February 18, 2006
The GIS
Certification Institute finished its pilot
program in the last weeks of 2003 and launched the official program in
January 2004. Two years later, more than 1,000 individuals have
completed the certification process, which requires no testing, but
rather documenting a portfolio of academic study (EDU), professional
experience (EXP), and contribution to the profession (CON). They are
recognized as Certified GIS Professionals and hold the designation,
"GISP."
To get a sense of what's happened during that period and what lies
ahead, we put some questions to GISCI Executive Director Scott Grams;
Chair of the GISCI Board of Directors Lynda Wayne, GISP, of GeoMaxim;
and GISCI Board Member Bill Huxhold, GISP, a professor in the
Department of Urban Planning at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Directions Magazine (DM): What is the relationship between
curriculum efforts at the university level and GISCI efforts regarding
educational achievement?
Scott Grams (SG): The University Consortium for Geographic
Information Science (UCGIS) Body
of Knowledge will provide the basis for future curriculum
development. This document will build cohesion among GIS degree
programs. This document has been under development for the past half
decade and is nearing completion. The Educational Achievement section
of the GISCI program stems from the tenets of the UCGIS Body of
Knowledge. GISCI is not the appropriate organization to accredit
university programs. There are far more suitable organizations, with
academic members and missions to weigh the merits of degree and
certificate programs.
DM: How many attendees to the URISA conference regularly request to
receive credits for attendance?
SG: This is difficult to determine. URISA hands out certificates
of
conference attendance. I would estimate that over 70% maintain these
certificates for initial or recertification requirements. [At this
time, during the "Transition Period," GISP educational achievement
points via conference attendance do not require such
formal
documentation. That will change beginning in 2008.]
DM: Will you adjust any of the guidelines now that you have had a
few
years to review the results? Which guideline(s) if any have
caused the greatest feedback, positive or negative?
SG: There have not been any glaring problems with the current
program.
The GISCI Oversight Committee has been broken down into four
subcommittees that concentrate on the EDU, EXP, CON, and
Recertification portions of the program. Some additional contributions
categories may be added in 2006.
Volunteerism is one of the encouraging growth sectors in GIS, with
GISCorps leading the way. The
Contributions to the Profession
Subcommittee of the Oversight Committee is examining the creation of a
separate category to better recognize these achievements.
The Educational Achievement subcommittee is looking at if a percentage
of "soft skill" credit can be used for GISCI recertification. Courses
on project management, leadership, public speaking, managing employees,
etc. may receive a small percentage of credit to help recognize GIS
managers and coordinators who now do a significant portion of people
management in their GIS jobs.
DM: GISCI wanted to include more geospatially related
organizations
as member
organizations. The Urban and Regional Information Systems
Association (URISA), the National States Geographic Information Council
(NSGIC), the Association of American Geographers (AAG) and UCGIS are
currently listed as member organizations. What have these players
brought to the table? What other organizations are being pursued or are
interested?
SG: With the addition of UCGIS, the GISCI Board voted to make
the Board
of Directors completely egalitarian. Each Member Organization now
appoints an equal number of representatives to the Board (two). The
community of geospatial organizations is growing more collaborative.
There may not be a return to the age of GIS/LIS [a GIS/LIS conference
hosted by several professional organizations, which shut down in the
1990s] but groups are rediscovering the value of working together. If
an association is being run correctly, its staff will be a little
overstretched. It's the nature of the association business. These four
organizations working together on GISCI have reduced the burden on that
staff. GISCI can move forward strategically without spending all of its
time processing paperwork.
Multilateralism is the defining characteristic of GISCI. Although
URISA formed GISCI, certification belongs to the broader geospatial
community. GISCI knew it would be limited in scope if it only went
after state and local government GIS professionals. The Committee was
made up of a variety of GIS practitioners from a variety of sectors and
to maintain this balance, GISCI needed to operate in a similar fashion.
All four organizations bring a unique perspective to the Board. UCGIS
is already making an impact with its ethics and Body of Knowledge
contributions. AAG will feature a number of panels at its Annual
Conference this year to discuss certification and ethics. NSGIC has
been a strong supporter of the Institute and is well-equipped to report
on the progress of GIS certification at the state level. URISA has the
historical perspective of starting the effort. URISA deserves a lot of
credit for following through on its initial promise to turn
certification over to the geospatial community. That took courage and
strong belief that what they started could survive on its own.
Currently, GISCI does not have an outstanding invitation for another
Member Organization to join. The Board of Directors votes when an
organization appears to be ready to lend its support to GISCI. However,
the coverage of the geospatial community is far from complete.
Eventually, all organizations with a focus in GIS and geospatial
technology should have a place at the certification table.
Bill Huxhold (BH): I personally hope that GITA and other
geospatial
oriented professional organizations will join our Board in the near
term. The more GIS experts we have involved in the program, the more
meaningful it will be for the geospatial community in general.
Lynda Wayne: My support for GISCI lies in its ability, as a
federation
of GIS professional organizations, to build and promote GIS as a
profession.
Certification was a necessary first step. We are now pursuing
professional development programs to address ethics, mentoring of young
professionals, and various communication forums. It is through these
and future efforts that I see GISCI making the greatest contributions
to the profession of GIS.
DM: Since UCGIS supports the program, might the GISP be restructured
at
some point to be a certification available at college graduation?
SG: Currently, applicants must have at least 48 months of
professional
experience in order to apply. This precludes most graduates from
earning the credential right out of school. If an applicant graduates
from a degree program with a heavy emphasis on GIS they will be in good
shape after they have earned their four years of experience and have
made modest contributions to the field. Remember, not all applicants
must have a degree in GIS or a related field. Course points can
supplement a degree in any field as long as those course points are
related to GIS.
DM: Two states (North
Carolina and Oregon)
have endorsed GISP
certification. Do any yet require it for certain positions? Are more
states looking to endorse it?
SG: The North Carolina and Oregon endorsements were unsolicited
but not
surprising. There are a number of states that have seen tremendous
value in the program. Florida, California, Colorado, Michigan, Ohio,
Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, etc. all have gravitated toward
the credential. North Carolina and Oregon have progressive geographic
information councils who wanted to back their GIS professionals by
removing any doubt or obstacles those professionals had regarding the
GISP. NSGIC is an excellent organization that will keep GISCI informed
if any further geographic information councils want to purse an
endorsement.
DM: Have you tracked the number of employees requesting or
advertising
specifically for individuals with a GISP?
SG: This is difficult to track. We see cases on an anecdotal
level but
lack hard data.
DM: Has the Code of Ethics been an issue for individuals who have
met
the credentials? GISPs are required to sign. Have any refused?
Have any consequences been determined for those who break the Code of
Ethics?
SG: Currently, the GISCI Ethics Committee is finalizing a
supplemental
document to the Code of Ethics called the Rules of Conduct. This
document takes a stronger stance on what type of behavior is expected
of GISPs. This document will provide a more rigid structure for ethics
violators. The two Codes are important because they add teeth and
credibility to the GISCI program. Certified GIS professionals must put
their credential at stake with each professional exchange. One agrees
to abide by the Codes of Ethics and Rules of Conduct or the result may
be the loss of his/her credential. A non-certified professional does
not have this additional consideration. Unethical behavior in some
instances may only result in a lack of respect or credibility for
non-GISPs. For a GISP, unethical behavior could result in the loss of
the tangible GISP credential. GISPs aspire to perform ethically and
agree to face the consequences for dubious and inconsiderate actions.
DM: The number of GISPs now tops 1,000. Has the pace of applications
slowed since the initial roll out?
SG: No. In fact, GISCI budgets for more and more applications
each
year. Obviously, the first few months of 2004 saw the biggest blips but
we have not experienced a dry spell. GISCI is confident that
professionals will continue to see the value in this alternative
approach to professional certification.
DM: Has GISCI
found a role in the Department of Labor's work to grow a
next generation of geospatial professionals?
SG: GISCI has spoken with the Department of Labor (DOL) about
how the
two programs relate. GISCI receives numerous calls and emails about how
to get started in GIS. We inform them that we offer a "certification"
program and not a "certificate" program. A certificate program involves
taking courses as part of a curriculum. A certification program is a
professional recognition program for established professionals in the
field.
Given the 48 month experience requirement, the two programs link
together well. A professional new to the field is educated through the
DOL's program
while being paid. After that, if a professional has
worked long enough, completed the education, made modest contributions
to the field, and met the requirements of the GISCI program, they can
receive the GISP. The DOL's program comes before ours and both give
aspiring professionals guidance.
DM: Two years after rollout, what are GISCI's biggest
challenges?
SG: The biggest challenge continues to be educating
professionals about
the program. If I had a dime for every person who has told me "it is
sitting on my desk," I would retire in Tahiti. Most people are
overwhelmed by the size and depth of the application. Also, applicants
who did not retain necessary documentation get discouraged. It is
GISCI's job to explain the process clearly, so those considering
applying avoid hesitation.
Second, recertification once seemed like it was 100 years into an
uncertain future. Now, it is right around the corner [in 2008]. The
Oversight and Outreach Committees have a lot of work to make sure
applicants are aware of the recertification requirements.
Recertification is not something an applicant can wait until the last
minute to accomplish. Points should be earned incrementally and mirror
the initial application. Recertification, like initial certification,
rewards active professionals.
Third, we must find additional Member Organizations. Not all
organizations are ready to commit to GISCI. It is the challenge of the
present Board to enhance itself with members from associations and
organizations ready to accept the responsibility of promoting
professional certification. Some organizations prefer to remain
impartial observers to the effort. GISCI is an active organization. The
Board and Committees meet tirelessly. Any Board member can attest that
this is not something to be undertaken in an organization's spare time.
The groups who remain hesitant about promoting certification to their
membership because they think GISCI will fall on its face, may soon
find themselves staring at the back of GISCI as the issue passes them
by.
Fourth, we need to highlight how certification is being valued within
the professional community. Value means different things to different
people. Some look for a financial incentive. Others see the benefits of
the credential more intrinsically. GISCI now features testimonials on
the website where GISPs can explain what the credential means to them.
GISCI needs to listen to its GISPs. The benefit of any credential is
what it represents and not the letters themselves. Highlighting the
achievements of GISPs is the best way to promote the Institute.
BH: As far as GISCI's next biggest challenges, I am sure that
the
development of a recertification program would be high on my list. We
have only three more years to finalize that.
DM: What do you see as your next actions to promote certification?
SG: GISCI needs to increase its presence in the geospatial
community. We
now have a network of over 1,000 GISPs who can accurately detail the
application process. GISCI needs to rely more heavily on these stewards
of the program to educate the "tire kickers." GIS Professionals are
part of a community unlike anything else. The primary reason GIS
professionals pursue certification is because of their colleagues. Some
organizations even send in a pack of six or eight applications after
spending an afternoon helping each other fill them out. GISCI can have
the best marketing plan in the world, but it is no match for one GIS
professional talking to another in the corridors of a conference or
break room on the job.
Over 1,000 GISPs later and I feel we are just getting started.
BH: I feel that we need to continue to open up opportunities
for it to
promote itself. Take, for example, the outreach committee we have
of current GISPs. They are an active, energetic group that is doing a
great job letting people know the value they have realized in being a
GIS professional. They are self-motivated - GISCI only provided the
opportunity. Also, as more organizations become board members, their
members will become more exposed to the value of being a GISP.
And, finally, we need to let the youth of this nation know how valuable
the GIS career is to us, and help them understand what it takes to
become a valued, ethical GIS professional, so that they can be more
knowledgeable in making career choices.
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Your Comments Post a comment All comments provided in this section are those of the individual who has created the post. These are not the opinions of Directions Media, its editors, staff or owners unless otherwise noted. Directions Media retains the right to edit or delete any comments posted herein.
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| I am a GIS analyst. I have my training in LAND SURVEYING, REMOTE SENSING,GIS and CARTOGRAPHY. Please may I know how I can be certified or perticipate in the certification process. I am writing from Nigeria. Peter Ogolo |
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| Here is where to start looking for information: http://www.gisci.org/ or you could click on the nsgic hyperlink within the document. |
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