Use of Credentials and Certificate Formulation

Once notified of the certificate award, credentials can be used as long as the certificate is valid. Organizations cannot use credentials issued by the Institute until they receive specific written notices that they have successfully fulfilled all certification requirements. Certificate recipients must comply with recertification requirements to continue using credentials.

All certificates issued by the Institute have the same appearance and content. The certificate includes:

1. The name and logo of the certificate recipient organization;
2. Certificate number and date, i.e., the day in the month after the Institute’s expert commission makes the final decision (e.g., organizations that complete their capacity and/or performance assessment in September-October-November will receive a certificate dated November 1st, xxxx);
3. Certificate expiration date;
4. Achieved rating stated in index form (for capacity assessment, an index from 1 to 4; for performance assessment, an index from 0.63 to 10);
5. Level of capacity or performance development achieved by the certificate recipient;
6. Signature of the Institute’s director and dry seal;
7. APPLY application number and certificate number issued by the Institute.

Waiver of Rights and Information Sharing

Organizations undergoing or having completed capacity and/or performance assessments may authorize the Institute and its employees to communicate essential information related to the application, certification, and assessment of certification subjects to donors, local, entity, and state authorities, other applicants and certificate recipients, Institute capacity and/or performance development programs, and others in the form of newsletters or otherwise, BUT ONLY if they receive written and signed permission to do so.

Assessment results are confidential and will not be disclosed to any third party unless the Institute receives an order to do so in the form of a court subpoena or order, or when the candidate or certified organization requests in writing that the assessment results be sent to a third party, specifying exactly which assessment results should be published, and pays any Institute costs for publishing the specified results.

Information related to disciplinary proceedings against the Institute may be published as stated in the Institute’s regulations and manuals.

Certification Activity Summary

The Institute will prepare and publish a summary of certification activities at least once a year. The published information will include the number of organizations that have completed capacity and performance assessments, achievement rates, and other aggregate certification data as needed. The annual summary will be publicly available.

Equal Opportunities

All assessments, certifications, and administrative practices and procedures will be conducted without discrimination based on age, race, gender, religion, lifestyle, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability.

Issuance of Institute Certificates

Only organizations that meet all eligibility and capacity and/or performance assessment requirements will receive a certificate from the Institute. The issued certificate is valid for 3 years, and recertification is conducted every 3 years.

Because the certificate of assessed capacities and performances expires at the end of 3 years, the organization will be notified in writing 3 months before the certificate’s expiration. If the certified organization does not respond to the warning within these 3 months and/or sends in writing that they do not want to continue certification, the certificate is terminated upon expiration. If the certified organization requests recertification, the recertification assessment of the organization’s capacities or performances is conducted upon written request by the certified organization.

Limitations

The Institute shares information about certification procedures and goals with third parties for the purpose of developing training for organizations planning to (re)conduct assessments of their capacities and performances.