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Issue Number: Council II 016
Title
Issue you would like the Conference to consider
The Food Protection Manager Training, Testing and Certification (FPMTTC) Committee propose revisions to Section 5 of the Standards for Accreditation of Food Protection Manager Certification Programs as noted below:
- clarify that an instructor, trainer, or educator can no longer serve as test administrator, or proctor;
- define the role and responsibilities for test administrators, proctors, and certification personnel;
- establish competency requirements for test administrators and proctors;
- establish item and examination exposure controls;
- require formal agreements with test administers/proctors, to include a code of conduct, conflict of interest statement, and a statement of consequences for breach of the agreement;
- reorganize and renumber relevant subsections; and
- insert changes into the Table of Contents as needed.
Public Health Significance
Food establishments have fewer critical risk factors when there are employees who have a Food Protection Manager Certification in accordance with the Conference for Food Protection's Standards, according to the CDC as stated in the endorsement letter to the Conference dated April 5, 2006, and referenced on the Conference Website. (http://www.foodprotect.org/media/managercert/MTTC_cdc_endorse.pdf)
Recommended Solution: The Conference recommends...
revising the Standards for Accreditation of Food Protection Manager Certification Programs, Section 5 - Food Safety Examination Administration with substantial revisions as follows:
note: language to insert is indicated with underline; language to delete is with strike through
5.3 Proctoring Food Safety Certification Examinations Instructor/Educator/Trainer as Test Administrator/Proctors. An When an instructor/educator/trainer of food safety training shall not be a test administrator or proctor administers, proctors or monitors a food safety certification examination. from an accredited certification program, the accredited Instructor/educator/trainer and test administrator/proctor may exist in the same legal entity but shall be structurally and functionally separated to insure the confidentiality and security of the examination. The certification organization shall provide a food safety certification examination that:
a. conforms to all CFP standards,
b. has been developed from an item bank of at least 600 questions, and
c. minimally on a quarterly basis, is based on a new examination form.
The certifying organization must have a plan that demonstrates it has controlled for item and examination exposure. The exposure plan must take into account the number of times a test item and form/version is administered.
5.4 8 Test Administrator and Monitors/Proctor Qualifications, Training and Duties.
Certification Certifying organizations must specify the responsibilities of test administrators and of monitors/ proctors, set minimum criteria for approval of test administrators and for monitors/ proctors, and provide suitable programs of training to enable persons to meet those criteria. Responsibilities, duties, qualifications and training of test administrators and monitors/ proctors must be directed toward assuring standardized, secure examination administration and fair and equitable treatment of examinees. Policies and procedures for taking corrective action(s) when any test administrator or /monitors/ proctor fails to meet job responsibilities must be implemented and documented. Where instructors/educators/trainers are used as test administrators/proctors, the certifying organization shall enter into a formal contractual relationship with the test administrators/proctors to ensure they follow all administrative procedures.
5.5 The certification organization shall define and provide descriptions for the roles of test administrators, proctors, and certification personnel that will clearly delineate the responsibilities of each role. The certification organization shall demonstrate how it ensures that all certification personnel, including test administrators and proctors, understand and practice the procedures identified for their roles.
5.6 The certification organization shall ensure that all test administrators and proctors meet the competency requirements established by the certification organization, comply with all requirements of the certification organization, and are not instructors, educators, or trainers participating in training for Certified Food Protection Managers.
5.7 The certification organization shall enter into a formal agreement with the test administrators/proctors and shall assess and monitor the performance of test administrators and proctors in accordance with all documented procedures and agreements. The formal agreement shall include, at a minimum, provisions that relate to code of conduct, conflict of interest and a statement of consequences for breach of the agreement.
5.8 Item & Examination Exposure. The certification organization must demonstrate it has controlled for item and examination exposure. An exposure plan must take into account the number of times a test item and examination form/version is administered, that no examination form is retained for any test administration or by any test administrator/proctor for more than 90 days; and that at all times it can account for all copies of all used and unused examination forms before being returned to the certification organization.
5.13 9 Test administrators are responsible for the organization and administration of all examination site activities and procedures, and for the accurate identification of each examinee. They are also responsible for supervision of the activities of monitors/proctors. When the instructor/educator/trainer also serves in the role of test administrator, it is important that the individual clearly recognizes the difference in those two roles.
The Conference futher recommends that non-substantial revisions to the Standards such as renumbering and changes to the Table of Contents be approved as documented in the FPMTTC Final Report attachment, Standards for Accreditation of Food Protection Manager Certification.