Across the Industry

Revitalizing a 20-year-old Certification Program By Maximizing Limited Resources

Civil Engineering Certification (CEC) was developed in 2004 by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) as a separate 501(c)(6) organization to recognize civil engineers who have demonstrated advanced expertise in specialty areas of civil engineering. When I became the director in 2023, CEC had six certifications in place and another in development. Under the directive from the ASCE Board of Direction to enhance the value and visibility of existing credentials and build a scalable framework for future programs, I began working closely with the CEC Board — a dedicated group of nine volunteer leaders from across the profession — to guide and grow the program.

However, the steps to achieve that directive were a lot fuzzier. With limited staff and financial resources, revitalizing and expanding a 20-year-old certification program is no easy task. What do you do when you’re a freshly promoted director, new to the credentialing world and you’ve been tasked with what feels like an insurmountable challenge? I created efficiencies and excitement using available resources to the fullest.

Beginning With Strategy

In order to develop a strategy to support CEC’s growth, I began by leveraging my existing network – scouring LinkedIn contacts for those involved in credentialing and reaching out to them for advice and coaching and established informal mentoring relationships with credentialing experts I first connected with during vendor reference discussions - some of whom I continue to meet with regularly. 

I worked with my HR department to secure an organizational membership with the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (I.C.E.) giving my team access to valuable resources like the I.C.E. Member Community, publications, and regular free or low-cost webinars. We also found additional support through professional associations like ASAE which offer helpful resources like articles, webinars and discussion boards focused on credentialing topics.

Change is one thing, but well-informed strategic change requires work. As recommended by my network and I.C.E., my team began by conducting a benchmarking analysis against other credentialing organizations to help guide change or reinforce existing practices. We formalized the path to change in a strategic and business plan. Prioritizing needed improvements into key categories such as expansion, outreach, finances and operating efficiencies, made the changes more manageable and helped communicate the long-term vision to internal and external stakeholders. Boiling the plan down to actionable points was critical in garnering volunteer and board backing, especially where the change is incremental and the benefits may not all be immediate.

In order to support growth and expansion, we recognized the need to improve the foundation of the certification program including its policies, processes, and technology — leveraging existing systems and processes and using internal teams like IT, marketing, communications and web support helped drive change from the ground up and build internal buy-in among ASCE staff. Using internal resources may not always be the fastest method, but it ensures capitalizing on existing infrastructure before making external investments, and it builds internal momentum and pride of ownership in the program. This creates brand excitement and buzz as colleagues learn about the innovation going on within your program and communicate that to others.

After over a year of weekly meetings with IT, we moved to a streamlined online application and review system. Previously, the certification process relied on downloading documents and exchanging them manually between candidates and staff—resulting in inefficiencies and delays. By leveraging existing platforms, we transitioned to a fully online system where documents are accessed, uploaded, stored, and reviewed digitally, creating a scalable and efficient model that supports increased application volume, and vastly improves the experience for candidates and reviewers.

The CEC Board also recently reviewed its governance structure and operating guidelines. As a result, we are now making progress toward a streamlined structure and unified operating procedures across our certification programs. One example of this already implemented is our restructured monthly board meeting agenda, which now rotates through four deep-dive strategic topics to maximize time for discussion and decision-making (rather than trying to cover them all regularly). We also advised individual certification boards to shift to meetings every other month, freeing up staff and volunteer capacity to focus on high-priority activities like application recruitment and processing.

Launching a New Assessment Model

One major takeaway from our strategic planning and research – and solidified via our benchmarking process was the need for a change in our exam format. To support growth and efficiency without a loss of quality, CEC decided to move from oral, panel-based exams for its existing certifications, to a more scalable model of written exams for future certifications. Oral panel exams offer a valuable opportunity for in-depth evaluation of technical expertise and will continue to be a core component of six out of seven certification programs. However, because they require significant coordination among volunteers, applicants, and staff, we are proactively exploring ways to manage scheduling and resource demands as application volume increases.

After an extensive search for a consultant to support development of psychometrically sound exams, it became clear that my limited budget posed a significant challenge. Traditionally, organizations engage psychometricians to lead in-person item writing workshops, a process that is not only costly due to fees, but also requires travel and meeting expenses. Additionally, hosting exams through large-scale testing providers means high annual minimums to remain viable, a model that is unsustainable for CEC without sufficient testing volume. We ended up going with an online platform that provides psychometric support and leverages AI, which we’ve found to be a quick and affordable option. Our subject matter experts (SMEs) — who are incredibly generous with their time and knowledge — interact via the platform asynchronously to write, review and approve exam questions and with the support of a psychometrician and CEC staff, engage in other key exam development steps such as Job Task Analysis (JTA) surveys, exam blueprint development and standard setting. SMEs involved in the process shared positive feedback, noting that the platform, process, and support made exam development straightforward and accessible.  

While the shift to written exams demands significant upfront time and SME resources, it offers long-term benefits through reduced ongoing maintenance and limits the burden of regular oral panel exams on volunteer SMEs. With one written exam-based certification successfully launched in January, and two more in development, we've gained confidence using the platform and received positive feedback from SMEs. The lessons learned from the first exam — such as the importance of providing regular progress updates and deadline reminders to all SMEs — are helping us streamline and improve future exam launches.

Building Awareness and Leveraging Champions

When I stepped into the director role, a priority for me was building the brand recognition for CEC and its affiliation with ASCE, versus promoting individual certifications. To support this shift, we built awareness and identified value-propositions for certification from various perspectives — such as firm-owner, client, the public and individual engineers — all while communicating these to our members to gain support. A few initiatives included:

  • CEC Rebrand: The focus of our rebrand was a complete overhaul of all CEC webpages, development of a new logo and tagline (“Civil Engineering Certification – Better Engineering, Better Tomorrow”), promotional presentations, multi-size banners to build awareness at industry events, branded marketing materials like pens, coasters, tech-stickers, lip balm and luggage tags — all to enhance visibility and accessibility. One of the most impactful changes has been moving to a single LinkedIn page for all of CEC’s certification programs — serving as a central hub to build excitement and promote cross-audience engagement.
  • Partnerships: CEC recently established agreements with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure (PIANC), to highlight shared commitments to board-certified engineers leading worldwide infrastructure projects.
  • CEC Supporter Program: A corporate sponsorship initiative that recognizes organizations committed to advancing the civil engineering profession through board certification. With an annual contribution of $3,000, supporters help uphold the rigorous standards of certification while receiving year-round recognition across CEC platforms and events. This program generates additional revenue for CEC and offers organizations a cost-effective way to demonstrate their support for professional excellence.
  • Credentialing Advocates: Existing credential holders serve as powerful advocates. We’ve equipped them with the resources needed to endorse CEC, delivering a unified message through talking points and other promotional materials for them to share across LinkedIn. We’re also implementing digital badges launching by the end of this year.
  • Making the Most of Meetings: I embrace opportunities to promote CEC throughout ASCE and the industry by attending meetings with stakeholders and engineering firms and presenting at industry events. These are low-cost, high-impact ways to promote the value of certification — particularly with the rise of virtual opportunities. Make your excitement for your program contagious and spread the word!

CEC’s Path Forward

Looking ahead, CEC will make data-driven decisions about new certification proposals while identifying gaps and opportunities in credentialing. The changes we’ve made have transformed the program, and we now have the systems and tools in place for strategic, responsible growth while maintaining high credentialing standards.  A strong foundation is in place, but there's more work ahead. The volunteer leaders, SMEs and ASCE staff team’s tireless work have improved our program — I feel a sense of pride for what CEC has accomplished and what’s still to come.

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