Accreditation Process
An overview of the FLETA Accreditation process incorporating six distinct steps is described below. The process adopted by the FLETA Board is similar to processes used by other accrediting bodies:
- Application:
The process to seek accreditation is initiated when an Applicant applies to the Office of Accreditation (OA) for a review of their academy or a particular training program. This begins with an application, which includes a written commitment from a Senior Official of the Applicant who has the authority to enter into such an agreement. At the time of making application, the Applicant will also provide the OA with sufficient detail describing the structure and facilities of the Academy or Training Program that will ultimately be assessed for accreditation. This information should enable the OA and other reviewers to have an understanding of the Academy or Training Program make-up.
The Executive Director of the Office of Accreditation (EDOA) then accepts the responsibility to provide assistance and oversight to complete the process. An OA Program Manager (PM) is assigned to work with and provide assistance to the Applicant throughout the accreditation process.
- Self-Assessment:
The purpose of the Self-Assessment is to prepare the Applicant for the FLETA Assessment. A Self-Assessment team is established by the Applicant to verify compliance with the standards, provide consulting assistance to the Applicant for the FLETA Assessment, and prepare a written report to document the Self-Assessment. When the report is approved by the EDOA the FLETA Assessment is scheduled.
- FLETA Assessment:
A team of assessors, selected jointly by the OA and the Applicant, conducts the FLETA Assessment. The assessors evaluate the Applicant's academy or program compliance with all applicable standards. The Applicant is apprised of the assessment progress, issues, or concerns on a daily basis and at the conclusion of the assessment through a final exit briefing. A final report is prepared and forwarded to the OA by the assessment team leader in preparation for FLETA Board action. If the final report reflects deficiencies, the Applicant must submit a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) to the OA for each deficiency identified during the assessment. Upon receiving OA approval, the Applicant must implement the corrective action for each deficiency. When the corrective action has been completed and approved by the OA, the FLETA Assessment Report is amended to reflect the correction and forwarded to the FLETA Board for review.
- Board Review Committee (BRC):
The senior official and the Accreditation Manager for the Applicant, the Assessment Team Leader and OA Program Manager should be present at the formal public hearing in order to answer questions and describe the current status of the academy or program to the BRC. After the hearing, the BRC reviews the final report and presents their recommendation to the FLETA Board.
- FLETA Board Approval:
The OA schedules a hearing for the next meeting of the FLETA Board. When accreditation is awarded it is in effect for three years. An applicant may be granted Provisional Accreditation when Corrective Action Plans are expected to be completed prior to the next Board meeting. If accreditation is deferred, the Applicant is responsible for making appropriate corrective actions and rescheduling for Board review.
- Re-Accreditation:
Accreditation is maintained during the three-year period by submitting annual reports. The annual report should be a brief description of the academy or program's compliance adherence and should contain specific information with appropriate documentation regarding significant changes, which may alter the accreditation status of the academy or program. A summary of the annual report is forwarded by the OA to the FLETA Board for review. If situations arise which may indicate the potential for non-compliance of a standard, the FLETA Board may request the OA to facilitate a review of the issue or convene an assessment to determine whether the program is still in compliance. The FLETA Board determines whether to continue accreditation, continue accreditation in a probationary status, or withdraw accreditation. On a three-year cycle, the self-assessment is updated and the on-site assessment process is repeated.
