By Bob Rude, PE, CVS-Life – Chairman, SAVE International Certification Board
This month’s certification message is to let you know the transition deadline for changing from the old Module I and II workshops to the new Value Methodology Fundamentals 1 and 2 courses has been extended to December 31, 2017. This decision was made by the SAVE International Certification Board because of unforeseen logistical hurdles that were encountered after the 2017 Value Summit in August.
Below is a detailed summary of the changes and schedule milestones for implementation of the new certification program. Please read the SAVE Certification Program Transition Summary for more information. This summary is also posted on the SAVE website.
More specific details regarding upcoming changes to the SAVE certification program will continue to be disseminated to SAVE members, certificants and instructors in the coming weeks. We appreciate your patience!
Please contact the SAVE certification administration office at certification@value-eng.org if you have any questions.
SAVE International® Certification Program Transition Summary
The following is a summary of the certification program changes for SAVE International® (SAVE). This information was presented in detail at the 2017 Value Summit in Philadelphia in August 2017. The new Certification Program is a competency-based program. The focus of the program revolves around the competency of the individual. Teaching and testing materials are all competency based. Continuing education is now required and this too is competency based.
Core Competencies
When the program began, nine core competencies were identified. The nine core competencies represent the minimal competence that a new Certified Value Specialist® (CVS®) must possess when the candidate receives their initial CVS certification. A new CVS is considered competent to lead a value study. A new Value Methodology Associate (VMA) is expected to possess an entry-level understanding of Core Competencies 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7, and be proficient to participate as a value team member in a value study. The nine Core Competencies are:
- Value Methodology
- Transform Information
- Team Facilitation
- Function Analysis
- Cost Analysis
- Pre-Workshop Stage
- Workshop Stage (Six-Phase VM Job Plan)
- Post-Workshop Stage
- Value Program
Within the Core Competencies are 26 Learning Objectives that detail the knowledge and skills expected of the new VMA and CVS candidates. (For more detail, please see the Core Competency Education Objectives and Testing Parameters for VMA and CVS.)
These Learning Objectives are applicable to the application of the Value Methodology for Projects, Processes and Products. These Learning Objectives are detailed in the Core Competency Education Objectives and Testing Parameters for VMA and CVS.
New VMF 1 and VMF 2 Learning Courses
Two new learning courses must be taken by candidates as a requirement to sit for the certification exams. These courses are Value Methodology Fundamentals 1 (VMF 1) and Value Methodology Fundamentals 2 (VMF 2).
VMF 1 is a 32-hour course that teaches the basics of the Value Methodology. After taking this course, candidates may sit for the VMA exam.
VMF 2 is a 32-hour advanced course for candidates wishing to progress to the CVS exam. Here, students will be exposed to expanded value topics and greater in-depth instruction in function analysis, facilitation, pre-workshop preparation and post-workshop activities. CVS exam applicants will be required to include their course certificate for the VMF 2 within their application package.
Instructor Options
Instructors’ Education and Licensing
To obtain a license to teach the VMF 1 or VMF 2, one must be a CVS in good standing with SAVE or a SAVE Affiliate organization. Good standing is defined as having a current CVS certification with all fees paid.
Individuals wishing to teach VMF 1 or VMF 2 will need to take the 4-hour Instructor Preparation Course, after which they may purchase a two-year license from SAVE for each course. A two-year license is $300 USD for each course.
Course materials and brief lesson plans will be given to each instructor for each course purchased. After two years, the current license expires and may be renewed with a $300 USD payment for each course. At renewal, updated teaching materials will be provided.
The 4-hour Instructor Preparation Course will be available on the SAVE e-learning portal.
Multiple instructors are not permitted to teach the VMF 1 or VMF 2 from a single license. A course license applies to a single individual. A company must purchase a separate license for each course each individual staff member will teach. A course license may not be transferred to another individual.
Instructors’ Teaching Implementation Schedule
The last Module I and II workshops will take place on or before December 31, 2017.
Beginning in August 2017, instructors are required to take a one-time Instructor Preparation Course to purchase either of the new courses. If the instructor has taken the new VMF 1 and VMF 2 as a student, this course is not required.
Instructors are required to start teaching the new VMF 1 and VMF 2 courses beginning January 1, 2018. The schedule below shows these milestone dates:
Candidate Options
Certification candidates have several options available to them as they move forward in the certification process.
VMA Candidates
- Students taking the old Module I workshop through December 31, 2017 will take the old VMA exam.
- Students taking the new VMF 1 course will take the new VMA exam beginning January 1, 2018.
CVS Candidates
- CVS applications received after November 30, 2017 must follow the new application requirements, which will be available within the revised Certification Manual coming in January 2018.
- CVS candidates who have approved applications by November 30, 2017 may elect to take the old CVS exam or wait and take the new CVS exam. If they elect to take the new exam, they will be required to take the online Refresher Course before sitting for the new exam.
- CVS candidates whose applications are approved in December 2017 will take the new CVS exam. They will also be required to take the online Refresher Course before siting for the new exam.
- CVS candidates whose applications are approved after December 31, 2017 must take the new VMF 1 and VMF 2 courses. They will take the new CVS exam.
- The new CVS exam is planned to be available by January 1, 2018.
The schedule below shows these milestone dates:
Certification Maintenance
About PDUs
SAVE is transitioning away from the use of certification points (CPs) in its new certification maintenance program. Instead, professional development will be reflected in continuing education and SAVE membership and service. Professional development units (PDUs) will measure this.
During a two-year PDU accrual interval,
- a minimum of 70% of total PDUs may be claimed for continuing education, and
- a maximum of 30% of total PDUs may be claimed for SAVE membership and service.
Qualifying Continuing Education PDUs
Continuing education PDUs are measured in professional development hours (PDHs). One PDU represents one hour in a class, course or conference session and is equivalent to one PDU. The following qualify for PDUs:
- Value Summit participation (2017 or later), including
- attending pre-conference classes,
- attending conference sessions,
- acting as a moderator or instructor, and
- attendance at a Value Summit.
- E-Learning Courses via the SAVE website
- SAVE Chapter Meeting presentations and other technical courses that directly meet specific learning objectives within the Core Competencies.
Continuing Education PDU Requirements and Limitations
- A minimum of 1 PDU is required in Core Competency #3 – Team Facilitation
- A minimum of 1 PDU is required in Core Competency #4 – Function Analysis
- A maximum of 10 PDUs may be claimed within any one of the nine Core Competencies
- A maximum of 2 PDUs may be claimed for technical courses that relate to any of the Core Competencies, but do not directly meet the learning objectives within a given Core Competency
Qualifying SAVE Membership and Service PDUs
SAVE Membership and Service PDUs are measured based on the benefit contributed to SAVE’s support of the value profession, allocated as follows:
- Service as a SAVE Board of Directors member
- Service as a SAVE Certification Board member, SAVE Chapter President or Miles Value Foundation Board member
- Service on a committee within the SAVE Board of Directors or SAVE Certification Board
- Membership in SAVE International or other recognized value society
Maintenance Program Overview
All persons holding either a VMA or CVS certification will begin paying annual maintenance fees and accruing the required number of PDUs for their level of certification.
The certification maintenance program starts September 1, 2017.
The first certification maintenance period will be for one year.
The month in which one’s VMA or CVS certification was originally issued is now called one’s anniversary month. This means that all VMA’s and CVS’s will start their respective maintenance cycles within the next 12 months.
First Maintenance Period: One Year
Beginning with one’s anniversary month, the VMA or CVS will receive an invoice from SAVE for one year of fees. At this time, the VMA or CVS will pay the fee and now has 12 months to accrue required PDUs.
- For the first year, VMA’s are required to take one e-learning course posted on the SAVE website.
- For the first year, CVS’s are required to accrue 20 PDUs.
Note: To aid VMA’s and CVS’s in transitioning to the new certification maintenance program, the PDU accrual interval for the first one-year maintenance period will actually be two years – retroactive to one year prior to one’s anniversary month.
Second Maintenance Period and Thereafter: Two Years
At the end of the first maintenance period (one year), the VMA or CVS will receive an invoice for two years of maintenance fees from SAVE, together with an affidavit form to attest that he or she has completed the required PDUs during the previous maintenance period. The VMA or CVS will complete the affidavit and submit it together with the required maintenance fees.
Proration of Fees
For those who have previously paid fees for the old four-year certification cycle, their fees will be prorated to the new renewal cycle. For example, if a VMA or CVS was certified or recertified in January 2016, their first anniversary under the new program would be January 2018. At that time, they would still have two years’ worth of previously paid fees that would apply to the new maintenance period.
Two-Year Renewal Cycle and PDU Accrual Interval
The two-year maintenance period and PDU accrual interval will repeat and continue for all VMA’s and CVS’s for as long as they are good standing with SAVE or one’s Affiliate organization is maintained.
- Within each two-year maintenance period, VMA’s are required to take two e-learning courses posted on the SAVE website.
- Within each two-year maintenance period, CVS’s are required to accrue 40 PDUs.
The schedule below shows these milestone dates:
PDU Accrual Documentation
It is imperative that VMA’s and CVS’s keep documentation of all accrued PDUs (e.g., course content summaries and certificates, letters validating SAVE service, etc.) that meet the requirements of the forthcoming Certification Manual revision, as SAVE will conduct random audits requiring submittal of the documentation along with the affidavit and fees.
Certification Maintenance Example
The following is an example for how the certification maintenance program works for someone with an anniversary month of March:
- In March 2018, the holder of a VMA or CVS will receive his or her first invoice from the SAVE business office for one year of maintenance fees. At that time, the certification holder’s first PDU accrual interval (one year) begins.
- At the end of the first maintenance period, in March 2019, the VMA or CVS will receive an invoice for the next two-year maintenance period and an affidavit form from the SAVE business office. With the retroactive anniversary accrual, the certification holder can claim PDUs accrued from March 2017 to February 2019. The VMA or CVS will send payment to SAVE along with their completed affidavit to attest that he or she has completed the required PDUs.
- The VMA or CVS would now have two years, from March 2019 to February 2021, to accrue required PDUs.
Important Note Regarding Certification Program Documentation
The forthcoming SAVE Certification Manual revision and its future revisions may update the information contained in this document and shall be the authoritative document over all matters concerning SAVE Certification, superseding this and any other previous documentation.
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