Why has IASSC elected to not have project experience a part of their Certification requirements?

IASSC™ has made multiple and sincere efforts to create a viable “application ability assessment”; or, what is commonly referred to in the industry as a “project requirement”. However, to date, it has been determined that there are no viable means of including this form of assessment in the IASSC Certification requirements.

The issues for project acceptability are: defining “minimum qualifying tools application,” minimum key metric improvement, minimum standards for improvement sustenance as well as a number of other metrics applicable to a Lean Six Sigma project. A method of validating compliance with each key metric could not be established. Therefore, as is foundational to Six Sigma, if the Measurement System cannot be established to an acceptable degree of accuracy and precision, then nothing of value can be said about the issue.

In addition to these concerns, there were the potential, and likely, proprietary nature of the information contained in the LSS projects and the sponsoring organization’s reluctance to allow such projects to be submitted in a format whereby their substance could be assessed. While acceptance of a Project Summary or a Project Affidavit (as is accepted by the American Society for Quality) were considered, it was concluded there is no viable means of assuring the validity of such a submittal therefore IASSC could make no definitive statement as to the candidate’s competency based on such a submittal.

With all these issues considered extensively and exhaustively it is IASSC’s official position that it is capable of commenting solely on one’s knowledge relative to the IASSC Bodies of Knowledge™ and not on an evaluation of their ability to apply such knowledge to a project. That will have to be assessed through other mechanisms. For detailed information on our position as it pertains to projects please see the IASSC Position.