Institute for Credentialing Excellence

The Institute for Credentialing Excellence (I.C.E.) is one of the two main U.S. organizations that accredit personnel certifications or certificates.^{[4][5][nb 1]} In November 2009 the ICE formally changed its name from the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA).^[6]

Institute for Credentialing Excellence

Abbreviation	I.C.E.
Founded	1977; 48 years ago (1977)
Type	501(c)(3)[1]
Tax ID no.	52-1111515[1]
Legal status	Nonprofit organization
Focus	Accreditation
Location	Washington, D.C., U.S.
Coordinates	38.905937°N 77.045989°W / 38.905937; -77.045989
Executive Director	Denise Roosendaal[2]
Chair, Board of Directors	Sheri Sesay Tuffour [2]
Revenue	$3M[3] (2024)
Expenses	$3M[3] (2024)
Website	www.credentialingexcellence.org
Formerly called	National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA), National Commission for Health Certifying Agencies (NCHCA)

I.C.E. is an accredited standards developer by the American National Standards Institute.^[7]

History

In cooperation with the federal government, the National Commission for Health Certifying Agencies (NCHCA) was founded in 1977 in order to develop standards for voluntary certification programs.^[8] In 1989, the NCHCA was expanded to developing certifications for all professions, becoming the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), and forming the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA) as a membership association for credentialing bodies.^[8] In 2009, the Board moved to change to a new name and became the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE).^[8]

National Commission for Certifying Agencies

The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) is the accreditation body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence. The NCCA's Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs exceed the requirements set forth by the American Psychological Association and the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.^[9] In the state of California all organizations that wish to be recognized as counselor certifying organizations must be accredited by the NCCA.^[10]

Management structure

The Institute for Credentialing Excellence has no employees.^[3] Instead, it pays SmithBucklin Corporation, a for-profit corporation, to employ individuals who run the Institute for Credentialing Excellence.^[3][11] SmithBucklin Corporation received $1.5 million out of the $2.4 million of revenue received by the Institute for Credentialing Excellence in 2018.^[3]