Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/1135954
W EEKLY EDITION JUNE 26, 2019 PSAI Announces Updates to Its Certification Program for the Portable Sanitation Industry By Karleen Kos, PSAI Executive Director The results of the surveys were then analyzed by weighting individual items from highest to lowest and by knowledge domain. These results suggested that by far the most heavily weighted competency in terms of frequency and criticality is professional demeanor and conduct. Yet, because of its very nature, such competency is difficult to fully evaluate in an examination. D e c is i o n s ab ou t th e n e w pr o gr am fo r m at an d s t ru ct u r e . Through its work, the PSAI - CC concluded that, for credibility and relevance, any certification program designed for the portable sanitation industry needs to: 1. Meet the needs of the industry, including providing a means of credentialing people just enteri ng the field in alignment with the licensing requirements of the states 2. Reflect the outcome of the job analysis 3. Be administered in a manner that is consistent with best practices for accredited certification programs to the extent that is feasible for ou r industry After considerable discussion regarding the implications of the survey results, the PSAI - CC concluded that these survey results mean that a "one size fits all" credential is no longer feasible. The updated certification program needs to addres s professional demeanor in a manner that can be fairly evaluated both over time and at a distance. To that end: • The PSAI certification program itself will expand to offer credentials for both an apprentice level and a professional level worker. o An appren tice is someone who does not have 2000 hours of on the job experience and references as to their professional conduct o A professional has 2000 hours of on the job experience and references as to their professional conduct o Going forward, all credential hol ders will need 6 continuing education hours (CEHs) per three - year cycle • The exam will cover professionalism indirectly — meaning that items focused on other topic areas will be structured so that the answer choices reflect not just a "technically right" an swer but a "technically right and professionally astute" answer whenever possible. The data from the survey results show that when professional demeanor and conduct are removed from the exam, the scores should be weighted accordingly. P AGE 13 CONTINUED ON PAGE 1 4