The ISPQ Standard
The ISPQ Standard was developed by the Institute for Sustainable Power (ISP) under the leadership of Mark Fitzgerald. In July 2005, IREC became the North American Licensee for the ISPQ Standard. The Interstate Renewable Energy Council is managing all aspects of the ISPQ accreditation and certification designations and is responsible for the application, audit, award and maintenance of the award.
This International Standard specifies requirements for competency, quality systems, resources, and qualification of a curriculum against which trainers and training programs can be evaluated. Highlights of the requirements include:
- The program shall be designed to prepare individuals with knowledge and skills required for a professional trade with the curriculum content following an approved task analysis;
- Curriculum shall have sufficient prerequisites to ensure that graduates have a predictable level of expertise;
- Facilities shall be sufficient and safe for the training;
- The organization has appropriate financial resources and that administrative and management procedures and policies are in practice; and Written policies shall ensure the competence, impartiality, and integrity of the program;
- On-Line courses follow standards for sufficient interaction with instructor.
Through the application and auditing process, the ISPQ framework offers evaluation for achieving the following designations:
- Accreditation for Training Programs
- Accreditation for Continuing Education Providers
- Certification for Independent Master Trainers
- Certifications for Affiliated Master Trainers
- Certification for Affiliated Instructors
- Certification for Independent Instructors
