Managing Assessments involving National Security
As a veteran-friendly social enterprise, we value the service of those who protect their nation’s security. IPSQA provides options for government military and security services to enable their personnel to have their skills and experience recognized with civilian certifications issued by IPSQA without compromising identity security.
Generally, military personnel are not eligible for the National Security Protocol (NSP) by default.
The NSP is established between the government entity and IPSQA under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This allows for candidates of that entity to access IPSQA certifications either while they are in-service, or during their honorable discharge. The NSP is not available for personnel who have already left the entity.
There are two options under the NSP:
- Entity courses are mapped by IPSQA and recognized as equivalent to an IPSQA certification. The entity may submit a NSP application form along with a statutory declaration and then IPSQA can issue the qualification as part of the service person’s discharge process. This means the candidate’s details are not held by IPSQA until they are due to be discharged. This also ensures the human resources section of the entity can help verify the service record and identity. Individuals are unable to apply directly to IPSQA under the NSP, all applications must be made via the entity office specified in the MOU. This option ensures no record of the service person is held by IPSQA until they are being prepared for discharge. Minimum experience requirements apply to our Certificate in Public Safety (CertPubS®) certification series.
- Individuals are assessed using the normal assessment process, but the classified assessment evidence is securely held by the entity. The assessment is undertaken by an IPSQA Assessor who meets the entities security vetting requirements. The Assessor files a statutory declaration in-lieu of uploading traditional assessment evidence. The assessment tools and evidence is still subject to moderation, but by a moderator who meets the entity’s security vetting requirements. Such moderation occurs in secure facilities and the moderator completes a statutory declaration to confirm compliance. In this option, the candidate’s personal details are held by IPSQA and they can have a public facing online credential check (optional), but the evidence for their assessment is not held by IPSQA. Entities may also require the assessor/moderator to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement and/or official secrets declaration. Assessments under NSP may also be loaded retrospectively so there is record of assessment held on ITM in advance, only after the fact to ensure operational security (normally retrospective data entry for our ISO products is not permitted).
Under a NSP MOU, the entity agrees to undertake any investigations into academic misconduct and report back to IPSQA.
Only countries that have significant penalties (liable to a term of imprisonment) for false declarations are eligible for the NSP.
The following country’s are eligible for assessment using the IPSQA National Security Protocol (NSP), based on their respective legal framework for statutory declarations.
- Australia
- Brazil
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Japan
- New Zealand
- Spain
- United Kingdom
- United States of America
For other countries or further information, please contact us.
- Homeland Security
- Customs & Border Forces
- Security Intelligence Services
- Counter-Terrorism Units
- Military Intelligence
- Special Operation Units
- Government Communications Security
