June 2010

Credentialing Maintenance Program

Demystifying GBCI's Credentialing Maintenance Program

By Jessica Pascoe, USGBC CO Director of Education

Why CMP?

Since launching the LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) program in 2001, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has credentialed more than 140,000 individuals in 80 countries. Over the past 9 years, the LEED AP credential became a coveted mark of green building expertise among professionals representing a rapidly expanding number of industry sectors.   The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) was created in early 2008 to administer third party LEED accreditations and certifications (buildings are certified, people are accredited).  The creation of GBCI and the Credential Maintenance Program are required by ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024 Standards as part of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accreditation process for personnel certification agencies.   ANSI accreditation will ensure the ongoing credibility and programmatic excellence of the LEED Professional credential.  GBCI’s Credential Maintenance Program (CMP) is designed to keep LEED Professionals current with changes to green building technology and the LEED Rating Systems. By maintaining an understanding of the technology, LEED Professionals expand their knowledge and experience base and the program facilitates their continuing professional development.  Most LEED professionals pursued professional development before CMP, but now there is a way to categorize and track your personalized continuing education.

Enrollment Window

LEED APs without specialty are each provided with an enrollment window, a 2-year period between fall 2009 and fall 2011. Enrollment windows were distributed throughout fall 2009 in alphabetical order by surname.  If you do not know what your enrollment window is, you can log in to ‘My Credentials’ at www.gbci.org to view your individual enrollment window.  Please note that if you decide to opt-in to a specialty AFTER your enrollment window closes, you must retest and pass both the Green Associate exam and the specialty exam.  If you choose not to enroll, you can continue to use the LEED AP title (without a specialty designation) and logo. 

Opting In

To opt in, LEED professionals must go to www.gbci.org and under “professional development” select “credential maintenance”.   On right side of screen, select “enrollment”.  Determine whether you want to retest or opt-in and select the appropriate choice.  Select “My Credentials” under appropriate option and insert your GBCI user name and password-Select “Enroll through prescriptive credentialing maintenance” or “Apply for a credential exam”

If enrolling for prescriptive credential maintenance, select your specialty and hit “Submit”.  Complete the affirmation statement (i.e. agree to code of ethics), and you are officially enrolled!

Contacting GBCI

You must contact GBCI directly for assistance if you encounter any of the following problems:

• you have multiple GBCI accounts
• there is no record when you try to log in
• your specialty is not an available option
• there is no specialty option whatsoever

If you have difficulty contacting GBCI, please email Jessica@usgbccolorado.org and she can assist in putting you in touch with the appropriate contact at GBCI. 

Tracking your Continuing Education Hours

LEED Professionals must self-report their hours through “My Credentials” at www.gbci.org.  Several forms are available for tracking your hours through GBCI’s CMP Toolbox:  http://www.gbci.org/main-nav/professional-credentials/cmp/toolbox.aspx

Failure to Comply

Failure to fulfill and/or report the required CE hours for the CMP reporting period will result in expiration of the LEED Green Associate or the LEED AP with specialty credential which will in turn remove the individual from the LEED Professional Directory and will preclude any use of the credential’s title and logo. However, the LEED AP without specialty credential is held in perpetuity and does not have any credential maintenance requirements or fees.

Maintaining your credential

USGBC Colorado is an approved USGBC Education Provider.  The Chapter awarded nearly 2,000 CE hrs through Rocky Mountain Green 2010 and we are committed to offering comprehensive, affordable, and accessible continuing education to LEED Professionals.  For more information on upcoming LEED workshops, online webinars, and other educational events please visit:  www.usgbccolorado.org/cmpeducationalopportunities.html

Preparing for the Green Associate

Are you interested in becoming a LEED professional?  The Colorado Chapter created a study guide for LEED Green Associate/BD+C exam preparation.  After successfully piloting the Chapter’s first exam prep course at CU Boulder, we are now launching study groups and exam prep courses this summer.  Contact Jessica Pascoe for more information.  Please note that all USGBC Colorado education programs meet the education eligibility requirement for sitting for the LEED Green Associate exam.