Across the Industry

Accreditation Doesn’t Have to Be So Overwhelming

Accreditation. The word just sounds intimidating, even for industry veterans. Whether pursuing initial or reaccreditation, the process can feel daunting — but it doesn’t have to be that way. To make the journey less challenging, I’d like to share some things I've learned about accreditation over my time working across public, private and nonprofit sectors.

Choose An Accreditor That Sets Clear Timelines

Selecting an accrediting organization is perhaps the most crucial decision you'll make, and multiple options may be available depending on your industry. An important factor to consider is whether the accreditor has established timelines — not just for your submissions, but for their decision-making as well.

As director of two nationally accredited post-secondary schools, I experienced firsthand the challenges of an open-ended accreditation process. Our first accreditor operated with rolling dates and no deadlines. This proved to be disastrous and frustrating as I would work diligently to provide required documents, only to have months pass without a response. After spending a year with that organization, I switched to one with set timeframes and earned our accreditation in under 12 months.

Say Hello

Establishing relationships with accredidation staff and commissioners is key to the successful outcome of your accreditation activities. An informal, in-person chat at a conference or workshop is ideal, but a short introductory email goes a long way towards setting the foundation for a productive working relationship.

The staff and commissioners want to help and are available to provide direction. Many were once in your shoes and understand the roadblocks and challenges. Working proactively to get something right before it’s submitted benefits everyone, so don’t be afraid to raise your hand. They’re on your side and glad to share their expertise.

Familiarize Yourself With the Accreditation Standards

It may sound intuitive, but you should read, reread and keep studying the standards before and after you start the initial or reaccreditation process. Spending hours writing a policy or procedure to find it not aligned with a standard is the last thing you want to do. Also, the accreditor will often include explanatory asides along with the standard itself, clarifying the requirements and making the creation of policies or processes easier.

Reviewing the standards as a whole, and not just those you’re engaged with, provides an overview of the entire process as well, helping to guide your decision-making.

Us vs. Them? Or Are We in This Together?

Accreditation brings a note of excellence to your organization or program, but just as important is the opportunity to evaluate your operations. Most accrediting organizations emphasize that the process is as much about self-improvement as it is about gaining the credential, and I agree with this very important distinction.

My experience as a peer review management specialist with the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training gave me firsthand insight into this dynamic. Organizations with a growth mindset were consistently more successful than those believing it an inconvenient compliance exercise. Groups actively involved generally earned accreditation on the first try, had fewer deficiencies to resolve and could show multiple examples of how their business improved across the entire organization. On the other hand, it often took multiple attempts for organizations resistant to the process to earn accreditation, if at all.

It's crucial to ask tough questions and have candid conversations to determine if accreditation is the right strategy for your organization.

The More Sets of Eyes, the Better

Published authors have editors, and you need one too. Your vs. you’re; to, too or two; affect or effect — do you always use these correctly? Chances are you miss some things.

Similarly, does your document truly answer the question or meet the requirements of the standard? Having your work reviewed is an easy way to make sure it’s clear, succinct and provides the necessary information.

Recap

Accreditation is a wide-ranging, work-intensive undertaking that demands a great amount of time, energy and resources. In short, here’s how to make it less challenging:

  • Select an accreditor that sets clear deadlines for when submittals and decisions are due.
  • Establish relationships with the staff and commissioners of your accrediting body. Ask them questions; they’re here to help.
  • The accreditation standards guide your work. Review them regularly.
  • Identify the foundational reason you are seeking initial or reaccreditation. Those using accreditation for process improvement generally have more successful outcomes.
  • Have others review your work. If best-selling authors use editors, you should too.

If you would like more insight into the accreditation world, you can visit I.C.E.'s Pathway to Accreditation webpage. Additionally, consider becoming an I.C.E. member for education, networking and access to credentialing industry resources. Learn about the benefits of joining I.C.E. today.