Calibration Knowledge and Skills Proficiency -- The Same Thing ?

Conformity assessment standards such as ISO/IEC17025 and ISO9001 include a need for laboratory staff to be adequately trained and knowledgable about the measurements they are performing. In short, that they are competent. In the USA, Hewlett-Packard metrologist Chris Grachanen played a formative part in the establishment of a calibration knowledge assessment program. But there has been some criticism that the requirements for attaining the "certified calibration technician" qualification fail to include the ability to put theory into practice.

In response to the challenge, Chris wrote the following article and urges:

Don't Throw the Baby out with the Bath Water !

As chair of the American Society for Quality (ASQ) Measurement Quality Division (MQD) Certified Calibration Technician (CCT) program, I am often questioned as to the merits of a peer recognition program such as CCT which tests practitioners as to their understanding of an applicable body of knowledge (BOK) but not their hands-on skills proficiency. Some
folks in the measurement community are of the opinion that without testing a practitioner's skills proficiency, a stand-alone knowledge based examination program is of little or no value.

To these folks I say, "don't make the mistake of throwing out the baby with the bath water."

The CCT program was never intended to replace skill-based proficiency assessment but rather complement it. The CCT program may be viewed as one side of an oblique triangle with a base solidly anchored in education or training and its adjacent side comprised of skills-based proficiency testing. The sides of this triangle are interdependent, meaning that education and training without a focus on applicable subject matter (BOK) or demonstrating skills without sufficient comprehension does little towards preparing one for the challenges of our profession.

The CCT BOK, deemed appropriate for mid-level calibration practitioners (as compiled from the input of hundreds and hundreds of calibration practitioners), assesses their mastery of this knowledge. Education and training are the means by which mastery of this knowledge is gained, while skills proficiency assessment evaluates the ability to put this knowledge to work in a competent manner. I hope you can grasp where I am going with this triangle analogy -- the stronger the interconnection, the more competent the practitioner.

So why doesn't ASQ assess a candidate's skills? First, assessing skills is not part of ASQ's charter. This is similar to the posture of state agencies that administer bar exams to lawyers (these agencies do not assess a lawyer's courtroom skills). Secondly, to adequately administer a skills assessment program requires a substantial commitment of
resources (hardware, training, personnel, etc.). Given the breadth and scope of ASQ's certification programs (12 programs spanning disciplines from biomedical auditing to reliability engineering), the resources needed to administer skills assessment for these programs would be immense.

So how can calibration practitioner skills be assessed? Skills proficiency can be assessed and documented via apprenticeship or journeyman type programs (normally company or government agency sponsored exclusively for their constituents), on-site assessment
activities supporting laboratory accreditation (when skill assessment is requested by the assessor) and proficiency type tests (when designed and administered correctly). Each has its advantages and shortcomings and should be investigated for applicability to the situation.

The US metrology community needs the means by which it can assess the competence of mid-level calibration practitioners in terms of knowledge and skills in order to develop and focus education and training activities where they are most needed. The CCT program is complementary to skills proficiency assessment and should not be viewed as its
replacement. Neither should its successful completion (certification) be considered as an indication of skills proficiency. While the CCT program is not an all-inclusive qualification for
mid-level calibration practitioners, it is a strong indication that an individual has demonstrated comprehension of the knowledge deemed appropriate for that level.

• Contact the author:
• Amercian Society for Quality -- Measurement Quality Division