence of validity and reliability of the examination are retained; The policy must be consistent with any applicable laws or agreements for retention, disposal, and destruction of documents.

5.2.10. Assist with standard 10, Confidentiality: The certification program must have policies and procedures that cover all personnel involved in the certification program for the access, maintenance, and release of privileged and confidential examination and candidate information; Signed confidentiality or nondisclosure agreements from all personnel (including staff, certification board members, proctors, examiners, consultants and vendors, SMEs, and applicants/certificants) involved in the certification.

program must be maintaiThe certification program must identify all authorized personnel with access to confidential examination, applicant, candidate, or certificant information.ned on record and enforced for protection of privileged information for current and prospective certificants; Applicant, candidate, and certificant privacy must be maintained and any records policies established must protect confidential information of the individual; Personnel with access to confidential examination items must be restricted from eligibility for the examination or developing or delivering preparatory courses or materials for a reasonable period after access has ended; Access to individual records must be restricted to the applicant, candidate, certificant, or authorized personnel unless express written permission has been obtained to release any part of the information or a court order or other legal process requires the release of such information.

5.2.11. Assist with standard 11, Conflict of Interest: The certification program must demonstrate that policies and procedures are established and applied to avoid conflicts of interest for all personnel who are involved in certification decisions or examination development, implementation, maintenance, delivery, and revision; The certification program must have a record of and enforce signed conflict of interest agreements with all personnel involved in certification decisions or examination development, implementation, maintenance, delivery, and updating. The certification program must identify who may serve as a proctor, examiner, or judge for any examinations, and documentation must specify the rules and conditions for serving in these capacities; The certification program must have and enforce policies and procedures for recusing related personnel from certain tasks, discussions, or decisions if there is a conflict of interest in a particular circumstance but not in their overall capacity to serve.

5.2.12. Assist with standard 12, Security: The certification program must establish, apply, and periodically review policies and procedures for the secure retention of candidate and examination information. The certification program must have policies and procedures that address the secure maintenance of all applicant, candidate, and certificant personal information, applications, and scores;

The certification program's policies and procedures must have provisions for secure methods for examination development and maintenance, including item security and examination security.

5.2.13. Assist with standard 13, Panel Composition: The certification program must use panels of qualified subject-matter experts (SMEs) to provide insight and guidance and to participate in job analysis, standard setting, and other examination development activities; Each panel must represent the relevant characteristics of the population to be certified as the program defines them. The process of recruitment and involvement of SMEs must prevent the undue or disproportionate influence of any individual or group; . The certification program must document information about the qualifications of all panel members; The certification program must document the responsibilities entrusted to panels and panelists;

Documentation of panel meetings must include decisions and recommendations of panelists.

5.2.14. Assist with standard 14, Job Analysis: The certification program must have a job analysis that defines and analyzes domains and tasks related to the purpose of the credential, and a summary of the study must be published. The job analysis must lead to clearly delineated domains and tasks that characterize proficient performance; A job analysis must be conducted in accordance with sound psychometric practice. If a validation survey is not conducted, sufficient justification for relying only on non-quantitative data must be provided; The report of the job analysis must describe the methods, results, and outcomes of the job analysis study, including supporting documentation for each element and sufficient information to justify the study's findings and conclusions; A job analysis must be conducted frequently enough to ensure that the content specifications accurately reflect current practice.

5.2.15. Assist with standard 15, Examination Specifications: The certification program must establish specifications that describe what the examination is intended to measure as well as the design of the examination and requirements for its standardization and use, consistent with the stated objectives of the certification program; The examination specifications must clearly state the objective of the examination, including what the examination is intended to measure (e.g., cognitive knowledge, psychomotor skills, general competency) and the level of practice (e.g., entry, advanced, specialty, or as defined by the program) being measured; Specifications must address the critical elements of the whole examination program along with clear rationales. Examination design considerations must be specified and explained clearly; The plan for weighting sections of an examination must be based on a job analysis; the plan must provide precise direction regarding the weighting structure for each section.

5.2.16. Assist with standard 16: Examination Development: Certification examinations must be developed and assembled in accordance with the established examination specifications and with sound examination development principles and practices; A written and systematic item development plan must be developed and followed to ensure that examination content is accurate, current, and appropriate for candidates, regardless of format and candidate demographics; All versions of a certification examination must be the product of an appropriately designed, documented, and executed examination construction process.

• The sampling plan for the examination items must correspond to the examination specifications.

• When forms are to be translated into another language, the process must be designed to ensure that content is equivalent.

• The established process must be documented to provide evidence of the comparability and integrity of content across forms of the examination.

• When the nomenclature used to classify items (e.g., content outline) changes, then items must be reclassified; The development of subjectively scored items (scored by raters) and scoring rubrics must employ rigorous methods that maximize validity. When raters are used to score items, rater qualifications, training materials, and rubrics must satisfy the established specifications for standardization and the validity of scores.

5.2.17. Assist with standard 17: Standard Setting: A certification program must perform and document a standard setting study that relates performance on the examination to proficiency, so that the program can set a passing score appropriate for the certification; The procedures used to establish performance standards must be based on generally accepted measurement principles consistent with the purpose of the examination and item format(s) used; The certification program must document the standard-setting study in sufficient detail to allow for replication, including descriptions of the procedures followed, results, and appropriate interpretations. If the report is considered confidential, the organization must make a general description of the methods it used in the standard-setting study publicly available;

The certification program must evaluate standards of proficiency frequently enough to reflect current practice.

5.2.18. Assist with standard 18: Examination Administration: The certification program must develop and adhere to its policies and procedures for each examination administration. The procedures must ensure that all candidates take the examination under comparable conditions, safeguard the confidentiality of examinations, and address security at every stage of the process; Examinations must be administered under secure and confidential protocols that restrict access to examination content to authorized individuals throughout examination storage, conveyance, administration, and disposal.

Program policies must be in place to hold examinees accountable for improper behavior before, during, and after examination administration. The program must make a summary of security policies, incident review processes, and disciplinary procedures available to examinees; Examinations must be administered using standardized procedures that have been specified by the certification program to ensure comparable conditions for all candidates and promote the validity of scores. The program must document and follow standardized examination administration procedures, including verification of candidate identity, regardless of the examination delivery or proctoring method. The program must establish and document procedures stating what it expects of examination administration personnel and the procedures to follow to ensure adherence to these requirements; Trained proctors must be used in the proper administration of examinations to minimize the influence of variations in examination administration on scores, regardless of the examination delivery method or examination format. Proctor training must include the management and reporting of irregularities. Proctors must have no conflict of interest or any ability to influence examination results. Proctors must ensure that approved accommodations have been provided. Proctors must confirm they have read and agreed to abide by the procedures outlined in the examination administration manual. For performance examinations, proctors must be provided with specifications for site layout and required tools and equipment to ensure standardized administration; The certification program must have processes to monitor ongoing compliance with examination administration and security procedures.

5.2.19. Assist with standard 19: Scoring and Score Reporting: The certification program must employ and document sound psychometric procedures for scoring, interpreting, and reporting examination results; The certification program must compute scores in a manner that is appropriate, given the design and format of the examination and the purpose of the certification; For performance examinations, the certification program must minimize the degree to which candidates' scores may be affected by having a particular rater or performance task;; The certification program must document the procedures used in scoring, interpreting, and reporting examination results; All candidates must be provided information on their overall performance on an examination; Failing candidates must be provided with information about their performance in relation to the passing standard. If the program provides feedback to candidates such as domain-level information, candidates must be provided guidance about limitations in interpreting and using that feedback.

5.2.20. Assist with standard 20: Reliability: The certification program must ensure that scores are sufficiently reliable for the…