Customer case :
RS renewal

1/ INITIAL ANALYSIS AND FEASIBILITY STUDY

In order to check whether the project had a chance of succeeding and finally being registered, we analyzed the rejected files and the reasons for the rejections. We identified several problems:

• The opportunity memo was not detailed enough, and did not sufficiently demonstrate the need for certification or its value in use.
• The repository contained too many skills and mixed levels of software mastery, thus coming close to an RNCP.
• The certification regulations included a non-compliant jury, imprecise assessment procedures and inadequate monitoring of assessment procedures.

The customer was at a loss, and wasn’t sure whether it was worth attempting a 4th filing. After analyzing the file, we felt that the concerns linked to the regulations and the reference system could be resolved, if ETAP agreed to refocus its certification.

As for the opportunity note, it’s true that software certifications are generally very difficult to pass. However, after further research, we felt that there was sufficient evidence to demonstrate its value.

We have therefore informed ETAP that we are in favor of a request for RS renewal.

2/ SOLUTIONS PROVIDED

For this project, we weren’t starting from scratch, since we already had a number of elements in place. We did, however, have to review the reference system, the opportunity note and the regulations.

We therefore proposed the following schedule:

• Revision of the reference system with strategic decisions on the scope of certification, and drafting of the new reference system in terms of skills
• Resumption of the opportunity report with in-depth market research into the importance of the software in the electrical installation market, and the need for professionals to be trained and/or refreshed in the use of the software.
• Meetings with beneficiaries and market players to prove use value
• Revision of the rules, with a reworking of jury selection and decisions on evaluation procedures.

3/ SPECIFIC APPROACH AND RESPONSE TO CHALLENGES

Accompanying ETAP presented several very specific challenges:

• First of all, a repository that not only needed to be revised, but also influenced the company’s strategy: as it stood, it resembled an RNCP repository, with several levels of competency. However, software certification can only be registered with the RS, since it is in fact a complementary skill. We therefore had to work on the business strategy for the training courses delivered by ETAP, in order not only to offer a suitable reference framework, but also to maintain profitability and meet customer expectations. In the end, we decided to refocus certification on a single level, as this would provide a coherent reference framework while meeting the most painful needs of professionals.

• The second specificity was the very subject of certification: software often has great difficulty in being registered with the RS. We therefore set out to prove its importance on the market, despite the presence of competing software. We gathered figures from ETAP, but also from job offers which explicitly mentioned CANECO as a prerequisite and/or added value. Aware that this would not be enough, we also looked for explicit references to the use of the software on the websites of companies and design offices, and obtained signed letters from some of them, testifying to the importance of the software in their work, on the market and for the employability of the professional.

• Finally, with regard to use value, we advised ETAP on how to conduct interviews with trainees and what information was relevant to gather in order to prove use value. We also included opinions, figures and testimonials in a paragraph of the opportunity note.