Governance & Independence
An accreditor is only worth something if it cannot be bought, pressured or captured by the programs it reviews. This page sets out how ICPCAS is structured, who holds authority for what, and the safeguards that keep every decision independent.
An independent nonprofit, organized for public benefit
ICPCAS is organized as a nonprofit corporation operating for charitable and educational purposes under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. It has no owners, no shareholders and no members entitled to distributions. Any surplus is retained as reserves or reinvested in the mission.
The Commission is not a subsidiary, division or affiliate of any training provider, certifying body, professional association, employer or government agency. It does not deliver training, sell curriculum, certify individuals or endorse products. Its sole activities are developing standards, accrediting programs against them and informing the public.
Six structural protections
Independence is not a promise; it is a set of rules that bind the organization whoever is in charge. These six are written into the bylaws and can only be changed by a two-thirds vote with 30 days' public notice.
No constituency majority
Board seats are allocated by role. No single group (practitioners, educators, employers) may hold a majority, and two seats are reserved for public members.
Separation of powers
The Board sets standards and policy. The Accreditation Review Committee decides cases. The Appeals Panel hears appeals. No person may serve in more than one of these roles on the same matter.
Fees independent of outcome
Fees are published, fixed in advance and identical for every applicant in a tier. No fee is refunded, reduced or increased based on whether accreditation is granted.
Mandatory recusal
Anyone with a current or 36-month-prior tie to a program (employment, teaching, ownership, consulting, family) is recused from every stage of that program's review, in full.
Decisions on the record
Every decision is made on a written record, against published standards, with written findings the program receives in full. Nothing is decided by informal contact.
Public disclosure
Standards, policies, fees, decisions, Board minutes, financial statements and the annual conflict-of-interest summary are published on this site.
Separation from the programs we review
The most serious threat to any accreditor is a connection between the people who decide and the programs that are decided about. ICPCAS addresses this directly, with disclosure, recusal and a firewall between the Commission and the training sector.
The Commission does not own, operate, license content to, receive revenue from or share staff, premises or systems with any training or certification program. Commissioners, reviewers and staff may not accept gifts, honoraria, employment or consulting from an applicant or accredited program during their service and for one year afterward.
- Annual disclosure. Every Commissioner, committee member, reviewer and staff member files a written disclosure of financial interests, employment, board service and family relationships in the care sector.
- Matter-by-matter attestation. Before any review, each participant attests in writing that they have no conflict with the specific program, or recuses.
- Cooling-off period. No one may review a program they were affiliated with in the prior 36 months, or join a program they reviewed in the following 12 months.
- Enforcement. An undisclosed conflict is grounds for removal and for reopening any decision it touched.
From application to published decision
Governing documents
Everything that governs ICPCAS is published here. Documents marked "in preparation" are posted as they are adopted by the Board.
| Document | What it governs | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporation | Legal formation, nonprofit purpose, dissolution clause | Published |
| Bylaws | Board composition, seats, terms, officers, committees, voting thresholds, amendment process | Published |
| Conflict of Interest Policy | Disclosure, recusal, cooling-off periods, enforcement | Published |
| Accreditation Standards | The requirements programs are reviewed against, by division | Published |
| Policies & Procedures Manual | Eligibility, review process, substantive change, withdrawal, complaints, appeals, confidentiality | Published |
| Fee Schedule | Application, review and annual sustaining fees by program tier | Published |
| Board Minutes | Approved minutes of all regular meetings | Posted after each meeting |
| Annual Report & Financial Statements | Activities, accreditation actions, finances, conflict-of-interest summary, IRS Form 990 | First report after year one |
| Accreditation Actions Register | Every grant, continuation, condition, denial, withdrawal and appeal outcome | Updated as actions occur |
Who checks the checker
- Appeals. Any adverse decision may be appealed to a panel with no prior involvement, on the grounds of procedural error, misapplication of a standard, or decision unsupported by the record.
- Complaints. Anyone may file a complaint about an accredited program, a reviewer, a Commissioner or the Commission itself. Complaints are acknowledged within 10 business days and resolved under a published procedure.
- Independent audit. Finances are audited annually by an independent accounting firm; the audit is published with the annual report.
- External recognition. ICPCAS structures its standards and process to be eligible for recognition by independent recognition bodies for accreditors, and will publish the status of any such application.
- Standards review. Every standard is reopened for public comment at least every five years, and any time evidence or practice changes materially.
About governance and independence
Who owns ICPCAS?
No one. As a nonprofit corporation, ICPCAS has no owners or shareholders. It is governed by its Board of Commissioners under its bylaws and holds its assets for its charitable purpose. If it were ever dissolved, its remaining assets would go to another nonprofit with a compatible mission, as required by law.
Is ICPCAS connected to any training company?
ICPCAS is not owned by, controlled by or operated as part of any training or certification organization, and it does not deliver training or certify individuals. Where any founder, Commissioner or staff member has an interest in such an organization, that interest is disclosed on this page and in the annual report, that organization is ineligible for ICPCAS accreditation while the interest exists, and the person takes no part in any accreditation decision.
Can a program pay for a better outcome?
No. Fees are fixed, published and identical for every program in a tier, are paid before review begins and are not affected by the decision. Reviewers' honoraria do not vary with outcome. Gifts to Commissioners, reviewers or staff from applicants or accredited programs are prohibited.
What stops the Board from changing the rules to favor someone?
Bylaw amendments and standards changes require a two-thirds vote of the full Board, 30 days' public notice and, for standards, a public comment period. Public members must be present for the vote. Every change is published with the minutes recording who voted and how.
How are reviewers chosen and trained?
Reviewers are experienced practitioners, educators and evaluators who complete ICPCAS reviewer training, are screened for conflicts on every assignment and are evaluated by the programs they review and by the Accreditation Review Committee. Reviewer assignments avoid the reviewer's own region or market where feasible.
What happens if a Commissioner has a conflict?
They disclose it and are recused from the matter in full: they receive no documents, attend no deliberation and cast no vote. If a conflict is discovered after a decision, the Ethics & Conflicts Committee investigates, and the decision may be reopened and remade by an unconflicted body.
Does ICPCAS accept government or industry funding?
ICPCAS may accept grants and gifts that are unrestricted or restricted to purposes consistent with its mission, and discloses every grant and gift above a published threshold in its annual report. It does not accept funding from any applicant or accredited program beyond published fees, or any funding conditioned on an accreditation outcome.
Ask us anything about how the Commission is run
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