What Is Accreditation?
Accreditation is a quality assurance mechanism for evaluating whether conformity assessment bodies operating in a specific field meet the competency requirements necessary to carry out the relevant activities.
In Türkiye, the national accreditation body in the field of conformity assessment is the Turkish Accreditation Agency (TÜRKAK). According to TÜRKAK, accreditation is a quality infrastructure that supports the reliability and validity of the activities carried out by conformity assessment bodies and the conformity documents issued as a result of these activities.
Accreditation assessments examine the competence of the relevant organization within the framework of specific standards and criteria. Therefore, accreditation is not simply the issuance of a document; it is a process that involves evaluating competence in a specific field of activity.
What Is Certification?
Certification is the process of evaluating whether a particular person, product, service, or system meets predetermined requirements and demonstrating conformity through a document.
The document issued as a result of certification provides information about the scope within which the assessment was conducted and the requirements on which it was based.
Therefore, the key issue in the certification process is whether the certified entity meets the established criteria.
Key Differences Between Accreditation and Certification
The difference between accreditation and certification can primarily be explained in terms of the subject and purpose of the assessment process.
|
Accreditation
|
Certification
|
|
Relates to evaluating an organization's competence in a specific field.
|
Relates to evaluating and documenting compliance with specified requirements.
|
|
It is a quality assurance mechanism.
|
It is a certification process.
|
|
May apply to the activities of conformity assessment bodies.
|
May apply to different areas such as persons, products, services, or systems.
|
|
Conducted according to specific standards and criteria.
|
May be based on specific requirements, standards, or assessment criteria.
|
Certification and Accreditation in Education
The concepts of accreditation and certification may be used with different meanings in the field of education.
The issuance of a certificate to a participant at the end of a training program primarily indicates that documentation has been provided as a result of the training or a specific assessment process. This, by itself, does not mean that the program or the organization issuing the document is accredited.
When evaluating a training program, the following factors should be considered together:
-
Which institution issues the document
-
The scope of the training
-
The conditions expected to be fulfilled at the end of the training
-
Whether an assessment or examination is conducted
-
The purpose for which the document is issued
-
The scope of any relevant accreditation or authorization, if applicable
This distinction is important for understanding the nature of training and certification programs offered by different institutions.
What Does Accreditation Mean in Higher Education?
The concept of accreditation is also used in higher education. However, the process here is considered within a framework different from accreditation in the field of conformity assessment.
Program accreditation in higher education is an external quality assurance process aimed at evaluating whether a higher education program in a specific field meets predetermined academic and field-specific standards. In Türkiye, processes related to the authorization and recognition of accreditation bodies in higher education are carried out by the Council of Higher Education Quality Board (YÖKAK).
Institutional accreditation involves the comprehensive evaluation of a higher education institution's quality assurance, education and training, research and development, social contribution, and management system processes.
Therefore, the term "accreditation" used in higher education does not have the same meaning as a certificate issued to a participant at the end of a training program.
Why Are Accreditation and Certification Confused?
Because both concepts are associated with specific standards, criteria, and assessment processes, they are sometimes used interchangeably.
However, the fundamental distinction should be maintained:
Accreditation is a quality assurance process involving the evaluation of organizations operating in a specific field or, in the context of higher education, institutions and programs according to established criteria.
Certification is the process of evaluating whether specific requirements have been met and demonstrating this through a document.
Therefore, the presence of the word "certificate" on a document and the fact that the relevant institution, program, or certification activity is "accredited" do not mean the same thing.