Ready...Steady...GO! Are you IACET "Reaccreditation-Ready"?
Let’s face it - a lot can happen in four years! To survive and thrive, we all know that organizations need to weather internal as well as external changes.
Think about the changes within your organization over the past four years. People move around or out. Your business focus may change, so your learning content may change. The way you deliver your learning may change or need to change due to shifts in regulations, the economic climate, and…well…a global pandemic.
Reaccreditation requires that you demonstrate continued compliance with the ANSI/IACET 2018-1 Standard, dedication to continuous improvement, and resilience through external and internal changes over the past four years. Here are some tips to ensure you are “Reaccreditation Ready”:
- Constantly view and communicate throughout the organization that ANSI/IACET 2018-1 Standard compliance is simply part of “how we do business”.
Ideally, thoughts of reaccreditation should be in your minds throughout and immediately after your initial accreditation. Reaccreditation moves from reviewing your actual policies and processes because this should already be “how we do business”. Instead, it focuses on how you have been using those capabilities, accountabilities, and demonstrating continuous quality improvement since initial accreditation.
- Conduct your annual audits against the ANSI/IACET 2018-1 Standard, submit annual reports, and prepare a year in advance for reaccreditation.
IACET requires Accredited Providers to submit annual reports including self-audits against the latest version of the Standard. Doing so keeps compliance in the forefront of your ongoing operations, focuses you on continuous improvement and growth, and reduces that “scrambling around” to grab documentation to prepare for reaccreditation.
Purchasing the application well in advance allows you to actually become familiar with the sections, guidance, required documentation, and helps you plan to address any gaps that may exist.
- If the person overseeing IACET Standard compliance has left the organization or moved out of the position, arrange for their successor to receive training on IACET application processes and the ANSI/IACET 2018-1 Standard.
It can seem pretty overwhelming taking on a new job that includes IACET oversight and getting ready for reaccreditation. However, IACET offers interactive accreditation workshops based on your needs and circumstances to help you prepare for reaccreditation.
About the Author
Dr. Norina Columbaro has over 20 years experience as an award-winning talent and organizational development leadership partner. Besides heading up Performance for Life Consulting, she serves as an IACET lead reviewer, site reviewer, instructor, and has successfully completed the process to become an IACET Accredited Provider (AP) in a previous leadership position (so she knows what it's like to be an applicant!).
She is a Registered Corporate Coach (RCC) and a Certified Professional Technical Communicator (CPTC). She also holds a Ph.D. from Cleveland State University in Urban Education, specializing in Leadership and Life-Long Learning.
Norina's research and work have been published in Adult Learning, The International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, Human Resource Development Quarterly, and on Military.com.