This procedure Includes the guidelines and policies related to the recertification of IPAN-SoTLAN Certified persons and it covers all the information on IPAN-SoTLAN’s three certification programmes. It is the responsibility of certified persons to be aware of the processes and guidelines explained in this procedure, and to meet all requirements and deadlines.
IPAN-SoTLAN certifications serve as a very visible acknowledgment of your demonstrated mastery of core laboratory analysis principles and skills essential to the best practice in the industry.
By earning a CLA, CWA or CEA, your employer, clients, and colleagues recognize that you have the knowledge and skills to be a successful laboratory analyst professional. Earning an IPAN-SoTLAN certification is a milestone accomplishment that will help you reach your career goals. Once certified, IPAN-SoTLAN Certified persons must recertify their credential every three years.
Note: All information in this procedure is subject to change. IPAN-SoTLAN CONTACTS CERTIFIED PERSONS MAINLY VIA EMAIL. IF YOUR INFORMATION CHANGES, PLEASE BE SURE TO UPDATE IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
When a person chooses to be certified, it requires that such an individual promotes and values learning and continuing education. IPAN-SoTLAN Certified persons must maintain their credential annually and by recertifying every three years in order to ensure that they are always up-to-date on emerging technologies and best practices. Considering the current pace of social, technological, professional and disciplinary changes, a life time certification is an insufficient guarantee of career-long competence.
Recertification is a means to sustain proficiency, motivation and public trust; it allows all the stakeholders in the industry to see that the commitment of certified persons to learning does not end once they become certified.
Recertifying your IPAN-SoTLAN credential every three years demonstrates that you have made a commitment to stay informed about the current practices and emerging trends in the laboratory analysis industry.
A very vital part of being IPAN-SoTLAN certified is maintaining your knowledge and skills about the laboratory analysis industry. IPAN-SoTLAN certified persons should always be cognizant of the expiration date of their IPAN-SoTLAN certification.
To keep their IPAN-SoTLAN credential and status, they must recertify every hree (3) years. Recertification is necessary to ensure that all certified persons continue his/her professional development. Failure to recertify will render your IPAN-SoTLAN credential inactive and utimately, the withdrawal of your certification.
Without prejudice to the three (3) years recertification period, whenever there is a change in the Scheme requirements due to regulatory requirements, changes to normative documents and/or requirements of interested parties; all certified persons will be duly informed of the change(s) and they shall be required to be recertified not later than the end of their next certification year or at the end of their initial recertification period (whichever one comes first) by sitting for a new examination. Thereafter, all successful certified persons will be issued a new Certificate indicating compliance with the changed requirements.
3.1 Recertification Methods
IPAN-SoTLAN certified persons can recertify by accumulating the required Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Credits i.e. Sixty (60) for either CLA, or CWA or CEA. (Appendix 1: CPD Credit Requirements for Recertification) and by taking and passing IPAN-SoTLAN recertification examination. An extra period of three months is granted for application and completion of the recertification process after the expiration of any the current certification period.
Thereafter, failure to complete the recertification process within this extra period will render any IPAN-SoTLAN certification INACTIVE until the successful completion of the recertification excerise. Failure to recertify during the Inactive status will render such person Invalid for recertification, i.e. such an individual must begin the certification process afresh and will be considered as a new applicant.
An enquiring about the certification status of a person whose certification has become Inactive or Invalid will be informed that such a person is not currently certified; no further information or explanation will be given.
During a certification year, a minimum of ten (10) IPAN-SoTLAN CPD Credits must be earned in at least two of the three (3) following ways:
1) Participate in trainings, conferences, workshops or educational programmes related to your certification, examples:
- On- the-job training
- Technical conferences and Professional bodies’ workshops
- Higher educational qualifications or courses – diplomas, postgraduate degrees, etc.
1 (one) CPD Credit is earned for each sixty (60) minutes of participation in Technical conferences, Professional bodies’ workshops or an IPAN-SoTLAN pre-approved training programme. On-the-job training must be related to IPAN-SoTLAN certification core duties and does not need to be pre-approved. While 2 (two) CPD Credit is given for higher educational qualification attained during the certification year. Time for meals, breaks, social gatherings, planning sessions, business meetings, and similar activities should not be included as part of earned CPD Credit.
2) Conduct an IPAN-SoTLAN pre- approved training or educational programme or publishing, examples:
- Training others and Teaching technical courses
- Writing technical articles or books
- Giving technical presentations
2 (two) CPD Credits are earned for each sixty (60) minutes of training or technical presentation carried out. 2 (two) CPD Credits for each published article.
3) A maximum of two (2) CPD Credits is given for membership of professional associations/institutes that is relevant/related to IPAN-SoTLAN certification, i.e. one (1) CPD Credit is given for membership of each professional body held during a certification year.
3.2 Activities that cannot use for CPD Credits include:
- CPD hours based on paid presentations, consultations or programmes presented or performed by certified persons for their employers as part of their regular paid core duties.
- Hours obtained in any year prior to the current certification cycle.
- Programme/course content that does not relate to the certification category or core duties as per the IPAN-SoTLAN certification scheme.
CLICK ON Recertification CPD Credits Report Form TO DOWNLOAD
IPAN-SoTLAN Certified presons must be recertified every three years. The validity of their certification is printed on their credential.
IPAN-SoTLAN makes all necessary effort to keep certified persons informed about their recertification deadlines and E-mail notifications/reminders will be sent to their email addresses. However, certified persons are ultimately responsible for keeping up-to-date on recertification deadlines and submitting the appropriate documentation. Failure to receive IPAN-SoTLAN notifications is not an acceptable reason for missing recertification deadlines.
To be eligible for recertification application, all certified person must meet the current and applicable pre-requisites for their certification category (have necessary experience, education and CPD Credits), download, complete the Application Form for Recertification and pay the non-refundable application fee of five thousand naira only. Appendix 2: Recertification Application & Examination fees. All fees should be paid into IPAN-SOTLAN CONFORMANCE SYSTEMS LTD, GT Bank Plc. Account No.: 0337313753.
Before you mail the application, have you:
- Read the Recertification Procedure?
- Read and agree to be bound by the IPAN-SoTLAN Code of Ethics, policies and procedures?
- Completed and signed the application form as required?
- Submitted your Continuing Professional Dvelopment (CPD) Credits with supporting documentation?
- Paid the appropriate application fee?
Please, e-mailed your completed application form to:
IPAN-SoTLAN Conformance Systems Ltd.
443, Herbert Macaulay Way, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria
Tel: +234 – 909 161 8615;
E-mail: info@ipan-sotlancb.com
Click on Recertification Application Form or Recertification Procedure to download