Why exactly is credential management so…involved? Isn’t it “just an application?”
We often encounter programs that have reached — and exceeded — the limits of what an online form builder or spreadsheet can accomplish. But why aren’t these tools sufficient to manage credential programs?
Some of the answer lies in the complexity of a program’s business rules and credential cycles. But that only tells one part of the story. The other part is structural: Credential management actually consists of many interconnected parts within a larger whole.
Major and Minor Processes: The Why and the How
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Credential management is about process. And not just the application process! There are also all of the sub-processes that you expect an applicant to perform within the application.
The major process represents why people are in the system and what they need to do there:
- In certification, the “why” is to demonstrate eligibility.
- In recertification, it’s to prove ongoing competence in professional practice.
- In accreditation, a collection of standards must be met.
We might also think of major processes as synonymous with “applications.”
How do system participants complete applications? The answer lies in minor processes, which could also be thought of as tasks, to-dos, or requirements. Different minor processes require different data, steps, and participants. Some of those are the applicant or practitioner’s responsibility. Some are tasks or steps for your staff admins. And others might fall to third parties such as application reviewers, employers, or even education providers.
Process-Based Thinking: The Dynamic Checklist
We can think of the minor processes within a major credential process like items on a checklist. In order to tackle that major process, we break it down into smaller parts that are easier to tackle. However, the credential checklist is not always a linear checklist.
How do you approach the items on a dynamic checklist? It’s often clear when certain steps must unfold in a specific order. For example, if a program has non-negotiable eligibility requirements that must be met before someone proceeds with an application, a sequential workflow ensures the application process aligns with that structure. Others necessitate parallel processes so system participants simultaneously tackle different steps.
On the one hand, you don’t want end users to have to wait to move forward if they don’t have to. But you also don’t want them to move forward before they should. Credential processes can move backward: An applicant might think they’ve completed all steps, but then return to a specific step upon review or audit. A dynamic checklist keeps momentum on the major process while preventing incorrect, incomplete, or invalid submissions.
Initial Application Processes: E’s, but Not Always Easy
Within the initial application process, most minor processes tend to involve the “E’s” of eligibility: Education, experience, employment, and exam.
So, which comes first? Does your application start with exams,or end with them? Does the credential require a certain duration of employment? Does an applicant need a certain degree before they pursue employment? When is payment collected? Someone might enter the workforce while working toward their degree. Shouldn’t they also be able to also work on their application? Your process management should align with what makes sense for your organization and people.
Recertification and Renewal Processes: Maintain Momentum
After the initial certification has been conferred, the application process changes to credential maintenance and renewal. In order to eliminate barriers to completion, programs should consider how practitioners can “submit as they go” on a schedule that makes sense for them. After all, doing a little bit at a time almost always feels less overwhelming than doing everything all at once.
After submissions come recertification application audits. Audit processes often depend on how the audits are structured, and where that structure falls along the axis from “all supporting documentation upon submission” to “supporting documentation only upon audit.”
Accreditation Processes: From Standards to Site Visits
Program accreditation is often significantly more involved, with more steps to complete than individual credentials. Rather than specific individual eligibility requirements, accreditation usually involves a program demonstrating that it has met standards (and lots of them). Each standard or set of standards within the application might necessitate its own minor process, with separate required data and review steps. The power of process becomes even more valuable.
Faculty approvals are another common minor process within the larger accreditation application. Depending on an accrediting body’s specific standards, these can be very comprehensive and involved. It’s helpful if faculty approval can happen alongside the documentation of other standards.
Finally, many accreditation programs also require site visits at some point in the accreditation lifecycle. Some standards requirements may emerge as a result of a site visit. The site visit itself might involve interviews, reports, rubrics, and recommendations.
LearningBuilder: Process Management for the Credential Ecosystem
We designed LearningBuilder, our best-in-class credential management software, for the specific intricacies of credential management. If you’re seeking solutions to manage your credential processes, we invite you to schedule a discovery call so that we can better understand your program and its needs.
