In November 2019, the EIANZ SIA Working Group held a workshop to develop a national certification action plan and framework. Below is the briefing paper for the workshop and copies of workshop presentations. Click on the links below to access these documents.

• SIA accreditation status and options > 
• SIA certification and training >
• SIA certification options > 

This meeting was by 20 practitioners from Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Workshop participants agreed:

• There is currently no certification available for SIA practitioners in Australia. It is an unaccredited, unregulated, interdisciplinary field with an ad hoc system of professional reliance.
• Lack of certification can lead to a credibility deficit with resulting challenge to professionalism.
• Consistency of standards and competency regulation require certification to ensure practitioner proficiency.
• Acknowledgement that the practice of SIA is changing with a requirement for higher standards.
• These standards are driven by new guidelines requiring adherence to leading practice principles and social science methodologies.
• SIA practitioners require clear competencies, appropriate qualifications, skills, and aptitude in order to ensure work integrity and veracity of their findings.
• As a result of these discussions, it was determined that further input from SIA practitioners was required with a primary focus on the following areas:
• SIA practitioner certification format and process of implementation.
• Skills, competencies, and experience identification specific to a qualified SIA.
• Accredited training and professional development implementation requirements to achieve certification.

As a result of these discussions, it was determined that further input from SIA practitioners (via an online survey) was required on the following topics:

• SIA practitioner certification format and process of implementation.
• Skills, competencies and experience identification specific to a qualified SIA practitioner.
• Accredited training and professional development implementation requirements to achieve certification.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE SURVEY

The survey will be open until Friday 1 May 2020.

The results of the survey will be used to inform the development of the Action Plan with the aim of achieving certification for SIA practitioners by late 2020. A Survey Report will be provided to those people who complete the survey.