Individual Accreditation: A Review of
Programs from Around the World
Monica Johnston, University of California, San Francisco, and Jesse A. Canchola, Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Inc.
In March 2007, the ASA board approved the formation of the ad hoc Committee on Accreditation of Individual Statisticians to define the details
of an accreditation program, such as criteria for granting accreditation and the application process. This is one in a series of articles examining
an accreditation program.
T
he frequently asked questions and
their answers in the December 2007
Statistical Society
Amstat News article “Questions
About Accreditation Answered” are a good
SSC
1
RSS
2
SSAI
3
starting point for defining and describing
Number of Members 800 7,200 693
accreditation, but is it enough information to
enable us to make an informed decision
Years in Operation 4–5 15 11
about whether to “buy in” to individual
Accreditation Designations P.Stat CStat (Chartered A.Stat (Associate
accreditation? The article clarified there is no
(Professional Statistician) Statistician)
test and that we should expect a substantial
Statistician)
GradStat GStat (Graduate
annual fee to have a professional designation
AStat (Graduate Statistician)
after our academic credential. We wonder if
(Accredited Statistician)
there are other fees, such as Continuing
Statistician)
Education course fees to maintain our Percent of Members with 15% 25% 23%
accreditation or fees to renew our accredita-
Accreditation
tion. Other concerns arise regarding how
Model Contains Mentorship Yes Yes No
accreditation credentials will be given. What Component?
tangible benefits will accreditation provide in
Model Contains/Will Contain Yes Yes Yes
exchange for the fees we pay?
Searchable Professional Biographies? (in progress)
To make an informed decision about
individual accreditation, the Committee on
Accredited Members Receive Reduced No
4
Yes Yes
Conference Fees?
Individual Accreditation needs to take the
next step and provide a full overview of the
Model Has Been Formally Evaluated? No No No
accreditation program, detailing the paths
to accreditation, the individual benefits of
1. Statistical Society of Canada. Source: J. Chapman, Chair of SSC Accreditation Programming
accreditation, and the cost of becoming
2. Royal Statistical Society. Source: G. Goodall, Director of Education and Professional Affairs, Royal
accredited and maintaining accreditation.
Statistical Society
Currently, anyone can call himself/herself
3. Statistical Society of Australia Inc. Source: J. Henstridge, Chair of SSAI Accreditation Program,
a statistician. Nick Fisher from the Statistical
and N. Fisher, Valuemetrics Ltd.
Society of Australia Inc. (SSAI) warns about 4. As of press time
this elegantly in his article, “Figures Fool
When Fools Figure,” which was reprinted relating to the quality of work an employ- receive mentoring. Other programs pro-
in the March 2008 issue of Amstat News. If er or contractor can expect from a statis- vide reduced conference fees and pub-
individual accreditation is implemented, we tical professional. They also can include lishing of professional biographies. The
might expect accredited member statisticians tangible benefits for accredited individu- common challenge among professional
to have better professional opportunities. als. We contacted the Statistical Society societies has been achieving employer
Our professional position will presumably of Canada (SSC), the Royal Statistical recognition of the accreditation cre-
have better respect and value. Society (RSS), and SSAI to learn more dentials and increasing the proportion
Our professional association counterparts about their accreditation programs. of accredited members (see Table 1).
have taken the lead in developing accredita- The accreditation programs for these The impact of these challenges relates
tion programs, and we commend them for statistical societies provide similar tangible to the viability of accreditation pro-
such a substantial undertaking. Accreditation benefits for the individual member. Some grams, and, therefore, it can be ben-
processes contribute to strengthening the programs include a mentorship compo- eficial to examine them more closely
statistics profession by setting standards nent, where less experienced statisticians if the ASA plans to develop a program.
MAY 2008 AMSTAT NEWS 7
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