Preamble: In order to be accredited by the International Cost Engineering Council (ICEC), a certification or continuing professional development program must be consistent with the objectives prescribed by ICEC. To that end, certification and continuing professional development programs will be considered against the following guidelines.

GENERAL GUIDELINES

1. Purposes of Continuing Professional Development and Specialty Certification Program

a. To raise the professional standards and improve the practice of cost engineering, quantity surveying, and project management by giving special recognition by their peers to those who, in fulfilling prescribed standards of performance and conduct, have demonstrated and maintained a high level of competence and ethical practices.

b. To identify for employers, clients, and the public, persons with broad knowledge of and capability to professionally apply, the principles of cost engineering, quantity surveying, and project management.

c. To establish a continuing program whose goal is the improvement of individual cost engineering, quantity surveying, and project management skills and professional development.

d. To clarify the body of knowledge and standards of conduct for the practice of cost engineering, quantity surveying, and project management.

2. Areas of Certification Specialization

Applicants will be certified in the specialties of Cost Engineering, Cost Estimating, Cost Control, Planning and Scheduling, Project Management, Construction Cost Management, and Quantity Surveying, as well as other related areas.

3. Administration

a. The Board of Directors of the Association granting the certification is responsible for establishing the rules governing academic achievement, job experience, and character reference requirements for those applying for certification.

b. Responsibility for planning, directing, and administering the program rests with a certification body appointed by the Association Board of Directors.

c. The certification body prepares, or causes to be prepared, the examinations, sample questions, study guide and required instructional texts.

d. An examination administrator will administer each examination, and examination proctors will conduct the examination.

e. The certification body shall not determine who shall engage in or practice in a given specialty area, but rather shall certify those who apply for certification and are deemed qualified and capable of being recognized as certified individuals.

4. Structure of Certifying Body

a. Be non-governmental

b. Conduct certification activities which are national or international in scope

c. Be administratively independent in matters pertaining to certification. However, appointment of members of the certifying body may be by the sponsoring organization

d. Have a certifying body which consists of a majority of certified individuals

e. Have formal procedures for the selection of members of the certifying body which shall prohibit the certifying body from selecting more than one-third of its members.

5. Resources of Certifying Body

a. Have the financial resources to properly conduct the certification activities

b. Possess the knowledge and skill necessary to conduct the certification program.

6. Certification Program Operation

a. Have a mechanism to evaluate individual competence that is objective, fair, and based on the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to function in the specialty area

b. Provide the public, consumers, and sponsoring organizations with an opportunity for input into the policies and decisions of the certifying body

c. Have formal evaluation mechanisms that insure relevance of the knowledge, skills, and abilities used to define the specialty area

d. Assure that any examinations used are designed to test the body of knowledge relevant to the specialty area

e. Utilize appropriate measures to protect the security of all examinations

f. Utilize pass/fail levels that are generally accepted in the psychometric community as being fair and reasonable

g. Utilize evaluation mechanisms that attempt to establish both reliability and validity for each form of an examination.

7. Public Disclosure of Certification

a. Publish a document which clearly defines the certification responsibilities of the certifying body and outlines any other activities of the certifying body which are not related to certification

b. Make available general descriptions of the procedures used in test construction and validation, test administration, and reporting of text results

c. Publish a comprehensive summary or outline of the information, knowledge, or functions covered by any examination which may be required

d. Publish at least annually a summary of certification activities, including number of applicants, number certified and number recertified.

8. Responsibilities to Applicants

a. Shall not discriminate among applicants as to age, sex, race, religion, national origin, disability, or marital status

b. Provide all applicants with copies of formalized procedures for application for, and attainment of, certification

c. Have a formal policy for the periodic review of applications and testing procedures to insure that they are fair and equitable

d. Have competently proctored testing sites that are readily accessible at least once annually

e. Have prompt reporting of test results to applicants

f. Make available to applicants failing an examination information on general areas of deficiency

g. Maintain confidentiality of each applicant's examination results

h. Have a formal published policy on appeal procedures.

9. Responsibilities to the Public and Consumers

a. Strive to insure that any examination adequately measures the knowledge, skill, and abilities required for practice in the specialty area

b. Award certification only after the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the individual have been evaluated and determined to be acceptable

c. Maintain a publicly accessible roster of those persons certified by the certifying body

d. Have formal due process policies and procedures for discipline of certificants, including revocation of the certificate

e. Insure that any title or credential awarded by the credentialing body accurately reflects the specialty area.

10. Recertification

Have a process that has as its goal maintenance and enhancement of professional qualifications.

11. Titles

The use of any title granted by an accredited organization in recognition of meeting their continuing professional development or certification program is limited to those individuals who have met the requirements of the accredited program. The additional title of ICECA, International Cost Engineering Council Accredited, may be used in conjunction with the title or postnominals granted by the certifying association.

With respect to programs granting a the title of Certified Cost Engineer or any similar title including the word "engineer" or any variation thereof, it should be made clear that the title does not convey any legal right to practice engineering, which may be controlled by state, provincial, or national laws or regulations.

12. National Norms and Standards

Be in full compliance with all applicable national norms and standards adopted by the country from which the certification program is administered (eg, European Standard EN45013, British Standard 7513).

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