Program or process (voluntary) by which an organization (professional association, specialized institution, academic institution) confirms that a product, service, system, process, material (or a learner) conform to specific standards, as they were measured against a set of requirements (criteria or quality standards). The overal intent of certification is to inform the public that organizations or individuals (learners) who have achieved certification have demonstrated a particular degree of expertise in a particular field/area, thus offering some degree of public protection. As an outcome, it is possible to distinguish between those who have demonstrated compentency - according to specific standards - and those who have not. In the case of a learner the process is composed by a series of prescribed training and [Assessment |