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CO-OP® Recertification

In order to maintain your CO-OP® credential, you need to recertify every four years. Recertification verifies you have

 continued to practice to IOA Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics, kept abreast of developments in the ombuds field, and maintained or enhanced your professional knowledge.

Below you will find helpful information and resources to assist you through this process. If you have any additional questions, please reach out to [email protected].

CO-OP® Recertification FAQs

+ When should I recertify?

+ What is required for recertification?

+ Where can I find the Professional Development Hours (PDH) Tracking Form?

+ Can I see an example of a completed Professional Development Hours (PDH) Tracking Form?

+  What are qualifying Professional Development Hours (PDH) activities, and how do I calculate the PDH?

+ Are there pre-approved PDH activities?

+ What if my activity is not included on the pre-approved PDH list (aka it’s a non-pre-approved activity)? How do I submit these activities for PDH for credit?

+ How do I apply for recertification?

+ What if my application is chosen for a recertification audit? What documentation should I keep track of during my four-year certification period in case I am audited?

+ How do I apply for recertification?

+ What happens after I apply for recertification?

+ What if my application is chosen for a recertification audit? What documentation should I keep track of during my four-year certification period in case I am audited?

+ When should I recertify?

Your CO-OP® credential expires four years after the initial certification date. At any point during your fourth year, you can apply for recertification. We strongly recommend beginning the process at least 60 days in advance of expiration to avoid a lapse. If you fail to submit a recertification application before your expiration date, you will have to go through the full certification process again (similar to a new applicant).

+ What is required for recertification?

  1. You must attest that throughout your credentialed period you have consistently:
    1. Served in a position(s) that supports adherence to the IOA Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics.
    2. Adhered in your practice to the IOA Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics.
  2. You must complete and submit a Professional Development Hours (PDH) Tracking Form, documenting at least 60 qualifying PDH during your four-year period of certification. These hours do not have to be spread evenly across the four years (e.g. 15 PDH per year); as long as you have attained at least 60 qualifying PDH within your four-year period, you will meet the requirement.
    1. View the pre-approved PDH activities. Make sure to check back periodically, as the list is updated throughout the year.
    2. For non-pre-approved PDH activities, you will submit documentation to the CO-OP® Recertification Committee that attests to the duration of the activity and how the activity corresponds to the CO-OP® Domains Chart. See the FAQ below for additional information on non-pre-approved PDH activities.
  3. You should maintain verification documents for all PDH activities in case your recertification application is audited (every fourth application received is audited). See the FAQ below for additional information on the audit process and examples of verification documents.

+ Where can I find the Professional Development Hours (PDH) Tracking Form?

Download the PDH Tracking Form. We strongly recommend downloading the form in the beginning of your four-year certification period. This way you can fill it out throughout the four years versus having to try and remember it all at the end of the fourth year. Please note that all documentation must be in English.

+ Can I see an example of a completed Professional Development Hours (PDH) Tracking Form?

(COMING SOON) Download an annotated example of a completed PDH Tracking Sheet with insight into how the CO-OP® Recertification Committee reviews each tracking sheet plus additional guidance on submitting a successful application.

+  What are qualifying Professional Development Hours (PDH) activities, and how do I calculate the PDH?

You may receive Professional Development Hours (PDH) in the following four categories:

  1. Education
    1. Attending courses, classes, webinars, workshops, training programs, conferences, or meetings. Attendance may be in-person, online, by phone, or by conference call.
    2. Maximum PDH: 15 PDH for a single educational activity (e.g. a 40-hour workshop, a full semester college class, or a single IOA conference), but up to 60 PDH total during a four-year recertification cycle.
    3. How to Calculate PDH: On an hour-for-hour basis, rounding down to the nearest half-hour increment. Hours should be calculated from the beginning to the end of a single session or program, including brief "stretch" or refreshment breaks. Longer breaks, such as one-hour lunch breaks, do not count toward PDH for the activity.
  2. Presenting & Instruction
    1. Preparing and delivering presentations or instruction featuring substantive content aligned with the CO-OP® Domains. Please note, you may receive PDH only once for any given presentation and only once for preparation for a given presentation. This includes presentations and instruction delivered at conferences, within your organization, or elsewhere. Presentations solely focused on raising awareness of your ombuds office or office marketing (e.g. outreach) will not qualify for PDH credit.
    2. Maximum PDH: 15 PDH during a four-year recertification cycle.
    3. How to Calculate PDH: On an hour-for-hour basis, rounding down to the nearest half-hour increment for related preparation and then the presenting or instruction (e.g. 7 PDH of preparation and 8 PDH of presenting or instruction for a total of 15 PDH).
  3. Mentorship
    1. Participating as a mentee or a mentor in the IOA Mentoring Program, COFO program, or any other ombuds mentoring relationships.
    2. Maximum PDH: 15 PDH during a four-year recertification cycle.
    3. How to Calculate PDH: On an hour-for-hour basis, rounding down to the nearest half-hour increment. The assigned mentee/mentor may provide verification of completed mentoring hours by attesting via email to the mentor relationship and time spent.
  4.  Writing & Publishing
    1. Producing original research and writing that is related to one or more of the CO-OP® Domains and is published in peer-reviewed or closely vetted venues, like the Journal of the International Ombuds Association.
    2. Maximum PDH: 15 PDH during a four-year recertification cycle.
    3. How to Calculate PDH: One PDH per published page.

+ Are there pre-approved PDH activities?

You can access a list of pre-approved PDH activities here. The list is updated throughout the year, so check back to see if anything new has been added by the CO-OP® Recertification Committee. When you list a pre-approved activity on your PDH Tracking Form, no further documentation is needed unless your application is audited.

+ What if my activity is not included on the pre-approved PDH list (aka it’s a non-pre-approved activity)? How do I submit these activities for PDH for credit?

When requesting PDH for an activity that is not on the list of pre-approved PDH activities, the CO-OP® Recertification Committee needs to know two things:

  1. The duration of the activity
    1. You will calculate PDH on an hour-for-hour basis, rounding down to the nearest half-hour increment. Hours should be calculated from the beginning to the end of a single session or program, including brief "stretch" or refreshment breaks. Longer breaks, such as one-hour lunch breaks, do not count toward PDH for the activity. Conference or workshop agendas are often submitted for this purpose.
    2. Examples:
      1.  A full-day course from 9:00 AM - 4:45 PM with a one-hour lunch break would be 6.5 PDH
      2. A full-day course from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM with a one-hour lunch break would be 7 PDH
      3.  Two separate morning conference sessions, each 1.5 hours in length, with a break in between, would count for 3 PDH
      4.  A half-day course from 8:30 AM - 11:45 AM would be 3 PDH
      5. A half-day course from 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM would be 3.5 PDH
      6. A half-day course from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM would count as 3 PDH
  2. How the activity corresponds to the CO-OP® Domains Chart.
    1. The CO-OP® Recertification Committee will need to review a short description of the activity to ensure it aligns with any of the criteria listed on the CO-OP® Domains Chart.

+ How do I apply for recertification?

Click here to start the process! You will be prompted to fill out an online recertification form, pay the recertification fee ($250 USD for IOA members or $450 USD for non-members), and upload your Professional Development Hours (PDH) Tracking Form.

You can also watch this CO-OP® Q&A: Recertification Process video for additional guidance and tips on the recertification process!

+ What happens after I apply for recertification?

Once submitted, your PDH Tracking Form will be evaluated by the CO-OP® Recertification Committee to ensure it lists at least 60 hours of applicable PDH. Committee members will contact you to request additional information as needed.

The CO-OP® Recertification Committee aims to respond to applications for recertification within four to six weeks.

Approved applicants will be notified by the committee through email. An official recertification packet will follow by email with the signed certificate.

+ What if my application is chosen for a recertification audit? What documentation should I keep track of during my four-year certification period in case I am audited?

The CO-OP® Recertification Committee closely reviews all applications for recertification to ensure any PDH requests (1) correctly match the amount of PDH listed with the duration of the activity and (2) describe an activity aligned with one or more of the CO-OP® Domains. To ensure clarity and the integrity of the recertification process, the committee may request additional information and documentation from any applicant when needed.

Every fourth application will also be selected for an audit. If your application is selected, the CO-OP® Recertification Committee will notify you of the audit and request additional documentation verifying participation in all activities on your PDH Tracking Form.

For each PDH category, verification documents might include:

  • Education: transcripts, certificates of attendance, sign-in sheets, registration/payment receipts, or a program leader’s signed attestation
  • Presenting & Instruction: a synopsis or agenda showing presenters/instructors, dates, times, length of sessions, topics, presentation/training materials, calendar entries, or participant lists
  • Mentoring: written verification of completed mentoring hours from the assigned mentor or mentee
  • Writing & Publishing: a copy of the publication