Panel on Standards and Accreditation

Panel on Standards, Accreditation and Joint EA/ACS Board on Software Engineering
(Prof. Leon Sterling, University of Melbourne, Chair Joint EA/ACS Board)

Joint EA/ACS Board has existed since 2001 - low key role in shaping professionals involved in software engineering. Cooperate rather than compete - three members from each plus academic and industry representatives, alternating Chair.

Bob Hart: Accreditation from ACS and Joint Board - primary role to cooperate on accreditation; should we have licencing and certification for SE and registration issues; role in running ASWEC (was alternating between EA and ACS). ~5 meetings per year - review of guidelines for accreditation - shapes accreditation visit, '... to the engineering [verb; gerund] of software.'

• SWEBOK as example of knowledge base.
• Best practice.
• Code of ethics.
• Team project.
• Clear course aims - not CS extended - articulate vision of graduates.

ISO standard on certification of SE professionals, 11 March 2007 - Bob Hart, Manager of Professional Standards and Development, ACS:

• SEPs work across international borders.
• Need for portability of professional status (Washington Accord for engineers; not all jurisdictions can meet).
• Cohort aspect of engineering degrees.
  
• Certify on basis of examination but no ongoing requirement in some jurisdictions.
• Common framework for evaluating certification schemes.
• ISO 17024:2003 standard for conformity and accreditation as a certifying body.
• Required to describe the type of SEP that certification covers: Title; tasks undertaken; level of accountability and responsibility; skills and competence, knowledge and cognitive levels; other assisting information to identify types of SEP.

Knowledge and skills:

• SWEBOK as comparison.
• Cognitive skills (eg. Blooms taxonomy).
• Other knowledge and skills not in SWEBOK.
• Generic professional capabilities.
• Appropriate standards knowledge.
• Domain (industry, application, &etc) knowledge and skills.

Evaluation - competencies, KAs, examination, reports, interviews, employer assessments, external examiners accreditation and QA.
Code of Ethics - minimum set of ethics; compliance; complaints and disciplinary processes.
Maintenance of Certification - period of certification and request for renewal; signed compliance statement from SEP; renewed commitment to code.
Continuing Professional Education - requirement for CPE; what and how much; compliance and sanctions.