Oftentimes, people mistake a “certificate of completion” as a “professional certification” or “credential.” A certificate of completion states that an individual has completed a class or course and achieved a certain level of success in understanding the principles taught in the course. A professional certification or credential is an objective measure of a person’s level of experience and expertise in the profession -- as defined by the profession as a whole. Unfortunately, many of our colleagues in the field are not aware of this distinction.

Within the realm of testing and credentialing, a professional credential must be developed following rigorous psychometric protocols. These protocols dictate, among others, that an educational program cannot also issue a professional credential upon completion of coursework; that the psychometric protocols used to design and implement the certification tool, including validity and reliability outcomes, must be published; and that the test’s content must be validated, in part, through a statistically designed task analysis that canvassed the profession. There appears to be no other organization today that has completed these or any other established protocols for grant professionals certification.

As a field, we should not feel dismayed about this confusion. Every profession is wrought with the same misconceptions. The transition to any professional certification program is often difficult and confusing. This feeling will most certainly carry over to our field when AAGP’s affiliate organization, Grant Professional Certification Institute (GPCI), completes the development of the field’s first professional certification. However, with prudent planning and participation by our field in all stages of certification development, we will see a smooth transition to professional certification.