1. ANSI-IREC Accreditation Program
Diana Singhavong
American National Standards Institute
Pat Fox
Laure-Jeanne Davignon
Interstate Renewable Energy Council
February 14, 2013

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3. What is ANSI-IREC?
Specialty accreditation for energy efficiency and RE programs. A broad range of certificate programs can now demonstrate market value and improve their training through a comprehensive application and assessment process. Program accreditation ensures organizations maintain conformance to the highest quality and standards and provides the tools needed in today's competitive and ever-changing landscape.

4. Why ANSI-IREC? Growth of clean energy sector
Proliferation of training programs
Confusion

5. The Answer Align training with jobs Differentiate quality training
Provide programs with a means to demonstrate market value
Increase consumer confidence and safeguards

6. Quality training with market value
How?
ANSI-IREC provides third-party verification that programs meet a national standard (IREC Standard 14732:2013) validated by the renewable energy and energy efficiency industry
Quality training with market value

7. Educational Processes and Management
A Unique Approach
Technical
Content
Educational Processes and Management

8. Benefits to Programs
Promotes high quality program design and implementation
Distinguishes programs with a national recognition
Provides an edge for enrollment, marketing and funding proposals

9. Benefits to Programs
Aligned with industry-recognized credentials and standards
Training dollars invested wisely
Students “trained as advertised”
—Roy Swift

10. Value of the Accreditation Process
What did pilot participants have to say about the process?

11. Value of the Accreditation Process
All pilot organizations agreed/strongly agreed that accreditation process:
Would provide differentiation and a competitive advantage when competing with other certificate awarding entities in the industry
Is a quality check on current operations
“Due to this process, we have implemented a number of great quality control measures.” -Survey respondent

12. Value of the Accreditation Process
According to the pilot organizations, the most valuable aspects of the accreditation experience include:
Communication/active participation from program staff
Assessors’ expertise
Third-party validation of program
Improvement of organizational structure and curricula
Continued quality improvement
Continued quality improvement: all accredited organizations would submit additional programs for ANSI-IREC accreditation and encourage other organizations to apply

13. Lessons Learned from an Accredited Organization
Nicole Rice, Midwest Renewable Energy Association
MREA Photovoltaic Site Assessment Certificate
MREA Solar Thermal Site Assessment Certificate

14. Process Overview Demonstrate Initial Eligibility
Online Preliminary Application
Provide Evidence and Documentation
“Demonstrate”
Onsite Assessment
Role of assessment team
Role of onsite

15. IREC Standard 14732:2013
Explain evidence required.

16. Market Value Explain evidence required.
Industry validated Job Task Analysis
Quality training matched to employer needs
Linkage to industry
Explain evidence required.

17. Linkage with Industry
The certificate-awarding entity shall maintain relationships with the subject industry to ensure the continued currency and market value of the certificate
Employers
Associations
Workforce Dev.
Industry is defined as entities involved in the technology being taught and may include employers, workforce-development organizations, manufacturers, professional associations, and contractors, among others.

18. Job Task Analysis
10.2 Job Task Analysis Basis for Curriculum or Syllabus: The certificate-awarding entity shall base the certificate program on a current, valid job task analysis (JTA) that has been developed using generally accepted procedures and includes the following: a) An objective or scope that defines the overall job, including conditions and criteria b) A list of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) that define the job c) Criticality ratings for each KSA d) Criteria used for validating the JTA
Explain evidence required.

19. Systematic Program Plan
Any one of several processes recognized by education and training professionals that documents the creation or revision of educational programs, workshops, or courses using inter-related components of analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation.

20. Systematic Program Plan
Use of criterion-referenced instruction
Analysis, program design, development, implementation, and evaluation integrated
Defined curriculum for each program
Syllabus for each course
Instruction conforms to syllabus and curriculum
comparing student performance/student learning to an established standard of competence

21. Management System Documentation Document control Internal audit
Management review
Communication of internal audit results
The review of an entity’s policies and procedures to determine the entity’s conformance with them.
Must minimally include. An internal audit shall be planned and conducted, at least annually, or as
deemed necessary by the organization. The internal audit report shall document any
circumstances of non-compliance with policies and procedures. The internal audit report shall
include the reason(s) for non-compliance, and corrective and/or preventive actions to ensure
compliance. Results of the internal audit shall be communicated to program management.

22. Assessment of Learners
Written examination required
Assessments must be criterion-referenced
must be based on stated learning objectives that include a performance standard

23. Assessment of Learners
Requirements for development, administration and scoring
Secure
Routinely reviewed
Provisions for learners with special needs
Protocols for those administering
Criterion referenced passing score
Inter-rater reliability

24. Policies and Procedures
Other Requirements
Policies and Procedures
Personnel
Facilities, Tools and Equipment
Online Delivery
Safety
Legal Entity, Financial Viability

25. Meeting the Requirements
Documented compliance
Evidence of implementation
Verified on paper and during onsite

26. Want to Learn More?
Workshop May 7-8 Washington, DC Diana to Register

27. Questions? www.ansi.org/ansi-irec dsinghavong@ansi.org
Heading: Verdana 24
Text: Verdana 18

28. Program Fees
Application fee $3, On-site assessment and document review $1, per assessor per day, plus travel expenses. Fees include: Cost per assessor per number of days required; assessor review of application and all supporting documents; assessor preparation of draft and final assessor report; onsite assessment; ANSI staff coordination of assessment process. Travel expenses include: transportation, meals, and accommodations during days of the assessment. Fees associated with any corrective actions are $1,250 per assessor per day and include: Assessor review of corrective actions, assessor clearance of corrective actions, ANSI staff coordination of corrective action process. If additional subject matter experts (SMEs) are required, the applicant organization will be assessed an additional fee of $1,250 per day per SME, plus travel expenses.