The Certified Performance Technologist

Abstract

SINCE ITS INCEPTION, I have been a strong supporter of the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) Certified Performance Technologist (CPT) program. I was a member of the original planning task force that designed and developed the certification. I also directed the work of a team of doctoral students from Indiana University that provided consultation and technical assistance by preparing background information and working papers for use by the CPT task force. As a researcher, I directed the doctoral research efforts of Mark J. Lauer as he carried out the first comprehensive effort to study the ISPI certification. His research culminated in his doctoral dissertation titled “Validating the ISPI Standards and Principles for the Certified Performance Technologist Credential” (Lauer, 2008). I am most pleased professionally that the CPT certification evolved into a proficiency-based credential that requires applicants to document how their actual work meets the CPT performance improvement standards. I also fully support the required commitment to a code of ethical practice. Given my affinity for the CPT program, I am most pleased that Charlotte Chase, CPT, PhD, the Interim Director of Certification, has put together this special issue of Performance Improvement (PI), which focuses on ISPI's CPT. Charlotte and a set of very capable authors share with us their experiences with and views of the CPT program. These articles are interesting and provide many insights into being a Certified Performance Technologist. I hope that these articles inspire you to become a CPT. In this issue of PI we continue with our second entry to what will be a regular column that features, on an issue-by-issue basis, a profile of a college- or university-based academic program that is involved in one or more aspects of workplace learning and performance improvement. Our goal is to present information about the significant contributions that academic institutions are making to the field of human performance technology (HPT). Two individuals co-edit these featured profiles: Sung “Pil” Kang, PhD, of the University of New Mexico, and Yeol Huh, PhD, of Indiana University. For our April profile, we feature Boise State University, located in Boise, Idaho. The faculty and staff of Boise State University's Department of Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning (OPWL) provide a comprehensive description of their university, its culture, and the developments that over time contributed to its OPWL programs. It is an interesting story, one that has had a significant impact on developments in the field of HPT. Over the years, I have had professional interactions with many of the Boise State faculty members, and they are a solid group of scholars and academics. In my judgment, they have put together an excellent academic program for those interested in developing their knowledge, skills, and research capabilities in the field of HPT. Also in this issue of PI, we have the fourth installment of a reprint of a chapter from Performance Improvement Pathfinders (Dean & Ripley, 1977). This continues our ongoing effort to ensure that our readers have an understanding of and appreciation for the foundational principles and practices that have evolved with time to define the field of HPT. The central theme of this entry is the importance of focusing on organizations and their systems in order to improve performance. The chapter I have chosen is written by Janice West and is titled “Geary Rummler, Ph.D.: Managing Performance in the White Spaces” (West, 1977). In my judgment Dr. Rummler, by combining his scholarship with his consulting practices, was instrumental in awakening the field of HPT to the importance of focusing on organizations and their structures. This is done by looking within and across organizational functions to understand performance issues and to study and understand what he famously deemed the white space.