AMBOK Guide 2012 Edition

A Guide to the
Accreditation Management
Body of Knowledge
(AMBOK® Guide)

2012 EDITION

A Guide to the
Body of Knowledge
(AMBOK® Guide)

b
d
™
dialogue

p bound
press
enabling the vision of mind and ideas™

PUBLISHED BY
dialogue bound press
1601 159th AVE NE
Bellevue, Washington 98008-2753

Copyright © 2012

All rights reserved. This publication is protected by Copyright and permission should be
obtained from the author prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval
system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or likewise. For information regarding permission(s), write to: Rights and
Permissions Department, or email; jensenPMP@hotmail.com.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in Publication Data

Jensen, Christian A.
A Guide to the Accreditation Management Body of Knowledge: AMBOK® Guide /
Christian A. Jensen
Includes endnotes, glossary and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-9645638-2-7
ISBN-10: 0-9645638-2-7
1. Accreditation. 2. Assessment. 3. Capability. 4. Certification. 5. Competitive
Advantage. 6. Intellectual Property. 7. Product Management. 8. Corporate
Universities. 9. Credentialing. 10. Customer Driven-Focused Development.
11. Human Resources. 12. Performance Engineering. 13. Human Capital.

Printed in the United States of America.
®
AMBOK is a registered trademark; the Accreditation Management Framework™ (AMF) and
AVediaControls™ are trademarks; AMBOK.COM and AMBOK.ORG are registered Internet
domains; property of Christian A. Jensen, Bellevue, Washington, 98008.
The author offers discounts on this textbook when ordered in quantity; also available in a
licensed portable document format (PDF) for businesses that prefer their own on-premise
printing and binding; also available in .DOC format for further customization.

Production coordination and printing: Cover Art:
Production coordination—Guy M. Ricci Artist—Omar Valdes
Printing—Paragon Media Titled: What we see…what we know
Bindery—Letterpress Services 425.698.7617
55 South Atlantic, Suite 100 valdesomar@Hotmail.com
Seattle, WA 98134
206.808.7600
www.ParagonGroup.com
.
First printing, October 2011

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1 – ACCREDITATION MANAGEMENT ........................................... 1
Introduction ......................................................................................................... 1
®
The Purpose of the AMBOK Guide ..................................................................... 1
®
Audience for the AMBOK Guide ......................................................................... 1
Accreditation ....................................................................................................... 2
Definition ...................................................................................................... 2
Examples of Accreditation ............................................................................ 2
Examples of Accreditation through Concise Use Cases ................................ 3
Benefits of Accreditation .............................................................................. 9
Individual Accreditation ................................................................................ 9
Organizational Accreditation ........................................................................ 9
Product and Services Accreditation ............................................................ 10
AMBOK® Guide Focus: the Accreditation Provider .................................... 10
Accreditation Management ............................................................................... 11
Definition .................................................................................................... 11
Example of Organizational Accreditation Management ............................. 11
Summary ............................................................................................................ 15
SECTION 2 – KNOWLEDGE AREAS ............................................................ 19
Knowledge Area Map ........................................................................................ 19
1. ASSESSMENT ..................................................................................... 21
2. CERTIFICATION .................................................................................. 25
3. COMPETENCY .................................................................................... 29
4. CORRELATION .................................................................................... 31
5. EDUCATION ....................................................................................... 35
6. ETHICS................................................................................................ 41
7. EXPERIENCE ....................................................................................... 43
8. LICENSE .............................................................................................. 49
9. REGISTRATION ................................................................................... 53
10. REGULATION ...................................................................................... 59
SECTION 3 – PROCESS AREAS .................................................................. 67
Accreditation Delivery Framework™ (ADF) ....................................................... 67
The ADF and other Frameworks and Methodologies ........................................ 68
0. ASSURANCE AND GOVERNACE .......................................................... 71
1. DEFINITION PHASE ............................................................................ 73
2. IMPLEMENTATION PHASE ................................................................. 79
3. SUPPORT PHASE ................................................................................ 85
External & Supplementary Documentation ....................................................... 87
SECTION 4 – GETTING STARTED ............................................................... 91
Introduction ....................................................................................................... 91
Accreditation Proof-of-Concept......................................................................... 91
Summary ............................................................................................................ 96
GLOSSARY .............................................................................................. 99
INDEX ................................................................................................... 105

AMBOK® GUIDE – FIRST EDITION  Page i

Page ii  AMBOK® GUIDE – FIRST EDITION

SECTION 1 – ACCREDITATION MANAGEMENT
Introduction
The Accreditation Management Body of Knowledge (AMBOK®) Guide represents
the collective knowledge in the domain of accreditation. Domain referring to
the field of influence and action applied at an individual level and/or at a
business level. While the concept of accreditation seems to date back to the
seventeenth century, its practice has been mostly limited to academic and
professional interests. It is often based on problems and opportunities such as a
market demand; a business need; a customer request; a technological advance;
a legal requirement; or a social need.1 The AMBOK® Guide helps delineate
accreditation so that its application fits many interests and when routinely
applied, regardless of industry, products or services: it creates a foundation for
quality with regard to scope of application and specification; recognition; and
for many organizations a distinct competitive advantage.

The Purpose of the AMBOK® Guide
The purpose of the AMBOK® Guide is to identify areas of knowledge that
represent proven, recommended and emerging practices in the field of
accreditation. The AMBOK® Guide is a reference textbook for which
accreditation, and its management, is structured and practiced. The AMBOK®
Guide does not replace or challenge any accreditation body practices, rather,
provides a framework for understanding how to create, operate, improve or
apply such a body given a common body of knowledge.

Audience for the AMBOK® Guide
The audiences for the AMBOK® Guide are individuals wanting to understand
how accreditation is envisioned, and implemented throughout industry;
organizations looking to distinguish capability through accreditation as a means
of performance engineering in human capital or as a way of distinguishing goods
and services; or as an avenue to a sustainable competitive advantage.

AMBOK® GUIDE – FIRST EDITION  SECTION 1  Page 1

Accreditation
Definition
At the most fundamental level accreditation can be defined as evidence in
capability. It provides evidence that a person, place, thing, quality, or action has
explicit capability, i.e. the “qualities, abilities, features, etc., that can be used or
developed; potential.”2 Accreditation can further be defined as a way “to make
authoritative, creditable, or reputable; sanction; to regard as true.”3

Accreditation establishes that a person, place, thing, quality, or action
holds evidence of capability.

Examples of Accreditation
Constantly, various forms of accreditation are the topic of news headlines:
City granted accreditation as a housing agent;
City Program accredited by the National Trust for Historic Preservation;
Company obtains ISO 9001/2000 accreditation;
Corrugated box manufacture earns Sustainable Forestry Initiative certification;
Garage door manufacturer to receive accreditation for testing facility;
GetWellNetwork® endorsed by the American Hospital Association;
Higher Learning Commission revokes College of Business accreditation;
Million records sold—singer receives award of the Platinum® Record;
Movie transfer will carry “studio experience” through its THX-certification;
NASA grants accreditation for space shuttle coverage;
Nurses hold one license in their state of residency;
Nursing home fails accreditation to meet standards in clinical care;
Reseller accredited to resell and manage camera products and services;
State laboratory receives accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025.
These examples provide an illustration that accreditation can be attained and
likewise revoked--both actions discussion points in this book. This suggests that
a gain or loss of accreditation could impact: enrollment status; entry into a new
market; financial funding; product or service quality; safe operation of a
product; securing a vendor position in a bid; terms and conditions of
employment; etc., i.e. capability yields immediate and sustainable value through
accreditation. These examples also reinforce the many themes in accreditation:
that a person (such as the nurse); a place (such as the laboratory), a thing (the
corrugated box), a quality (the testing facility), or action (the studio sound
experience)—all accredited with evidence of capability. Hence, accreditation
goes far beyond just academic and professional interests and opens new vistas
of possibility in providing evidence in capability.

Page 2  SECTION 1  AMBOK® GUIDE – FIRST EDITION

Examples of Accreditation through Concise Use Cases
To further illustrate the application of accreditation as evidence of capability
each of the following concise use cases (you may wish to become familiar with
Table 2-0, the Table of Knowledge Areas and Accreditation Elements).

Use Case 1- The Automobile Industry
Consider the automobile industry. According to the U.S. Department of
Transportation (2011), national transportation statics point out that there were
10.6 million new vehicle sales in 2009; contrast that with 35.5 million used
vehicle sales.4 This certainly indicates that there is a prosperous market for
lesser priced used vehicles in contrast to purchasing a new model. Two popular
sport utility vehicle manufactures provide certified pre-owned accreditations to
attract the used vehicle consumer (see Table 1-1): note that both are very
similar in what they offer to the consumer. Here accreditation is single-fold:
both companies have created their own programs of inspection (using the
Assessment knowledge area)—this service offering is accredited in this case.

5 6
Brand Jeep Land Rover
Service Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle Certified Pre-Owned Land Rover
Offering - 125-point inspection - 140-point inspection
- 8-year / 80,000-mile limited- - 6-year / 75,000-mile limited-
warranty warranty
- CARFAX report on major - 24/7 roadside assistance
accidents, fire or flood damage,
or odometer fraud
Table 1-1. Accreditation as applied toward used automobile products

Use Case 2- The Package Engineering Industry
Packaging generally falls into three categories: 1) consumer, 2) institutional, and
industrial.7 Many companies, like Amazon.com and Wal-Mart, rely on effective
industrial packaging for the protection of goods they have shipped to
customers. Companies that ship goods often look to package engineering to
support a Box Maker’s Certificate (a round or square certification mark). This
certificate provides information about the box capabilities in terms of strength
and construction materials, for example: the Burst Test is the ability for a box to
withstand specific environmental forces; the Combined Weight and Facings
relates to stackability; Size Limit is the maximum length of the box to still
warrant certification; and the Gross Weight Limit is the maximum total weight
that can be placed in the box.


Use Case 3 – The Public Sector Security Clearance
Consider the security clearance found in the public sector. The proposed U.S.
defense budget for fiscal year 2008 is $481 billion and there are currently
94,212 job seekers8 looking to enter this government market which requires a
security clearance: individuals that would be working with sensitive and
confidential information. To gain a security clearance Rod Powers states that
there must be an investigation that “focuses on an individual’s character and
conduct, emphasizing such factors as honesty, trustworthiness, reliability,
financial responsibility, criminal activity, emotional stability, and other similar
and pertinent areas. All investigations consist of checks of national records and
credit checks; some investigations also include interviews with individuals who
know the candidate for the clearance as well as the candidate himself/herself.”9
Here accreditation is single-fold: the government creating a program for its
agencies to establish eligibility for access to information (using the Assessment
knowledge area)—this investigation is accredited in this case.

Use Case 4 – The Entertainment Industry
Consider the entertainment industry. Dolby Laboratories “has defined high-
quality audio surround sound in cinema, broadcast, home entertainment
systems, cars, games, and personal computers.”10 It is this “entertainment
experience” that Dolby Laboratories has received copyrights, patents and
trademarks to protect its intellectual property and trade secrets. In order for
use of Dolby technology to encode content and media or to use it in consumer
or professional products, integrated circuits or software, individuals or
organizations must apply for a license or a trademark agreement. According to
the United States Patent and Trademark Office a trademark helps “protect
words, names, symbols, sounds, or colors that distinguish goods and services
from those manufactured or sold by others and to indicate the source of the
goods. Trademarks, unlike patents, can be renewed forever as long as they are
being used in commerce.”11 A license is: formal permission from a
governmental or other constituted authority to do something, as to carry on
some business or profession; a certificate, tag, plate, etc., giving proof of such
permission; official permit; the legal right to use a patent owned by another.”12
Here accreditation is multi-fold: They have protected their business name and
filed for Federal trademark protection (using the Registration knowledge area)
and recognizing the value of their intellectual property they allowed for its use
(using the License knowledge area).


Use Case 5 – The Wood Products Industry
Consider the wood products industry. We live in a rapidly changing world of
biodiversity, a concern for all forms of life and their ecosystems, which are an
increasingly important political topic. The Rainforest Alliance is a global
organization that declares “practical conservation through certified forestry.”13
The "SmartWood Rediscovered Wood Program" was created for certification of
reused, reclaimed, recycled and salvaged wood products. Here accreditation is
multi-fold: first to earn the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)/Rainforest Alliance
certification, a company must meet the ten Principles and Criteria of the FSC
forest management standards (using the Ethics and Professional Standards
ontology); and secondly a review of the SmartWoodcm Program (using the
Assessment and Certification knowledge areas)—the company and its products
are both accredited in this case including its partners.

Use Case 6 – The Software Industry
Consider the software industry. A large software manufacture, understanding
one of its products is technically challenging to install and implement,
understands from its support calls and field engineers that the product is a bane
of customer frustration, dissatisfaction, and a risk to business operation up-
time. The software manufacture may wish to create technology accelerators
(TA) for the rapid deployment of their technology and its productive use prior to
their next version release. The TA could include an assessment of the
customer’s current environment to minimize the risk of upgrade and an
understanding of any issues; and a resource pool of field engineers accredited
by product engineers in having completed a minimum education track, through
further one-on-one structured development gained essential experience, and as
a result were awarded this TA certification. Here accreditation is multi-fold: The
software manufacture created a technical environment assessment to ensure
the successful deployment of their product (using the Assessment knowledge
area) and creating competitive advantage, certified individuals to install the
product (using Education, Experience, and the Certification knowledge area).
Customers can now be assured that their software environment is not only
capable of upgrade, that only accredited individuals with education and
experience will install it.


Use Case 7 – The Telecommunications Industry
Consider the telecommunications industry. A large telecommunications
company needed to leverage accreditation for an important international trade
position; the Trade Officer (TO), whose role is to ensure compliance with U.S.
Export/Import regulations as outlined by the Customs and Border Protection
(CBP); the Department of Commerce Export Administration Regulations (EAR);
the Department of State International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR); and
the Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The TO
would create assessment programs as proof to the agencies as compliance and
importantly, would provide transcripts of structured development activities as
evidence of up-to-date knowledge of regulatory requirements and as such
would be certified annually as a TO. Here accreditation is multi-fold: The
telecommunications company created an assessment to ensure regulatory
compliance (using the Assessment knowledge area) and created a certification
to satisfy government auditors that the TO was knowledgeable and had
experience in regulatory requirements (using Education and the Certification
knowledge area).

Use Case 8 – The Organic Food Industry
While organic food and beverage sales represented approximately 4 percent of
overall food and beverage sales in 2010, revenue of $26.7 billion (mostly in
fruits and vegetables) representing a 7.7 percent growth over 2009 sales.14
According to the California Certified Organic Farmers (2010), “certified organic
food in the United States is grown according to standards set by the National
Organic Program. According to those standards, Organic food is produced
without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic
ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionized radiation.”15
Consumers observe an CCOF and USDA Organic certification stamp which
further enables trade, marketing, political advocacy and quality.

Use Case 9 – The Aquaponic Farming Industry
Taking the Organic food industry use case further (and covered with interesting
debate) is the Aquaponic farming. According to Nelson and Pade (2011),
“Aquaponics is the combination of aquaculture and hydroponics. In aquaponics,
you grow fish and plants together in one integrated, soilless system. The fish
waste provides a food source for the plants and the plants provide a natural
filter for the water the fish live in. Aquaponics produces safe, fresh, organic fish
and vegetables. When aquaponics is combined with a controlled environment
greenhouse, premium quality crops can be grown on a year-round basis,
anywhere in the world.”16 This is an emerging market with pending
accreditation to assist in consumer choice.


Use Case 10 – The Dietary Supplements Industry
Rainbow Light Nutritional Systems introduced their trademarked VeganGuard™
in 2004 to assure consumers that their products contained a formula
guaranteed to be free of meat and animal products. According to the
manufacture, “you can be certain the product inside is 100% animal-free — with
no animal-derived or stabilized ingredients;” appealing to the diet and religious
conscious consumers.17

Use Case 11 – The Accounting Profession
Consider accounting. One of the “big 4” Certified Public Accountant (CPA) firms
(Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu; Ernst & Young; KPMG International; and
PricewaterhouseCoopers) “generally recruit outstanding graduates and highly
experienced CPAs and encourage the development of specialized skills by their
personnel.”18 While Table 1-1 provided a compare and contrast with two service
offerings from competitive manufactures, Table 1-2 provides a similar compare
and contrast with how the United States and its jurisdictions vary in educational
requirements (and in some cases the call for direct experience) in the field of
financial accounting, i.e. the CPA accreditation. Here accreditation is multi-fold:
the state/jurisdiction adopted a minimum requirement in education (using the
Education knowledge area), administers an exam through the American
Institute of Certified Public Accountants and potentially an additional
state/jurisdiction test (using the Assessment knowledge area),
acknowledgement of an ethical code (using the Ethics knowledge area), and
conditionally a period of applicable experience (using the Experience knowledge
area): the CPA is considered a license (using the License knowledge area: note
how the other knowledge areas are attributes of this profession and its
accreditation).

Application Forty-five states jurisdictions: Guam, California, Colorado, Delaware, New
Puerto Rico, and Washington D.C. Hampshire, Vermont and
jurisdiction: U.S. Virgin Islands
Professional Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Designation - Educational requirements - Educational requirements
19
Components (enacted legislation) for a (enacted legislation) for a
minimum 150 semester hours minimum 120 semester hours
of college study of college study
- CPA exam administered by - CPA exam administered by
individual state individual state
- Accounting work experience - Accounting work experience
(depends on state) (depends on state)
- Code of professional conduct - Code of professional conduct

Table 1-2. Accreditation as applied to services in financial accounting


Use Case 12 – The Project Management Profession
Consider project management. Often considered a strategic competency in
concert with an organizations core competency, project management is
acknowledged as a profession and is accredited by the global organization: the
Project Management Institute (PMI®). While Table 1-2 provided the
accreditation requirements for the CPA, Table 1-3 provides that of the PMP:
note the similarities, however, the CPA is a license to practice and the PMP is a
credential that verifies capability of practice (license and credential are
discussed in greater detail Section 3). Here accreditation is multi-fold: the PMI is
able to substitute the Bachelor’s degree with 40% more professional project
management experience (using the Education and Experience knowledge
areas), acknowledge additional education with learning objectives in project
management (using the Education knowledge area), administers a proctored
exam through Prometric, PMI’s examination administration partner (using the
Assessment knowledge area), and acknowledgement of an ethical code (using
the Ethics knowledge area). Interestingly, PMI is also accredited by the
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as an accredited Standards
Development organization (SDO).20

Application Worldwide
®
Professional Project Management Professional (PMP )
Designation Without Undergraduate Degree With Undergraduate Degree
21
Components
- High school diploma, associate’s - Bachelor’s degree or global
degree or global equivalent equivalent
- Minimum five years/60 months - Minimum three years/36
unique non-overlapping months unique non-overlapping
professional project professional project
management experience during management experience during
which at least 4,500 hours were which at least 7,500 hours were
spent leading and directing spent leading and directing
project tasks project tasks
- 35 contact hours of formal - 35 contact hours of formal
education [with learning education [with learning
objectives in project objectives in project
management] management]
- Project management exam - Project management exam
administered by proctor administered by proctor
- Project management work - Project management work
experience (7,500 hours) experience (4,500 hours)
- Code of professional conduct - Code of professional conduct

Table 1-3. Accreditation as applied to project management


Benefits of Accreditation
These case studies provide an illustration that supports many applications in
accreditation: evidence in capability. These case studies illustrated: 1) services in
the automobile industry; 2) a security clearance in public sector; 3) products and
partners in the wood products industry; 4) creation and reproduction of an
experience in the entertainment industry; 5) an accredited role to ensure
regulatory compliance in international trade; 6) an accredited role to ensure
quality and customer satisfaction in the software industry; 7) an accredited role
to ensure compliance to applicable laws and regulations; and 8) a credentialed
role as foundation to a professional practice. Individuals and organizations use
accreditation because it promotes evidence of capability in part or holistically. It
packages one or more of the accreditation knowledge areas (see Figure 2-2) to
create an accreditation program.

Individual Accreditation
Accreditation from an individual perspective has to do with characteristically
distinguishing themselves with academic and professional credentials that
demonstrate knowledge, commitment, and industry standards in achievement
that organizations seek when recruiting for the best talent. It can also include an
individual’s association with a club; community; an event; a fraternity or
sorority; etc. The significance is distinction and recognition by association.

Organizational Accreditation
From an organizational perspective accreditation often has to do with building
human capital; a competitive position; respect through industry thought-
leadership; productivity; profitability; return on investment; technological
leadership; etc. Employees and employers, academics and consultants,
governments and institutions—accreditation provides a distinction in the work
individuals do and in the products and services they deliver in today’s
competitive global economy. As one CEO (of a 119 year old U.S. based company)
sited: “make sure you over invest both in capabilities and resources. Second pick
the best person you can find to lead your learning efforts. That person must
have the business acumen and the ability to link that to strategies and the
learning that’s required to achieve them.”22 This book supports this notion, i.e.
accreditation provides the evidence in capability, and accreditation
management will enable the effort in ensuring its alignment to strategy.


Product and Services Accreditation
Accreditation from a product and services perspective has to do with meeting
performance and quality standards; suitability for a specified purpose; as a
means toward entering specific markets; or distinguishing the product and
service from the competition. Cited in the previous paragraph above,
accreditation identifies capability, exploits value to the customer, and provides a
focus on competitive advantage.

AMBOK® Guide Focus: the Accreditation Provider
So far the term individual and organization has been used to differentiate
people from business. The focus of this book, from this point forward, will be
from the point of view of the organization. This is based on the presumption
that most individuals belong to one or many organizations and that it is the
organization that creates accreditation to attract individuals or differentiate
their capability. The term organization will include any business delivering
products or services either for-profit or not-for-profit and in any sector public or
private. Hence, it is global competition that will position its human capital as
one international business textbook affirms:

To create competitive advantage that is sustainable over time [an
organization must] develop skills, or competencies, that:

1) Create value for customers and for which customers are willing to pay,
2) Are rare, since competencies shared among many competitors cannot be
a basis for competitive advantage,
3) Are difficult to imitate or substitute for, and
4) Are organized in a way that allows the [organization] to exploit fully the
competitive potential of these valuable, rare, and difficult-to-imitate
competencies.23

The focus of the AMBOK® Guide will be that of the Provider of accreditation, see
Figure 1-1. It is logical that even a Provider could be Holder of one or more
accreditations.


Definition
Accreditation management formally justifies, develops and sustains an
accreditation. This accreditation lifecycle allows you to follow a series of
processes in which we formulate what type of accreditation we require, its
form, its value, and whether to make or buy it; to procure it and/or build and
deliver it; and finally, maintain it for whatever duration is determined
appropriate. It should also align to an individual’s or an organization’s mission,
goals, objectives and strategy in order to support this requisite capability.

Accreditation management is the process in which we formulate,
implement and operationalize accreditation as it aligns to mission, goals,
objectives and strategy.

Example of Organizational Accreditation Management
The end-to-end processes are illustrated at a high-level in Figure 1-1. The
following describe each of the numeric callouts in order to provide an overview
and understanding of each from multiple perspectives. The inside stakeholder
perspective is that of the Provider of accreditation; the outside stakeholder
perspective is that of the Holder of accreditation.

Accreditation Program Portfolio (Resource-Based View)
Feedback on
x Perception and
Organizational Quality
Capabilities

Mission, Goals and Remote, Industry,
ACCREDITATION Provider
Objectives, and
MANAGEMENT w and Operating
or Holder
Strategy Environment

Tangible and
u v Intangible Assets
y z
Voice of
the Customer
Performance Capability and Capacity

Inside Stakeholders Outside Stakeholders

Figure 1-1. Accreditation management interdependencies and stakeholders


Mission, Goals, Objectives and Strategy
 Mission, goals and objectives, and strategy reflect the awareness of: how,
when and where to compete, against whom to compete, and for what purposes
to compete. In much the same way that “strategic management is the set of
decisions and actions that result in the formulation and implementation of plans
designed to achieve a company's objectives”—accreditation management is the
strategic enablement, i.e. it identifies and leverages the capacity and capability
for an individual or organization to deliver.24 It supports the notion of one
business and management philosopher who wrote that “every organization
needs performance in three major areas: It needs directs results; building of
value and their reaffirmation; and building and developing people for
tomorrow.”25
 Accreditation management, as previously defined, is the process in which
we formulate, implement and operationalize accreditation as it aligns to the
organizations mission, goals and objectives, and strategy. Usually an
organization will create an Accreditation Management Office (AMO) and
appoint a Director to work with Accreditation Owners in determining which
accreditations the organization has inventory of and which accreditations the
organization wishes to pursue. This inventory of current and proposed
accreditations is the organizations Accreditation Portfolio representing one
aspect of its human capital. Without this function, i.e. accreditation
management, most organizations typically address their core competency and
internal readiness needs often residing in an HR management system and/or
Learning Management System. This is based on mainstream static models that
are sufficient but often lack the dynamic needed to create a sustainable
competitive advantage. Accreditation management allows an organization to
give further development of core and strategic competencies (i.e. project
management—both a shared competency and a discrete profession).
Tangible/Intangible Assets and Organizational Capabilities
 This represents a Resource-Base View (RBV) for the organization wherein
“RBV emphasizes strategic choice, charging the [organizations] management
with the important tasks of identifying, developing and deploying key resources
to maximize returns”26 in order to contribute to a sustainable competitive
advantage (SCA) These resource categories are: tangible assets; intangible
assets; and organizational capabilities. According to Brigham and Houston
(2004):

Tangible assets: physical assets such as plant and equipment [as
well as cash, materials, real estate, etc.].
Intangible assets: assets such as patents, copyrights,
trademarks, and goodwill [as well as brand, franchise, etc.].27


Organizations may use tangible and intangible assets as part of an accreditation
as a means of competitive advantage, e.g. in the Microsoft Technology Center
facilities28, the Microsoft brand, and the Microsoft Certified Professional
certifications as a combined accreditation provide customers with world-class
services that cannot be duplicated with the same focus and quality by their
competitors.
Organizational capabilities are the knowledge, skills and abilities of the
individual and with an accreditation management function has the ability to
enable this organizational capability with tangible and intangible assets to focus
on strategy and the SCA environment it will operate within. Aggregation of all
identified resources is contained in the Accreditation Program Portfolio
discussed subsequently.
Accreditation Program Portfolio
 The Accreditation Program Portfolio (APP) is an aggregate of all individual
and organization profiles as defined through accreditation management.

Remote, Industry and Operating Environment
 The remote, industry and operating environments impose external factors
that can affect the organization’s decision making in addressing mission and
strategy. As Pearce and Robinson (2007) elaborate:

Remote environment: economic, social, political, technological,
and ecological factors that originate beyond, and usually
irrespective of, any single firm’s operating situation.

Industry environment: the general conditions for competition
that influence all businesses which provide similar products and
services.

Operating environment: factors in the immediate competitive
situation that affect’s a firm’s success in acquiring needed
resources.29
Provider or Holder
 The Holder is the recipient of accreditation. The Provider is the supplier of
accreditation. An individual and a business may both provide and hold one or
many accreditations. For example, The Microsoft Learning organization is a
Provider of multiple certifications offered to the public, however, Microsoft
employees take these certifications and Hold this form of accreditation.


Feedback Loop

Customer Supplier Customer Supplier Customer Supplier

Supplier Process Customer

Provides inputs to a A series of tasks that Receives outputs from a
process turn inputs into outputs process

Adapted from Rose (2005)
Figure 1-2. High-level view of the accreditation knowledge areas

An example of this interesting, reciprocal, customer and supplier relationship
can be illustrated in Table 1-3. Here each entity is both a customer and a
supplier and they go through a process to create a point of accreditation that
presents itself through a chain of events. The University recognizes through its
Research and Development a demand for online Masters of Business
Administration (MBA) programs given experienced individuals are often busy
with travel and would otherwise find it difficult to impossible to attend a
traditional campus. The student/employee finds that their next promotion
requires such a degree. The employer provides further specification on the MBA
as being accredited by the AACSB. The “AACSB International was founded in
1916 and began its accreditation function with the adoption of the first
standards in 1919.”30

University Student/Employee Employer
Customer Supplier Customer Supplier Customer Supplier

Requires Provides Requires Provides Accepts Upon
online MBA an online an online employer University graduation
program be MBA MBA with online MBA employee
accredited degree accredited acceptance program and meets
by the program from the letter to allows employers
International accredited AACSB and the MBA employee requirement
Association by the is accepted online tuition for
to Advance (AACSB) in the program assistance management
Collegiate degree promotion
Note:
Schools of program
accreditation
Business
by the AACSB
(AACSB)
is fast
becoming an
employer
31
requirement

Table 1-3. Extrapolation of Figure 1-1 with unique entities


Summary
Robert Reich (2007), former U.S. secretary of labor and best-selling author,
addressed educators from 51 countries to discuss how building human capital is
key to sustaining competitive advantage—“globalization, technological change,
and demographics may be primary business vectors, but thoughtful investment
in human capital—with emphasis on skill development—is most critical to
maintaining a competitive advantage in a global business environment.”32
Quick hits for many CXOs today might focus on specific areas of their value-
chain, or perhaps roles, like project management, that span multiple.
Accreditation initiatives that focus just on skill alone will enable performance. As
one international performance management company advertised:

 Skill to diagnose customer problems and identify customer needs—
beyond the obvious
 Skill to present products and services as differentiated client-focused
solutions.
 Skill to protect profitability and strengthen relations through the
process of collaborative negotiation33
These examples are just the tip-of-the-iceberg when considering the use of
accreditation as evidence of capability in building human capital, monitoring an
organizations product and services quality, requirements, risk and financial
reporting, not to mention the value in association with others with a similar
accreditation—these are all important aspects of accreditation and fundamental
to this book.


SECTION 1 - Endnotes
1
Project Management Institute (PMI), A guide to the project management body of
® rd
knowledge: PMBOK Guide 3 ed., (Newtown Square, PA: PMI, 2004) 81.
2
Dictionary.com, Capability, n.d., <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/capability>
17 January 2010.
3
Dictionary.com , Accreditation, n.d.,
<http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/accreditation> 17 January 2010.
4
U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology
Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation
Statisticshttp://www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics/>
2011.
5
Brand Spanking Used, Jeep, n.d.
<http://www.brandspankinused.com/powerTrain.htm> 17 January 2010.
6
Land Rover USA, Pre Owned, n.d.,
<http://www.landroverusa.com/us/en/Vehicles/Certified_Pre_Owned/Overview.ht
m?sReferrer=P_CPO_slashCPO_CPOHome_20050526> 17 January 2010.
7
Joseph F. Hanlon, Robert J. Kelsey, and Hallie E. Forcinio, Handbook of Package
rd
Engineering, 3 ed., (Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press LLC, 1998), 6.
8
ClearanceJobs.com, The ClearanceJobs Report, February 2007, Volume 2, Issue 2,
<http://media.corporate-
ir.net/media_files/priv/pr_130608/ClearanceJobsFeb07.pdf> 17 January 2010.
9
Rod Powers, Security Clearance Secrets, n.d.,
<http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/generalinfo/a/security.htm> 17 January 2010.
10
Dolby, About, 2010, <http://www.dolby.com/about/> 17 January 2010.
11
United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Define :trademark, n.d.,
<http://www.uspto.gov/main/glossary/index.html#t> 17 January 2010.
12
Dictionary.com, License, n.d., <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/license> 17
January 2010.
13
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC.org), Rainforest Alliance, 2010,
<http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/index.cfm> 17 January 2010.
14
Organic Trade Association, Industry Statistics and Project Growth, June 8, 2011,
http://www.ota.com/organic/mt/business.html
15
California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), About Organic, 2011,
http://www.ccof.org/aboutorganic.php
16
Nelson and Pade, About Aquaphonics, 2011, http://www.aquaponics.com/
17
Rainbow Light Nutritional Systems. Groundbreaking New Supplement
Formulas Guarantee Consumers: 100% Animal-Free Multivitamins, n.d.,
http://www.rainbowlight.com/CategoriesCompany.aspx?Category=47f859d0-1b4e-
40b6-ab1b-2dc75b8b08d5
18
David Marshall, Wayne McManus and Daniel Viele, Accounting: what the numbers
th
mean 7 ed., (New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2007), 5.
19
Marshall, 6-7.


20
PMI, Project Management Institute completes successful ANSI audit, 10 October
2006, < http://www.pmi.org/AboutUs/Pages/PMI-045-46-06.aspx> 1.
21
Marshall, 6-7.
22
Robert Lawless and Tony Bingham, Growing talent and sales at McCormick. (Training
+ Development, July 2007), 34.
23 th
Donald Ball et al., International business: the challenge of global competition, 11 ed.,
(New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2007), 353.
24
John Pearce II and Richard Robinson, Jr., Strategic management: formulation,
implementation, and control, (New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2007), 3.
25
Peter Drucker, The effective executive, (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1967), 55.
26
John Fahy and Alan Smithee, Strategic Marketing and the Resource Based View of the
Firm, 1999, < http://www.amsreview.org/articles/fahy10-1999.pdf> 17 January
2010.
27 th
Eugene Brigham and Joel Houston, Fundamentals of Financial Management 10 ed.,
(Mason: South-Western, 2004), 40.
28
Microsoft. Microsoft Technology Centers. 2010.
<http://www.microsoft.com/services/microsoftservices/srv_tech.mspx> 17 January
2010.
29
John Pearce II and Richard Robinson, Jr., Strategic management: formulation,
implementation, and control, (New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2007), 84, 92, 106.
30
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), Accreditation, . n.d.,
<http://www.aacsb.edu/accreditation> 17 January 2010.
31
Gary Jacobsen, Be wary of online MBA, 14 August 2006,
<http://blogs.computerworld.com/node/2864#comment-9859> 17 January 2010.
32
Robert Reich, Human Capital Key to Sustainable Competitive Advantage for
Businesses, 23 April 2007, <http://www.aacsb.edu/wxyz/hp-reich.asp> 17 January
2010.
33
Acclivus, Co-Creating Competitive Advantage™, (Training & Development Magazine,
March 2008) 1.


 SECTION 1  AMBOK® GUIDE – FIRST EDITION

SECTION 2 – KNOWLEDGE AREAS
Knowledge Area Map
Knowledge can be defined as “facts or procedures that individuals or teams of
employees know or know how to do (human and social knowledge); also a
company’s rules, processes, tools, and routines (structured knowledge).”34

Figure 2-0. Accreditation knowledge areas

The accreditation knowledge areas (see Figure 2-0) contain distinct entities,
sometimes with overlap in application, and each with a reasonably unique and
relevant focus. The knowledge areas, at this time, are practical in their current
delineation and it is expected that they will evolve over time with contributions
in their definition and application from other practitioners and fields of study. If
“knowledge is the result of learning and is ephemeral, constantly needing to be
revised and updated:” the knowledge areas identified herein may need to be
revised and updated from time-to-time to support new learning.35 Each
knowledge area discussed in detail following are broken down by: knowledge
area, knowledge component, and component examples; visually:

N. Knowledge Area
N.n Knowledge Component
Example (when provided to expand on the component)


According to Princeton University’s WordNet (2006), a goal is “the state of
affairs that a plan is intended to achieve and that terminates behavior intended
to achieve it.”36

The following are the goals of each accreditation knowledge areas:

1. Assessment: to appraise, estimate, evaluate, judge or determine
the amount, content, quality, size, or value of something.
2. Certification: to attest, confirm state or validate the authenticity,
fact, statement or truth of something.
3. Competency: to establish areas of capability, and levels of
proficiency, in which something can be successfully executed to
achieve its expected outcome.
4. Correlation: to establish a complementary, parallel or reciprocal
relationship: to involve a qualitative correspondence between two
or more entities.
5. Education: To obtain knowledge or skill of a specified degree, kind
or level through an instruction or learning process about a particular
subject and its operating environment.
6. Ethics: to demonstrate morals, principles, or standards of conduct
recognized by a particular culture, group or profession.
7. Experience: To accumulate knowledge, skills and ability to a
specified degree, kind or level through employment, term of
employment, and operation within its environment..
8. License: to have authority, formal or legal permission or right to do,
have or use something.
9. Registration: to declare, enter or enroll something or someone as
being associated and counted within a particular category, group,
record, or list.
10. Regulation: to prescribe or regulate a law, statute, principle or rule
as means to control or govern conduct.

Some of the Knowledge Areas are results of accreditation, i.e. Accreditation
Management programs that incorporate one or more of the Knowledge
Areas such as a diploma or degree within Education; some of the Knowledge
Areas are individual projects or activities that can be acted on individually or
incorporated into an Accreditation Management program. Both Section 3
and Section 4 go into greater detail in how the Knowledge Areas are
referenced and leveraged.


1. ASSESSMENT

Goal: to appraise, estimate, evaluate, judge or determine the amount,
content, quality, size, or value of something.

Figure 2-1. Accreditation knowledge area: Assessment

The following are typical types of assessment and while several may have
similarities, they have been delineated due to common usage.

1.1 Audit (Examination)
To analyze and inspect; examine methodically; officially examine; review the
condition or situation of something usually performed internally (by employees
of the organization) or externally (by an outside firm).
1.2 Behavior
A behavioral assessment may measure the manner in which something
functions or operates, e.g. chemicals, an engine, liquid at different
temperatures, motor, an individual in a situation or environment, etc.


Human: a behavioral assessment “measures personality traits in a more
comprehensive way [than personality assessments/tests], and then
determines how a given personality will react or behave in certain
situations or circumstances. A person generally described as "calm,
warm and friendly" might become "tense and explosive" in a
stressful situation. Another person appearing to have the same
personality traits may thrive and do amazing things in the same
situation. Simply understanding one's personality traits has limited
value in the workplace, team environment, or relationship.
Behavioral assessments provide much more value in improving the
effectiveness of human interaction in any environment.”37 An
example of a behavioral assessment: DISC Model (Dominance,
Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness): identifies four
dimensions of behavior in 2041 possible combinations to determine
work style, dealing with conflict with others, motivational
environments conductive to success, etc.
1.3 Compliance
The accuracy, or adherence, in the performance of something according to
some standard, e.g. following a physician’s recommendations; ensuring
financial statements follow generally accepted accounting practices;
operating within and not exceeding published laws; operating within a
policy or guideline; a measurement within an acceptable tolerance; etc.
1.4 Inspection
Examining, evaluating or viewing something closely in a careful and critical
manner as a means to determine acceptance; compliance; data collection;
mistakes; quality, etc. For example: inspecting a vehicle for safety and
compliance to regulation or inspecting a weather-damaged home to
determine its salvage condition. Inspection, in contrast to observation, is
witnessing the evidence in performance of an activity, operation or process.
1.5 Interview
An interview is a type of survey, e.g. the in-person interview and the
telephone interview, in which one or more individuals consult, evaluate, or
question another person or group. As the interview progresses the
interviewer(s) may reprioritize and submit questions in a sequence that is
based on the respondent(s) reply.
1.6 Observation
Observation is a type of survey, e.g. gaining facts, making and recording
measurements or findings. Typically not as detailed as inspection, i.e.
observation is used to only look at the performance of an activity, operation
or process.


1.7 Performance
Performance has to do with execution efficiency and effectiveness;
recognizing performance gaps or deficiencies and how performance
compares to expectation or specification; action carrying into execution, for
example, a project finishing on-time and on-budget; meeting or exceeding
customer satisfaction; reducing cycle times; poor performance due to
technical dept on a software development project; etc.
Human: something performed or undertaken, carried through and
accomplished (in part or full), of some act, deed, duty, feat, etc. For
example: a performance appraisal using a 360o Review technique;
an athlete making or breaking a record in achievement; a runner
making a finish line; etc.
Performance Engineering (PE): is “a management system made of a
series of techniques that, used together or separately, ‘engineer’
the work environment. The result of PE is an organizational system
aligned with the mission of the organization and an organizational
infrastructure that supports exemplary performance”38
1.8 Personality
Personality assessments “are designed to understand the character traits of
an individual. However, any given personality type is likely to behave
differently in a favorable environment than in a stressful environment.
Simply profiling one's personality does not reveal behavioral tendencies.
Personality is a stable, consistent pattern of thoughts, behaviors and
emotions. Behavior is an expression of personality.”39
Some examples of personality tests include the: Caliper Profile, the
California Psychological Inventory; the Dominance, Influence, Steadiness,
Conscientiousness (DISC) test; EQSQ test; Eysenck Personality
Questionnaire; Keirsey Temperament Sorter; Millon Clinical Multiaxial
Inventory; Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory; Myers-Brigs Type
Indicator® (MBTI); NEO PI-R; Personal Style Indicator (PSI); Robin Hood
Morality Test; Rorschach inkblot test; Swedish Universities Scales of
Personality; the 16PF Questionnaire (16PF); Thematic Apperception Test;
and the Woodworth Test.
1.9 Questionnaire
A questionnaire is a type of survey, e.g. those administered by mail,
household drop-off or by a group, which contains questions usually
addressed to a statistically significant number of subjects as a means to
gather information about the surveys theme. A questionnaire is something a
respondent completes.


1.10 Survey
Survey and Inspection are very similar with the following two exceptions in
taxonomy:
Research technique: a survey may involve any number of methodologies
to appraise, examine or inspect in order to ascertain condition,
situation, value, etc. and can be divided into several broad
categories: focus groups, intercept, interview (in-person and
telephone), observation, questionnaire (paper and web-based), and
sidewalk. Usually ends with a report or reporting of findings.
Land and property: measuring land to determine is size, location and
physical description; a physical inspection of the property to
determine its physical condition and to advise the buyer upon the
value of the property (and usually similar properties).
1.11 Tenure
There are two general perspectives with regard to tenure:
Time in position: is associated with the length of time an individual is
employed in private or public sector; in the case of business, there
are often implications with regard to layoffs and greater job security;
in the case of academics, it is often continued employment, job
security, and freedom of expression, all subject to specific conditions
of behavior and right to termination.
Time in possession: is associated with occupancy, the possession of
premises from an owner through renting, leasing, or some other
agreed to set of terms and conditions, temporary or permanent.
1.12 Term
A period of time in which the scope of defined conditions, and agreement,
will be carried out or met, such as, a life insurance policy, a loan, or a lease.
1.13 Test (Examination)
To examine; to determine someone’s knowledge, skill or abilities; a process
for measuring a specific characteristic when tested; to seek the presence
and quality of something tested; also called an examination.


2. CERTIFICATION

Goal: to attest, confirm, state or validate the authenticity, fact, statement or
truth of something.

Figure 2-2. Accreditation knowledge area: Certification

According to InTech—“Certification is private regulation. Typically the state or
federal government doesn’t have a law or regulation that covers the profession.
So in the absence of government-mandated regulation, a trade association or an
independent certifying body develops a standard for certification.”40 See also
Section 3 Definition Phase with a compare/contrast discussion with regard to
the Certification, License and Registration Knowledge areas as there is some
ambiguity to the use of these three taxonomies in the industry and general
use—this Section provides an industry thought-leader discussion that will assist
the Accreditation Management professional.
2.1 Academic
A provider of education, continuing education, in a setting inside or outside
traditional education (such as online and workplace settings) has met the
minimum requirements by an evaluating body that recommends some
value of credit and in some cases credit toward participating providers. For


example, a University Registrar may issue an official document that
validates dates of attendance, student status, and award of degree. This can
also be based on geographical delineation, e.g. National or Regional
accreditation. In the U.S. there are six Regional accreditors recognized by
both by both the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the
Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). This type of delineation
controls transfer credit of transcripts between institutions, whether some
courses will receive full or partial academic credit, etc. The American Council
on Education (ACE) is a major coordinating body for all the U.S. higher
education institutions.
2.2 Board
An individual or group, appointed or elected, having advisory and
investigatory powers over an individual, public or private business; e.g. a
board that maintains a faculty committee to manage testing administration
and acceptance; or a board that maintains a standards committee to
administer and approve an application with evidence that supports the
application requirements. An alternate technique to the written test is the
use of a panel evaluation by subject matter experts who reach a
verdict/score. Board Certification is a service to the public allowing
consumers, peers and businesses to identify those that meet the goals and
objectives of the accreditation, e.g. a bankruptcy attorney, a dentist, a
physician, etc. This is an accreditation that usually incorporates elements of
formal and continued education, evidence of professional practice, and
agreement to an ethical code of conduct.
A Board may be recognized by the following additional titles:
Advisory Group; Cabinet; Committee; Council; Group of advisors; Jury;
Panel; or Trustees.
2.3 Organizational
An organization has met the requirements of a particular certification that
may include specific minimum criteria such as documented and used
processes with regard to production, quality, standards and regulatory
guidelines.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) leads the
world in developing and publishing standards that organizations follow. The
ISO provides standards in over 159 countries for business, government and
society, which makes it attractive from a marketing and operations
standpoint.


2.4 Product
A product has met the requirements of a particular certification that may
include specific minimum criteria such as built to specification, quality,
safety standards and regulatory guidelines.
Photography: The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
(TESDA) in the Philippines maintain a certification composed of 4
competencies for standards in professional photography.
Technology: In the case of computers, computer peripherals, even
mobile telephones, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
or a designated Telecommunications Certification Body (TCB) test
and certify these devices prior to availability on the U.S. market.
2.5 Professional
An individual has met the requirements of a particular certification that may
include specific minimum criteria such as education, experience (prior to or
just learned), time vested in on-the-job training, a passing score on a test, or
proof in the ability to perform a job or task. You will also find this called a
technical certification, technical/professional certification, trade
certification, or professional designation.
Emphasis for the “professional” knowledge area is that of a non-
armature that has been working within a particular occupation for some
minimum timeframe and usually pledges to follow a code of conduct
including social and professional responsibility.
2.6 Ratings
A measure that relates to the activities involved in ranking or providing a
score for something.
Film: the Motion Picture Association (MPA) has the Motion Picture
Rating System with rating symbols that are federally registered
certification marks. Most producers and distributers submit films to
receive a rating such as G, PG, PG-13, R, and, NC-17. Ratings allow
the monitoring and control of access and distribution.
Product: The Consumers Union (CU) provides ratings to consumers on
the products it evaluates and as a result publishes the Consumer
Reports magazine that provides a color-coded graphic image that
represent the quality and safety of particular area evaluated.


2.7 Sales
A measure that relates to the activities involved in selling goods or services,
for example, customer feedback from a sale; number of sales; type of sale;
etc.
Recording industry: the Recording Industry Association of America
RIAA® is a trade group that represents the U.S. recording industry
and certifies recording sales as Gold®, Platinum®, Multi-Platinum™,
and Diamond sales awards, as well as Los Premios De Oro y
Platino™(an award celebrating Latin music sales). Note that the
certification also includes trademarks and registered trademarks as
a form of branding.
2.8 Service
A service has met the requirements of a particular certification that may
include specific minimum criteria such as performance of duties or work for
another; usually a helpful or professional activity. For example:
accompanying a person with a disability; assessment services based on
extensive knowledge of a business or technology application or process;
cleaning services; consulting services; legal advisory services; etc.
2.9 System
Any functionally related group of interacting, interrelated or interdependent
elements forming a complex whole such as the channels and structures for
communication, distribution or travel; an electrical or mechanical system;
the nervous system; a network of computer hardware and software and its
communication devices; an organism; the solar system; the universe, etc.
Computer system: when securing hardware and software applications
that reside on U.S. government networks, these systems must go
through an accreditation process that is compliant with the Federal
Information Security Management Act (FISMA) of 2002 with regard
to meeting specific security guidelines.
2.10 Technical
An individual has met the requirements of a particular certification that may
include specific minimum criteria such as education, experience (prior to or
just learned), time vested in on-the-job training, a passing score on a test, or
proof in the ability to perform a job or task. You will find this also called a
technical certification, technical/professional certification, trade
certification, or professional designation.
Emphasis for the “technical” knowledge area is that it is a
measurable specialized knowledge, skills and ability working with something
technical within the arts, sciences or industry.


3. COMPETENCY

Goal: to establish areas of capability, and levels of proficiency, in which
something can be successfully executed to achieve its expected outcome.

Figure 2-3. Accreditation knowledge area: Competency

According to Noe (2005), competency “refers to areas of personal capability
that enable employees to successfully perform their job by achieving outcomes
or accomplishing tasks. A competency can be knowledge, skills, attitudes, values
or personal characteristics.”41 Moreover, Green (1999), recognizes core
competency and organizational capability in his book Building Robust
Competencies—the Competency Knowledge Area will be delineated into Core
and Relative, i.e. Core representing a focus in competitive advantage and
Pertinent Capability relating directly and significantly through “business
processes and their professional management that enable an organization to do
its work effectively.”42
According to Arthur (2001), “every job requires different competencies,
there are four primary categories: (1) measurable, tangible, or technical skills;
(2) knowledge; (3) behavioral; and (4) interpersonal skills. Most jobs emphasize
the need for one category over the other, but every employee should be able to
demonstrate competencies, to some extent, in all four categories.”43

3.1 Core
Those capabilities and proficiencies that provide a unique position in the
marketplace; a competitive advantage; capability that is difficult for the
competition to emulate such as technical knowledge about a product or
service.


3.2 Relational
Those capabilities and proficiencies, in addition to Core Competency, that
are complementary and may act in concert, have a relation, to enable levels
of efficiency and effectiveness; competency of a tactical or strategic nature
that enable Core Competency. For example: project management and Six
Sigma competencies could be used in relation to Core Competency to create
a predictive outcome, ensure quality and customer satisfaction.


4. CORRELATION

Goal: to establish a complementary, parallel or reciprocal relationship, with
qualitative correspondence, between two or more entities/parties.

Figure 2-4. Accreditation knowledge area: Correlation

4.1 Advisory Council
A group of individuals appointed to provide advice or subject matter
expertise on current and future issues, operational processes, policy, etc.; a
forum for the exchange of ideas and recommendations often with fair
representation from business units and geographies.
Field Advisory Council: a virtual group that may represent various
regions of an international business that have global oversight, such
as a Project Management Office (PMO), taking into consideration
that some localization may be necessary in order to work within
unique business environments.
Role Advisory Council: a group of individuals that closely follow a
particular role, such as the project manager, possibly working with
Human Resources to keep current on career paths and banding,


compensation models, competency models, thought-leadership to
build human capital, etc.
4.2 Affiliation
A business, cultural, political, or social relationship between two or more
businesses, churches, clubs, organizations, people, or nations to connect or
join for some specific purpose or mutual benefit; similar to an alliance.
Business Affiliation: “when one business controls or has the power to
control another or when a third party (or parties) controls or has the
power to control both businesses. Control may arise through
ownership, management, or other relationships or interactions
between the parties.”44
Network Affiliation: organization often network, the International
Association of Facilitators (IAF) created a memorandum of
agreement between themselves and other organizations for this
purpose: “the purpose of IAF Affiliation is to foster cooperation
between the two organizations. This Agreement describes the
nature of the relationship, delineates mutual obligations and
expectations, and provides procedures for resolution of any
disputes that may develop. Appendix A describes expectations of
activities in which IAF and the affiliate may engage to support and
encourage this relationship.”45
University Affiliation: often hospitals will work together to improve their
community health and well-being by working together leveraging
the multiple disciplines and technical advances found within the
university.
4.3 Alliance
A formal affiliation, agreement, association, coalition, confederation,
federation, league, union or treaty between two or more businesses,
organizations, people, or nations to cooperate for specific purposes, mutual
benefit or joint operations.
Strategic Alliance. “an arrangement between two or more companies to
pursue a common business objective. A strategic alliance is perhaps
most commonly described as a partnership or a joint venture (which
is really nothing more than a partnership for a specific purpose). But
the term could cover a broad spectrum of business relationships
that may include anything from simple cost-sharing arrangements
to a fully integrated merger of two companies…*problems that
could occur include:] administrative issues; costs of operating;
insurance coverage; labor and employment laws; marketing angles;
ownership and control; potential liability exposure; profits and
losses; regulatory hurdles; tax consequences.”46


4.4 Endorsement
A promotional statement; act of approval; formal or explicit approval;
sanction as a means to support or validate; a signature; a voucher; an
amendment to a contract; e.g. a candidate getting the endorsement of a
union; a company supporting a book by lending its logo and statement on a
dust cover; an athlete receiving incentives from a sporting goods
manufacture; etc.
Product Endorsement: the Good Housekeeping Seal (provides testing yet
insufficient to fulfill the claims of the manufacture) provides a seal if
it passes their tests that declares "Replacement or Refund of Money
Guaranteed by Good Housekeeping."
4.5 Franchise
A “license granted by a company (the franchisor) to an individual or firm
(the franchisee) to operate a retail, food, or drug outlet where the
franchisee agrees to use the franchisor’s name; products; services;
promotions; selling, distribution, and display methods; and other company
support.”47
4.6 Partner
An “organization of two or more persons who pool some or all of their
money, abilities, and skill in a business and divide profit or loss in
predetermined proportions.”48
Partner Programs: at Microsoft, they offer multi-level partnerships
(“Registered, Certified, and Gold”) which provide scalable resources
to help the partner: expand skills; increase opportunities; close
more sales; and support customers.49 You can move to a level as
your business changes.
4.7 Research Project
Research projects are sponsored to advance human knowledge on a wide
variety of subjects. They are typically funded by corporations (such as
research and development departments), universities and government
contractors typically because they are interested in a particular subject or
field of study. Affiliation can benefit sponsors and researchers in credibility,
recognition and the potential for further funding for additional research.
To illustrate the complexity of stakeholders in one research project:
“Pavilion Lake is located about 500 kilometers north of Vancouver in Marble
Canyon Provincial Park. It was formed by a glacier more than 10,000 years
ago, and has for the last decade been the site of several studies into
astrobiology. Primary funding for this year’s endeavor comes from the
Canadian Space Agency, with additional funding from NASA, Nuytco, and
McMaster University. Principal investigators are Darlene Lim from the
NASA-Ames Research Center and Bernard Laval from the University of
British Columbia, with collaborators from the NASA Johnson Space Center,

Vancouver Aquarium, SETI (Search of Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) Institute,
Simon Fraser University, Stanford University, California Institute of
Technology, University of California-Davis, Portland State University, the
University of Hong Kong, University of Vermont and Washington State
University, among others.”50
4.8 Spokesperson
An “individual who speaks on behalf of a product or service and whose
name becomes associated with the product or service. A spokesperson may
be a celebrity or someone who begins as an unknown and gains a measure
of celebrity through association with the product. Personality;
testimonial.”51
4.9 Sponsor
Sponsor may refer to any of the following: “Commercial- to support an
event, activity, or person; Legislative - a person who introduces a bill in the
US Congress; Military, naval ship naming - a person who christens a ship at
its launch; in a twelve-step program, are experienced members who make a
service commitment to help others navigate the program; Self-relations
Psychotherapy, a form of therapy; Child sponsorship, a form of charitable
giving; the word sponsor derives from the Latin sponsor (pl. sponsors), word
meaning guarantor.”52
This definition, as association, is different that an Accreditation
Sponsor, as illustrated in Section 4.


5. EDUCATION

Goal: to obtain knowledge or skill of a specified degree, kind or level through
an instruction or learning process about a particular subject and its operating
environment.

Figure 2-5. Accreditation knowledge area: Education

The Education Knowledge Area and the Experience Knowledge Area have some
overlap, so I will borrow a phrase from the real estate magnate Donald Trump—
the principal difference between education and experience is “learning how the
real world operates--and learning how to operate in it—[this] will give you the
double edge that is necessary for success.”53 Certainly the two correspond to
each other; in these two knowledge areas Education will focus on obtaining and
learning whereas Experience will focus on the employment, its term and
environment. Those familiar with employee training and development
understand that “development refers to formal education, job experiences,
relationships, and assessments of personality and abilities that help employees
perform effectively in their current or future job and company.”54 Multiple
knowledge areas are at work in employee training and development. Likewise
an accreditation may require training, on-the-job training (OJT), and an
externship: note how both knowledge areas work together to form this type of
accreditation (which sounds much like an apprenticeship).
The Education Knowledge Area incorporates training, which can result
in, or be part of a certificate, degree or diploma program or involvement in the
scope of education. Where we differentiate education and training—it is
important to understand the overarching difference between these two:


“education is a learning process that deals with unknown outcomes, and
circumstances which require a complex synthesis of knowledge, skills and
experience to solve problems. Education refers its questions and actions to
principles and values rather than merely standards and criteria. Training: has
application when: a) there is some identifiable performance and/or skill that has
to be mastered. And b) practice is required for the mastery of it.”55
5.1 Certificate
A document serving as evidence that a participant has successfully
completed a program by meeting or exceeding the requirements of the
certificate issuing authority (for example, a business, college, or university).
In addition, the certificate issuing authority may award the participant a
designation/title and inclusion of associated benefits. For example,
becoming certified to perform the duties of a role as the result of formal
courseware, a passing score on a test, may also provide access to an online
community in which there is recognition and knowledge sharing.
5.2 Degree
completed a program of studies by meeting or exceeding the requirements
of the degree issuing authority (for example, a college, university, or
postsecondary educational institution). In addition, the degree issuing
authority regularly awards the participant an academic title and inclusion of
associated benefits as being an alumnus. A degree, as an accreditation, may
consist of a series of events, some with prerequisites, which may include
lectures, seminars, meetings, presentations and workshops.
5.3 Diploma
completed a program of studies by meeting or exceeding the requirements
of the diploma issuing authority (for example, a business, college, school, or
university). In addition, the diploma issuing authority regularly awards the
participant an academic title and inclusion of associated benefits as being an
alumnus.
5.4 Event
An occurrence, something that happens at a given place and time, of
personal, professional or social importance to the participant; an event may
span an hour to several months; an event may lead toward a certificate,
diploma or degree and may require registration in order to reserve and
account for attendance.
Conference: according to the International Congress and Convention
Association (2009), a conference is a “participatory meeting
designed for discussion, fact-finding, problem solving and
consultation. As compared with a congress, a conference is


normally smaller in scale and more select in character - features
which tend to facilitate the exchange of information.”56
Congress: according to the International Congress and Convention
Association (2009), a congress is a “regular coming together on a
representational basis of several hundred - or even thousands - of
individuals belonging to a single professional, cultural, religious or
other group. A congress is often convened to discuss a particular
subject. Contributions to the presentation and discussion of the
subject matter come only from members of the organizing body.
Frequency: usually established in advance and can be either
multiannual or annual. Most international or world congresses are
of the former type while national congresses are more frequently
held annually. A congress will often last several days and have
several simultaneous sessions.”57
Convention: essentially the same as a conference; synonymous with
conference.
Exhibition: according to the International Congress and Convention
Association (2009), exhibitions are those “events at which products
and services are displayed.”58
Lecture: A group of individuals meeting for the purpose of study,
discussions and the exchange of information; similar to a seminar
but often includes less, if any, interactivity with the audience.
Meeting: according to the Harvard Business School Press (2006),
meetings are “where we get together, as teams, as ad hoc groups,
as members of a department, as negotiators sitting across from one
another at the table. Meetings are where problems are solved,
decisions are made, and trust is built.”59 They further delineate
meetings in an 8-18-1800 rule, i.e. “to solve a problem or make a
decision invite no more than eight people…to brainstorm, then you
can go as high as 18 people…to disseminate information…to whip
the group up into a frenzy of enthusiasm…1800—or more.”
Presentation: the process of speaking to an individual or group about a
particular subject to facilitate learning, for the purpose of study,
discussions and the exchange of information.
Product/Service Demonstration: the process of speaking to an individual
or group demonstrating specific features and functionality,
discussing specifications, and other aspects of a product/service. In
some cases, such as solution selling, the product/service
demonstration is tailored to the business need of the customer; an
important aspect of sales.


Product/Service Launch: the process of speaking to a group introducing
a new product/service or the improvements to existing; an
important aspect of marketing.
Public Speaking: the process of speaking to a group of people intended
to entertain, influence, or inform about a particular subject; the
setting may be formal or informal. We know when we hear a good
public speaker simply reflecting on our experience with politicians
and theologians. Storytelling can be an important component to
public speaking; storytellers “can focus and energize their
constituents. Good stories are important to individual and
organizational wellbeing and effectiveness because they help
people make sense of who they are by enabling them to find their
place in the story. Good stories hold the organization together by
pulling seeming disparate parts of the organization together,
articulating both a shared past and a future.”60 Two organizations
that support building public speaking skills are Toastmasters
International (TI) and the National Communication Association
(NCA).
Self-Directed Learning: Independent study undertaken as a requisite to
meet the requirements of an instructor or as a development task of
an issuing authority (as in the recognition of professional
development units to maintain a credential); this may include
attending presentations and selected reading topics.
Seminar: A group of individuals meeting for the purpose of study,
discussions and the exchange of information; similar to a lecture but
often includes more interactivity with the audience.
Trade Show: essentially the same as an exhibition; synonymous with
exhibition.
Training: An individual or group meeting for education and instruction
to facilitate learning.
Tutoring/Tutorial: An individual that is able to clarify terms, interpret,
share ideas and guide a student or small group trough a particular
subject—given that they have studied any prerequisite of that
subject. Emphasis is on teaching. A natural progression for a Tutor is
to become a Mentor. While mentoring seems to have more
emphasis in career development, perhaps tutoring is a more tactical
approach to building human capital, i.e. according to one author;
‘mentoring’ is overrated as a human capital investment. I suspect
that there are [corporate executives] who would become far more
expert — and effective — in their roles if they took the time to
explicitly teach people core skills and competencies in their


specialty. Better yet, the scalable impact would come when those
"students," in turn, sought to reinforce their learning by teaching
others. See one; do one; teach one.”61
Webinar: A seminar broadcast via the Internet and accessed through an
Internet browser either real-time or on-demand.
Workshop: A group of individuals meeting for the purpose of discussion,
the exchange of information, and the demonstration and
application of skills, principles and practices.
5.5 On-the-Job Training (OJT)
According to Noe (2005), OJT refers to “new or inexperienced employees
learning through observing peers or managers performing the job and trying
to imitate their behavior; from apprenticeships to self-directed learning,
“OJT is an attractive training method because, compared to other methods,
it needs less investment in time or money for materials, trainer’s salary, or
instructional design…manager or peer who are job knowledge experts are
used as instructors.”62 The U.S. military uses OJT extensively to ensure
individuals are consciously competent in their activities especially under
duress. One benefit to OJT is that it is planned, organized, and conducted at
the employee's workplace or in a simulated environment on a par with the
workplace for reasons of safety or security. For example, it is not unusual
for a large casino to have a mock-casino in which individuals perform work
demonstrating their knowledge, skill and ability under the supervision of a
manager or peer and once achieving a level of competence are evaluated
and potentially satisfy the requirements of the work through assessment.


 SECTION 2  AMBOK® GUIDE – FIRST EDITION

6. ETHICS

Goal: To demonstrate morals, principles, or standards of conduct recognized
by a particular culture, group or profession.

Figure 2-6. Accreditation knowledge area: Ethics

6.1 Code of Conduct
A set of conventional principles, a policy of expected behavior, considered
binding on any person who is a member of a particular group; usually
includes conditions of social and professional responsibility.
Code of Business Practices: The Better Business Bureau (BBB) accredits
U.S. and Canadian businesses that meet their standard to include a
commitment to resolve any consumer complaints.
Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct: The Project Management
Institute (PMI®) states: “as practitioners of project management, we
are committed to doing what is right and honorable. We set high
standards for ourselves and we aspire to meet these standards in all
aspects of our lives—at work, at home, and in service to our
profession.”63
Social and Professional Responsibility-Goals and Expected Outcomes:
the University of South Florida aspires to “demonstrate social and
professional responsibility through mentoring, participation in
professional and community organizations and activities,
patient/client advocacy, and provision of pro bono services.”64


AMBOK Guide 2012 Edition

Recomendados

Recomendados

Más contenido relacionado

La actualidad más candente

La actualidad más candente (17)

Similar a AMBOK Guide 2012 Edition

Similar a AMBOK Guide 2012 Edition (20)

AMBOK Guide 2012 Edition