leadership

40 peopletalk | Spring 2008 BY HEATHER CONN Am i d s t o n g o i n g m a r k e t pressure to keep human resources as current as possible, the October 2008 CHRP exams will likely contain new Required Professional Competencies (RPCs). So says Vic Catano, chair of the independent board of examiners of the Canadian Council of Human Resources Associations (CCHRA), which sets criteria for the CHRP accreditation. (Catano is professor and chair of the psychology department at Saint Mary's University in Halifax.) "Our intent is to keep the exams fresh and relevant to the HR profession and that means there will be ongoing reviews of the RPCs,? says Catano. Originally, 203 RPCs formed the basis for the National Knowledge Exam ? and the National Professional Practice Assessment, ? key elements of the CHRP accreditation

Keeping current:

Ongoing national review keeps

CHRP

leading-edge

A national designation: how and why?

Frustrating, arduous and long. That's how one initiator describes the process to create a national human resources designation and accreditation strategy in Canada. "Some of the meetings were extremely contentious,? recalls Barbara Bowes, former president of the Human Resources Management Association of Manitoba. "I really now understand what the provincial ministers went through with the Meech Lake [Accord].? The Canadian Council of Human Resources Associations (CCHRA) was founded in 1994 to serve as the governing organization for a national human resources practitioner accreditation, officially called CHRP. What factors weighed in on the "Go national? strategy? ? Barriers to mobility: Human Resources Development Canada wanted to remove inter-provincial and territorial barriers that slowed the movement of goods, professionals and trades; ? Economic structural changes: When the North American Free Trade Agreement came into effect in January 1994, corporations were centralizing and harmonizing their HR best practices and recruitment strategies; ? Legislative tools needed: Many provinces did not have legislation implemented by the board of examiners. The CCHRA's professional standards committee, comprised of leading academics in HR across Canada, selected these competencies after extensive research through focus groups. This included interviews and group meetings with top professionals in the field. Survey & focus groups review RPCs Since then, the CCHRA has reviewed and updated its Required Professional Competencies. The independent board of examiners asked each provincial human resources association to create at least one focus group to review different sections of the RPCs. At least two focus groups would review all of the existing RPCs and determine if these needed to be retained, deleted or modified. Over the past few years, a national survey asked more than 2,200 CHRPs across Canada to review the final set of 187 RPCs. This will go to the CCHRA board for approval and be used to develop future examinations. "To continue providing value at the corporate table, it's critical that the HR profession not just stay current, but rather, stay ahead of the game,? says Barbara Bowes, president of Bowes HR in Winnipeg and former president of the Human Resources Management Association of Manitoba. "This means being able to reach out and apply leadingedge human resources strategies to help move our companies forward. To do this, our profession must continually evaluate and update our RPCs and adjust our professional credentials to meet the new needs.? Today, the human resources profession has blossomed. The Ottawabased CCHRA represents more than 17,000 professionals with the CHRP designation and 33,000 professionals collectively. for the HR professional designation. At the same time, many provincial human resources organizations felt they had to combine resources and policies to obtain the legislative tools to regulate and discipline human resources professionals; ? Province-by-province inconsistencies: Designations within the HR field were so diverse at a provincial, territorial and regional level that colleagues across provincial borders could barely recognize each other's profession. "If the profession wanted to grow and develop, there had to be some common denominator,? says Vic Catano, chair of the independent board of examiners of the CCHRA. "[Later], when you said you are a CHRP, people would know what that stood for?; and ? Education levels: One of the most contentious issues was whether CHRP candidates should be required to obtain a university degree. Since early national CHRP test results showed that the most successful candidates have degrees, the degree requirement was formalized. It begins in 2011. ?Through national recertification processes, we can ensure that HR practitioners remain current in their chosen profession,? says CCHRA president Diane Wiesenthal, CHRP. "[Moreover] the HR profession gains credibility through a solid national designation strategy, one that will help elevate the profession in the eyes of the general public and business.?

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