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Accreditation is a process where an organization undergoes an assessment by a third-party agency to determine if they meet certain standards. The process involves a self-assessment, comparison to the agency’s criteria, and examination of all aspects of the organization’s operations. If approved, accreditation is issued, but if not, guidance is given on how to improve for future attempts.
Accreditation is a process in which a school, business or other organization participates in an assessment process conducted by a third-party accreditation agency, also known as an acquirer. The accreditation process varies by acquirer, but generally begins with the institution seeking accreditation completing a self-assessment process. Once the self-assessment process is completed, the institution sends a request to the acquirer, which then initiates its own assessment. Upon completion of the assessment, the applicant organization is informed whether it is approved for accreditation or needs to make changes to its operations.
Before beginning the accreditation process, an organization will normally receive the criteria from the accreditation agency and ask it to initiate an internal review. The organization will compare its current processes and policies to the acquirer’s standards. Some accreditation agencies assist applicants in this process by matching them with a volunteer from an organization that has already received accreditation. The volunteer can assist applicants with their internal review and provide insight into potential challenges an organization will have during the accreditation process.
Once a self-assessment has been completed and the organization believes it can meet the acquirer’s standards, it may be permitted to make a formal application for accreditation. This may include paying a fee and submitting a written request. The accreditation agency normally assigns a staff member to oversee the accreditation process. During accreditation, generally all aspects of an organization’s operations will be examined, including its management, facilities, and long-term and short-term results for the population it serves. The organization can also be compared to benchmarks set by other similar but accredited organizations.
At the end of the assessment by the accrediting agency, the applicant will be informed of its conclusions. If the organization meets the acquirer’s standards, accreditation will usually be issued at that time. If the organization still does not meet the criteria, the acquirer will provide guidance on what the organization needs to change or improve to qualify for accreditation. Some accreditation agencies may set a time frame during which the organization must address its deficiencies in order to be approved under its original application. If the organization remains ineligible for accreditation after this point, the application will be denied, and further attempts to obtain accreditation will have to be under a separate application, with the organization repeating the entire accreditation process.
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