Blanket Accreditation - What is it?
Blanket accreditation refers to the process of granting accreditation to a broad category or group of courses, CPD Activities,
or training programs rather than evaluating each one individually. This type of CPD accreditation is often applied to an entire training provider
and their courses or courses that meets a specific standard or set of criteria.
For example:
- A training company may receive blanket accreditation for all of its courses, rather than having each course or training materials
individually assessed.
This method is typically more efficient than individually reviewing each program, especially when the courses or training
company involved share similar characteristics and adhere to common standards. However, it may be less tailored and precise than more specific,
individual accreditations.
While blanket accreditation can be efficient, there are several potential drawbacks:
- Lack of Specificity: Blanket accreditation doesn't account for variations in quality or standards between
individual courses or training providers. Some may be outstanding, while others might fall short, but they all receive the same accreditation.
- Complacency and Reduced Accountability: When a broad group of courses is accredited without rigorous ongoing evaluation,
there may be less motivation for training companies to maintain or improve their quality. The absence of continuous scrutiny could lead to
complacency.
- Overlooking Unique Needs: Different courses or training providers may have unique needs or challenges that a blanket
accreditation doesn't address. This means specific problems may go unnoticed, and opportunities for improvement might be missed.
- Dilution of Standards: If a blanket accreditation is applied too broadly, it can lower the perceived value of the accreditation.
It may become more about meeting basic standards rather than excelling in specific areas, leading to a weakening of the accreditation's prestige.
- Inconsistent Application: In some cases, blanket accreditation might be applied to courses that don’t meet the standards in a
meaningful way, simply because they are grouped into the same category. This could create an inconsistent or diluted experience for CPD consumers,
businesses, or other stakeholders within CPD.
- Barriers to Innovation: With blanket accreditation, training providers may focus more on maintaining the minimum standards
required to retain accreditation, potentially stifling innovation and growth. There's less incentive to push boundaries or experiment with new
approaches.
While blanket accreditation can save time and resources, it risks overlooking important differences between accredited courses,
potentially lowering overall quality and making it harder to ensure ongoing improvement and innovation.
Lastly, if blanket accreditation is adopted by CPD Accreditation Organisations, it may be a sign that the organisation does not
have the capacity or staff levels to carry out an individual assessment for each and every CPD Course and CPD activity submitted to them for accreditation
and may be a demonstration of low-quality accreditation. Always ask your CPD Accreditation Organisation if they review every CPD Course and CPD Activity
presented to them, to ensure that a consistent accreditation process is being followed.
