ANSI Accredits ICOR under ANSI Certificate Accreditation Program

NEW YORK, Aug. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), coordinator of the U.S. voluntary standardization system, is pleased to announce the accreditation of the International Consortium for Organizational Resilience (ICOR) under the ANSI Certificate Accreditation Program, also known as ANSI-CAP. ICOR is the first credentialing organization to achieve ANSI accreditation of its training programs for PS-Prep – a 9/11 Commission-recommended initiative to improve private sector preparedness for disasters and emergencies.

PS-Prep is a partnership between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the private sector that enables private entities to receive emergency preparedness certification. The ANSI accreditation has been awarded to four of ICOR's education programs supporting the PS-Prep program:

• Business Continuity Management System Auditor - BCM 5000
• Proprietary CAP Business Continuity Maturity Model Assessor - BCM 4050
• Proprietary CAP Crisis Communications Planner - CMC 2050
• Proprietary CAP Supply Chain Risk Associate - SCRM 2000

"ANSI commends ICOR for achieving accreditation under ANSI-CAP and demonstrating their commitment to the continual improvement of their certificate programs and improving the nation's security," said Lane Hallenbeck, ANSI vice president of accreditation services. "Accreditation by ANSI creates a valuable distinction for ICOR's credentialing programs. This value extends throughout the service network, from emergency preparedness professionals to the public served."

Launched in 2009, ANSI-CAP accredits organizations that issue education and training certificates to the U.S. workforce. The program is the first of its kind to offer a formal, third-party process for review and recognition of quality certificate programs. ANSI-CAP provides neutral, third-party attestation that a given certificate program meets ASTM E2659-09, Standard Practice for Certificate Programs, an American National Standard developed by ASTM International. ICOR joins ten other organizations that have received accreditation under ANSI-CAP. By demonstrating compliance to this standard, accredited certificate programs further the development of a well-educated and qualified workforce.

ANSI-CAP follows the accreditation process outlined in the international standard ISO/IEC 17011, General Requirements for Accreditation Bodies Accrediting Conformity Assessment Bodies. This process includes using specially trained assessors to review documents submitted by applicants against defined requirements, conduct on-site assessments, and make recommendations to the ANSI-CAP Accreditation Committee that is responsible for making the accreditation decisions.

Under an agreement with DHS, the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board offers independent ANAB accreditation to certification bodies that conform with ISO/IEC 17021, the international requirements for such bodies that provide audit and certification of management systems. Current information on ANAB's PS-Prep program, including the Accreditation Rule that specifies requirements, is available here.

Questions about ANSI-CAP can be directed to Turan Ayvaz, program manager, Certificate Accreditation Program ([email protected]; 202.331.3635).

About ANSI
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and the American quality of life by promoting, facilitating, and safeguarding the integrity of the voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system. Its membership is comprised of businesses, professional societies and trade associations, standards developers, government agencies, and consumer and labor organizations. The Institute represents the diverse interests of more than 125,000 companies and organizations and 3.5 million professionals worldwide.

The Institute is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and is a U.S. representative to the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).

SOURCE American National Standards Institute