Contributions to the Profession Points
Minimum Contributions to the Profession Requirement
The minimum qualification for initial certification is to accrue points in areas that not only benefit the applicant but also benefit the profession as a whole. There are seven major areas of involvement with points being awarded for a multitude of activities within them. Contribution points may fall into any of the categories or be distributed among all five.
It must be emphasized, however, that work-related publications and sales presentations are elements of work experience. Contributions are intended to recognize documents and activities that relay lessons learned and techniques developed at work beyond the client and employer. They should benefit the profession as a whole.
Rationale
The GIS Certification Program is an opportunity to define the profession of GIS. The program should not be used as a personal yardstick for career development. As such, it must be recognized that professional contributions in the form of conference planning, publications, committee/board participation, outreach, and other related efforts are fundamental to the health of any profession.
The ability to contribute can be limited by lack of administrative support and resources; however, the program and the GIS community must not lower expectations to the lowest common denominator. Instead, a case should be made for the value of participation. In this way, GIS staff members can use Certification to convince their management that participation contributes to the education and professional development of their staff.
Contribution Points Schedule
In general, it is expected that an active professional is capable of attaining a minimum of two Contributions points per year. Contributions are an element of both Certification and Certification Renewal and the point requirements have been de-emphasized for initial certification and increased for renewal candidates. This places greater pressure for contributions upon established professionals, and reduces the pressure on those who are newer to the profession.
The Contribution Point Schedule provided below is broken down into five categories:
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GIS Publications (writing or reviewing certain GIS related materials). Theses and dissertations are included in the Education section under coursework credit and no additional credit will be given.
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GIS Professional Association Involvement (being a member of an organization with a focus on GIS activities or education)
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GIS Conference Participation (organizing or presenting at a state, local, or national GIS conference)
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GIS Workshop Instruction (presenting a workshop at a state, local, or national event. Workshops that are presented on behalf of the applicant’s employer are not applicable)
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GIS Awards Received (awards for excellence in GIS proficiency that may be bestowed by a variety of sources)
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GIS Volunteer Efforts (Any form of uncompensated GIS-related work performed in agreement with a service-oriented organization)
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Other GIS Contributions (includes GIS Day type event organization or participation and various community contributions)
The contributions section will be filled out in a similar fashion as the previous two. Points should be included for each instance that the applicant has satisfied the listed contribution. Therefore, if the applicant has satisfied a contribution category more than once, the applicant may receive duplicate points. There is no limit to how many times a category may be used or how many points may be accrued in that category. Also, not all categories need to be filled. If the candidate for example, has not published a book, they should move onto the next category. The candidate will be responsible for completing the calculations and arriving at a total that meets the minimum amount. GISCI will also complete a separate tabulation to verify that the points and totals are correct and satisfactory.
View CON-1: The Contributions to the Profession Point Schedule
(in .pdf form)
Contribution Points Documentation
All Contribution Points of three or higher need to documented.
Contribution point claims of 2 points or less need no attached documentation. Although not mandatory, applicants are advised to submit proper documentation for all point claims. Undocumented claims will be scrutinized to a higher degree. GISCI will conduct accuracy checks on certain applications to determine if undocumented claims are factual. If a claim is found to be incorrect or misstated the application will be rejected and a processing fee will be charged to the applicant. |
Please keep in mind that the applicant is not entitled to document every single contribution point they earned during a 10 or 20-year career. Trying to provide documentation from a conference that occurred in the distant past is not necessary if the amount of contribution points earned since then puts the applicant above the minimum amount. The goal of this entire program is to surpass the minimum level of 150 points. Candidates cannot be considered “more certified” by supplying a point total that greatly exceeds the minimum. Also, point totals will not be released so the submission of extra points is not recommended. If a discrepancy or misrepresentation of points is uncovered, the applicant runs the risk of being rejected.
Try to include points where adequate documentation is readily available. Often the applicant may want to start with the most recent points earned and then work backwards until the point total is satisfied. It is the idea that the applicant may have recent materials on hand to document the claimed points.
Contribution Categories and Suggested Documentation
(in .pdf form)
How to Document Contribution Points
Locate the applicable contribution type on the Contribution Point Schedule and place the corresponding letter in the box and provide the necessary information. When all claims have been listed, sum all the Contribution Points earned for your Contribution Point Total. If an Activity has had a duration of more than one year (i.e. Association Membership/Board of Directors Term/etc.) place the adjusted point total counting each year in the Points box.
This total should then be added to the GIS Certification Institute Point Tabulation Sheet (TOT-1).
The example above indicates this applicant has had a paper included in a book of Proceedings. The applicant also has been a member of the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping for 4 years. Lastly, the applicant received a national award.
Documentation should immediately follow Insert VI – Contributions to the Profession Documentation and should be in the exact order as listed in the right column. One may mark the documentation required to support the Contribution points. Some of this documentation may be different to ascertain from a casual glance. The applicant is invited to circle, underline, or otherwise annotate any included item that may be difficult to read. If documentation does not exist, move onto the next item that does. No blank pages or special inserts need to be included for missing documentation.
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