Discovering Core Competencies in the Collection System Maintenance Profession

A key component of the validation of a professional certification program is the job analysis. The main product of the job analysis research is a set of competencies that effectively describe the knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform a job. These competencies can be ranked ordered by a criticality index that combines scales of importance and frequency. This information can then be used to develop test content domains for a certification credential, job descriptions, and training materials. The data can also be used to identify changes in practices, determine a common field of practice, and minimum job qualifications. This paper explores the basic methodology and results of a job analysis of the collection system maintenance profession conducted in 2009–2010, and identifies issues surfaced and applications of that research.