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| GeoCommunity Mailing List |
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| Subject: | Re: [gislist] GIS Certification? |
| Date: |
06/10/2004 09:40:01 PM |
| From: |
Jeff Harrison |
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First, this is an awesome discussion. Second, it's great to vent the
opinions. Finally, folks have figured out that to advance the "GIS"
market you need to provide vehicles of legitimacy and, as Brian says
below, a Certification only means as much as the industry will allow.
Large software vendors are always going to try and seek brand loyalty
through their professional certification programs. However, I think the
increasing number of organizations jumping into the technology
certification market is causing the market to reconsider what kind of
certification is most valuable. What I hope will happen is that
employers and IT professionals will begin to see vendor neutral
certification as the foundation of a more balanced program, which
focuses, at least initially, on the methodology and technology rather
than a specific brand or software. A benefit of such vendor-neutral
certifications for technology professional is that they teach the
technology foundations first and provide a broader knowledge base.
Now, onto the GISCI issue. There is one sure way to tell if a
Certification Program is vendor-neutral and that's to look at who
develops, approves and maintains the Certification. After reading the
posts on this list I looked at the "Certification Committee" for GISCI
and I only see one vendor.
Scott, I'd be curious to know what other software vendors participate in
the Certification Committee?
Regards,
Jeff Harrison
Brian Russo wrote on 6/10/2004, 6:15 PM:
> We really should be certifying software as well then..
>
>
> At Thu, Jun 10, 2004 at 02:30:06PM -0400, Miller, Harold wrote:
> > Like many things in life, we all have an opinion. Short of making
> one feel
> > good about their accomplishments, a Certification will only mean as
> much as
> > the industry will allow. I think legislating it for the sake of it
> has no
> > positive value. As a GIS Professional working in an Engineering
> firm, I see
> > the value of professional certification. Its borne out of
liability and
> > accountability. That is to say that if an engineer designs something
> that
> > fails and harm is caused, then as a certified professional, and the
> only one
> > who could authorize its design, liability for the failure has a
source.
> >
> > As a GIS professional for the better part of 20 years, I have
worked on
> > numerous projects, in numerous situations. Some have involved
> authorizing /
> > signing off on design aspects for GIS systems. Some have done better
> than
> > others, but I have never as a GIS professional been in a legal
> liability
> > situation similar to a doctor, lawyer, engineer or even licensed
> surveyor.
> > That is not to say that it can't happen or hasn't happened.
> >
> > I am supportive of a Certification process that has real purpose and
> > engenders real forwarding of the science or practice. But, as GIS as a
> > supporting discipline or business becomes a commodity, it becomes less
> > justifiable. GIS is more about intelligent data management in
> support of
> > other businesses and practices - i.e. Engineering, Environment, Land
> > Management, etc..
> >
> > There will always need to be a core of pure GIS specialists to
> continue to
> > move the science and related technology forward and maybe that is
> where a
> > certification discussion or option can be focused - Just my 2 cents
> (sorry
> > 2.7 Canadian)
> >
> > Harold
> >
> >
> > Harold S. Miller
> > Conestoga-Rovers & Associates
> > eSolutions Group
> > 228 Matheson Blvd. E.,
> > Mississauga, Ont., L4Z 1X1
> > Phone: (905) 712-0510
> > Fax: (905) 712-0515
> > Cell: (519) 835-7366
> > email to: hmiller@craworld.com
> > web: http://www.CRAworld.com
> >
> > It is the foolish hiring manager that relies on what is printed on
> the CV as
> > a basis to hire someone. The smart hiring manager will do a lot
of due
> > diligence, going well beyond the ad-hoc call to a "professional" or
> personal
> > reference. After all, who puts a person down as a reference that
> will not
> > say glowing positive things about the candidate in question ? We
need a
> > certification to "guarantee" someone has the experience they claim,
> come on,
> > that's a lazy way to make a decision about someone. And to boot,
> even if
> > everyone started requiring certifications, and everyone got them,
> what would
> > the real
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