Certifying bodies range from the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers to the Institute of Business Appraisers. Educational and work experience requirements vary drastically among industry organizations. On the other hand, current conceptions about work which suggest that there will be an increasingly rapid pace of change and a growing need for group and collaborative activities suggest that there must be some reform of the deep but narrow training that has characterized some professional specialties. In any case, in drawing lessons from professional systems of education and certification, it is important to take account of the problems and tensions that are also facing those systems. The increased interest in developing a system of skill standards has been caused by a changing understanding of the nature of work.
Standards systems based on the professional model combine two basic elements.
First, these systems emphasize broad performance through formal or informal evaluation of work experience or the simulation of complex activities typical of the occupation. Second, the professional systems give significant power to practitioners in the occupation or to their representatives. Acknowledgment of the subtle nature of their duties challenges the idea that their organizational responsibilities can be described by a concise listing of skill standards and activities. The professional framework emphasizes the unique, nonroutine problem-solving abilities that will be required of the job. This has profound implications for the expansion of worker involvement within organizations.