In a recent I.C.E. report on the future of credentialing¹, the authors describe a variety of education, workforce, and societal trends that are placing pressure on the credentialing industry. In addition to competitive pressures from a proliferation of various types of credentials, the report details several other forces that may pose challenges to credentialing organizations. One key takeaway from the report is that it has become increasingly important for credentialing bodies to demonstrate the value and relevance of their credentials to relevant stakeholders.

In part one of the Measuring the Value of Certification series, I will describe key steps and considerations when conducting a value of certification (VoC) study. In part two, I will provide a summary of a VoC study conducted by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT^®).

Why Conduct a Value of Certification Study?

The primary objective of a VoC study is to understand and quantify the value that is placed on certification by various stakeholder audiences. The Knapp Certification Re-Think Tank² noted that conducting a VoC study can help certification organizations:

• Understand how various stakeholders view certification
• Meet obligations to their stakeholders, including demonstrating return on investment
• Gain insight into why certificants seek to become certified or renew their certification
• Gather information that can be used for marketing purposes
• Reveal areas for improvement

How to Conduct a Value of Certification Study

Step 1: Read Existing VoC Studies. There are many excellent resources available for organizations that want to conduct a VoC study. Numerous published articles document VoC research conducted in a range of different industries, and it is very helpful to read what other organizations have done before embarking on your own study. Additionally, there are several guidance documents available, including a roadmap to conducting meaningful VoC research² I.C.E. has also published two helpful papers on the topic, one of which explored the concept of value and research processes³ and the other of which published the results of I.C.E.’s External Stakeholder Working Group cross-industry VoC survey.⁴ The latter resource includes an extensive list of items that could be adapted for inclusion in your own VoC survey.

Step 2: Identify Relevant Stakeholders. Most VoC studies focus on certificants, since they are the primary stakeholders for most certifying bodies, not to mention the most straightforward to contact. Other possible stakeholders of interest include employers, consumers, students, candidates, educators and regulators. In addition, studying individuals who have elected not to become certified or recertified can provide a wealth of valuable information. The choice of which stakeholder groups to study depends partly upon strategic objectives (e.g., What do you hope to learn and how do you intend to use the information?) and partly upon pragmatic considerations (e.g., Do you have contact information for this group?). McCorkle³ outlines key considerations when determining which stakeholder groups to study.

Step 3: Define Value. Although value can be defined in many different ways, the simplest way to understand value is as a ratio of perceived benefits to perceived costs. For certificants, there are several types of benefits that may be derived from certification, including:

• Career-related benefits (e.g., job opportunities, promotions, salary increases)
• Emotional or psychological benefits (e.g., feelings of pride, a sense of accomplishment, increased confidence)
• Reputational benefits (e.g., positive regard from peers, patients or customers)
• Products and services (e.g., subscriptions, discounts, educational offerings)

The costs of becoming certified or recertified are also varied, but primarily include factors such as money, time, and convenience. Remember that different stakeholder groups will define value differently. For example, employers may focus on benefits relating to enhanced employee knowledge or skills and the reputational or marketing-related benefits of having certified employees. Careful consideration must be given to the factors that are most relevant to each certifying organization’s particular situation and each stakeholder group. Finally, it is important to understand that much can be learned about perceived value by assessing perceptions of both benefits and costs of certification.

Step 4: Determine How to Assess Value. Once the concept of value has been delineated and the relevant benefits and costs identified, the next step is determining how to assess it. Most organizations choose to use survey methodology but focus groups or individual interviews may also provide rich information. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods can also be used if resources allow. McCorkle³ offers an in-depth treatment of various research methodology considerations.

When it comes to developing questions, one useful piece of advice is to rely on the many available resources previously described when developing survey, focus group, or interview questions. While adapting questions to the specific context is necessary, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. One important consideration is that the perceived benefits and costs of certification will likely be different for students, certificants and employers, and so any items developed must be tailored to each group.

Sample Questions for Key Stakeholder Groups

On a final note, thought must be given to the demographic information that is collected, as examining how perceived value differs across market segments offers valuable information. For example, do new certificants perceive value differently than those who have been certified for decades? Do gender or racial differences exist? If surveying employers, does value differ according to organization size or sector? Certifying organizations should carefully consider what additional variables might provide actionable insights.

Step 5: Interpret and Use the Results. After the data collection is complete, it is time to analyze the data. If a survey has been used, it is advisable to conduct some basic psychometric analyses (e.g., reliability analysis, factor analysis), if possible. As mentioned in the previous step, breaking the results down by demographic or other relevant subgroups will also be very informative, if the sample size in each subgroup is large enough to allow for meaningful interpretation.

The results of a VoC study will help identify areas for improvement and inform strategic planning in the short and long term. Once you have compelling data to answer questions such as whether tangible benefits are appreciated by certificants, whether the perceived benefits of certification outweigh the costs, and whether employers see certificants as more desirable than uncertified individuals, the appropriate courses of action should become clear. From a communications standpoint, the results will be invaluable for determining the types of outreach needed for various stakeholder groups, and will provide valuable content for marketing efforts, including social media campaigns.

Interested in learning more? Dive into Part Two.

References

1. Institute for Credentialing Excellence. (2023). The future of credentialing. Washington, DC: Institute for Credentialing Excellence.
2. Knapp Certification Re-Think Tank. (2012). Demonstrating the value of certification: A roadmap to conducting meaningful research. Retrieved from http://www.knappinternational.com/assets/uploads/pages/roadmap%20for%20certification%20value%20research%281%29.pdf
3. McCorkle, R. E. (2015). Value of certification (VoC): An exploration of concept and research process. Washington, DC: Institute for Credentialing Excellence.
4. McCorkle, R. E., Stobinski, J., Dille, S., Greco, V., Greenlee, B., Duferny, T., & Sadighi, D. (2019). ICE external stakeholders working group - Value of certification. Washington, DC: Institute for Credentialing Excellence.