What are the Issues?

Now it's time to respond to the issues posed at the beginning of this section.

What's in it for me? Why should I dedicate time, energy, and money to become certified?

Prior to CPT certification, anyone could claim that he or she was a training, performance consulting, human resource development, or performance improvement professional. There was no definition of what constituted the performance improvement profession. CPT certification brought definition to the profession and a means to measure accomplishment of Standards and ethics. It is based on the previous work of many practitioners and researchers who have defined and refined the elements that make up CPT competencies and standards. According to Judith Hale:

"Being certified demonstrates that you engage in a different level of conversation with clients prior to offering the solution. Being certified means you have proven you focus on results, consider the larger context including conflicting pressures, work as part of a team, follow a systematic process, and in the end add value. Your methods are not arbitrary; your aim is toward something that matters. Whether the bulk of your work is designing training, building job-aids, or redesigning work processes you begin with assessment and diagnosis integrated with evaluation." (Hale, 2003, p. 31)

Now, people who actually know how to and practice performance technology can identify their skills and accomplishinents and be recognized by clients as true professionals.

Why should performance improvement practitioners all follow the same set of structured standards? Many successful practitioners have their unique way of doing performance improvement. Following structured standards will stifle creativity.

The first four Standards are principles that guide every intervention as the PT practitioner focuses on results, systematically looks at performance improvement opportunities, adds value, and partners with others. The remaining six Standards guide the performance technologist in a systematic approach to improving performance. CPT Standards represent the concept of "ideal" and best practice. However, no situation is "ideal." In fact, in most situations, it would be inappropriate to use every item under each CPT Standard. Each unique situation requires decisions by the PT practitioner as to which items under each Standard are appropriate and needed.

Preparing the documentation that is required to qualify for the designation as a CPT is difficult and time consuming. Is it worth the effort?

It is quite a lot of work to prepare the CPT documentation for submission. However, because of the difficulty, the CPT credential has real meaning and significance. If obtaining the CPT were easy, it would not separate well-prepared and successful practitioners from those who merely claim to be performance improvement professionals. For CPTs to be respected, the certification process needs to be rigorous and be based on a proven record of accomplishment in the use of PT.