What is involved in the typical accreditation process?

Accreditation is a process in which a school, business or other organization participates in a process of evaluation performed by a third -party accreditation agency, also known as a accreditor. The accreditation process varies according to the Accreditor, but usually begins with an institution that strives for accreditation that will complete the auto -evaluation process. As soon as the self -evaluation process is completed, the institution submitted an application to the Accreditor, which will then begin its own evaluation. Upon completion of the evaluation, the applicant's organization is informed whether it is approved for accreditation or whether it must make changes in its operations.

Before starting the accreditation process, the organization will usually be provided by the criteria of the accreditation agency and will be asked to start an internal review. The organization will compare its current processes and politicians with the standards of the accreditor. Some accreditation agencies offer assistance to applicants in this process would associate them with a volunteer from an organization that has already received accreditation. A volunteer can help applicants in their interThe review and provide an overview of the possible challenges that the organization will have during the accreditation process.

Upon completion of self -evaluation and organization, it believes that it can meet the standards of the Accreditor, it may be allowed to file a formal request for accreditation. This may include paying the fee and sending a written request. The accrediting agency usually assigns employees to supervise the accreditation process. During accreditation, any aspect of the operation of the organization, including its management, facilities and long -term and short -term results for the population they serve, will generally be examined. Organizations can also be compared to the standards set by reference standards similar to similar but accredited organizations.

At the end of the assessment of the accreditation agency, the applicant will be informed about his findings. If the organization meets the Accreditor Standards, accreditation will generally be issued at that time. If the organization so farIt does not meet the criteria, the Accreditor offers the direction of what the organization needs to change or improve to be eligible for accreditation. Some accreditation agencies may set a time frame during which the organization must deal with its shortcomings in order to be approved according to the original application. If the organization remains unfit for accreditation after this point, the application will be rejected and other attempts to achieve accreditation will have to be within a separate application, the organization repeating the entire accreditation process.