History of the CPP™ Designation

American Society for Industrial Security founders considered the concept of certification shortly after the Society was formed in 1955. Between 1957 and 1958, the Society's Professional Criteria Committee, chaired by Timothy Walsh, CPP™, set a professional recognition program as a long-range goal. But because the energies of ASIS leaders at the time were focused on keeping the society afloat, the idea only simmered for nearly 15 years.

In 1972, a special task force was empowered by the ASIS Board of Directors to commence a year-long study to determine whether a certification program was needed. Chaired by Loren Newland, CPP™, the task force reviewed the results of an independent nationwide survey and concluded in its written report: "If the security vocation is ever to become a security profession, then certainly, meaningful credentials are required." The task force proposed granting certification to persons who met stringent education and experience criteria and who passed a comprehensive written examination. Thus, the seeds of the current examination process were planted.

The vast majority of those members surveyed at the time agreed that certification should indeed be a priority for ASIS. But many viewpoints were aired over the years on implementation specifics, such as the need to allow non-ASIS members to be certified and the need for an initial period of certification by review. Also discussed were eligibility requirements, recertification, and a code of ethics. "When I look back at those early years, the question we were really grappling with is, 'How does security become a real profession,'" says Don Walker, CPP™, another participant in those early meetings.

Debate even addressed the requirement that all candidates pass a written examination. Board meeting minutes reflect that some directors considered the provision an affront to their professionalism; others worried it would exclude important contributors who would feel they should not need to take an exam.

Eventually, a modified task force proposal was approved by the 1974 ASIS Board of Directors. A nine-member Professional Certification Board (PCB), which included both Walsh and Newland, was appointed for three years. This new board focused on deciding the subject matter to be tested and setting up administrative mechanisms.

The main issue this first PCB addressed, however, was money. "It was widely believed, in the early thinking, that the program should - and indeed would - be self-sufficient financially," says Newland. "We failed to anticipate the complexities of the program, which made that goal impossible."

A three-year start-up budget of $248,000 was set as a goal, including nearly $100,000 to establish a question data bank. ASIS could not even begin to pledge funding at that level, since the entire Society reserve at the time did not exceed $25,000. When grant proposals and private solicitations produced no appreciable results, the idea of certification by review resurfaced. Board members reasoned that using the application fees of persons certified through experience and education only was an appropriate way to cover the cost of developing the program. This core group of CPPs™ could also be tapped for questions, thus reducing the cost of exam preparation.

But when 1977 ASIS President Wayne Hall directed the PCB to get the program rolling by waiving the exam requirement and granting certification by review, the entire PCB nearly resigned. Hall's call to action was spurred, however, by the thought that other groups, specifically the Department of Defense, would proceed with certification while ASIS was still debating. Eventually, the Defense Department joined forces with ASIS, and the PCB embraced a two-year certification by review provision.

Sensing that guidance from an experienced testing firm was needed before an actual test was produced, the PCB ultimately contracted with the Professional Examination Service (PES), a New York City not-for-profit firm that administers various aspects of nearly 50 testing programs. PES advised that a multiple choice test would best suit the PCB's objectives, partly because it eliminates subjectivity from the scoring process.

To meet the exam objectives outlined with PES, the PCB needed to draft 300 questions. Not all questions would actually be on the exam; the extras would form a question bank, making it easier to change the test regularly.

For Walsh, this phase of certification development was extremely rewarding. "We were stretched professionally," he recalls, when challenged to write questions for the new test. "We had to be at least as good as the subject matter at hand, which led to great professional growth."

All questions had to be documented, meaning the answer deemed to be correct had to be found in a readily available resource, a requirement that continues today. Since the practice of security in the early 1970s was just beginning to be recognized as an academic discipline, however, the need for reference sources compounded the difficulty of putting questions in multiple-choice format.

Meanwhile, administrative changes at ASIS headquarters were being implemented to move certification forward. O. Perry Norton, then ASIS executive director, took on the new certification assignment, since he had been instrumental in shaping the program from the outset. Former ASIS President E. J. Criscuoli, Jr., CPP™, was hired to oversee general headquarters operations. "When I came on board, one of my biggest headaches was negative comments about the CPP™," says Criscuoli, who remembers long discussions about the term "responsible charge," which is still used to define the professional experience needed to be eligible for certification. Despite the initial difficulties, within five years, Criscuoli recalls, the CPP™ program "was a pillar of the Society's strength."

Wayne Hall put his own actions behind the new initiative and by chance was the first person to receive a CPP™ designation at the 23rd ASIS Annual Seminar and Exhibits in September 1977. The PCB had decided that certifications should be issued according to the date each application was received, and Hall's was the first to be logged in. By the end of that year, 610 individuals had received the CPP™ designation.

Today, Hall points out, more people have been certified as CPPs™ (8,000) than were active members of ASIS in 1977 (5,881). "It was never intended that every member would become a CPP™," says Criscuoli. The goal was between 10 percent and 20 percent of the total ASIS membership, which is exactly where the numbers have remained for the last twenty years.

Despite the consistency in numbers, the importance of the CPP™ designation has shifted from the original intent. According to Newland, the initial concept was to set up a credential that would be recognized outside the security field by potential employers. But it has become perhaps more a notable distinction within the field than without. In fact, the reasons for attaining the designation - then and now - often center on personal attainment and credibility. "It raised the standard in the industry," comments Newland. "Practitioners now know what they need to be considered a professional" by their peers as well as their employers.

"It was obvious from the onset that the CPP™ would be the hallmark of security professionalism," says Lawrence C. May, CPP™, who received his certification in 1977. May now serves as board chairman for American Security Corporation of St. Paul, Minnesota.

In a recent survey of current holders of the CPP™ designation, more than half indicated that they sought the credential primarily to increase professional advancement in the field. "It is recognized as a great personal achievement," says Eduardo Santa Cruz, CPP™, a postal inspector with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Chicago. "Earning the CPP™ designation validated my standing as a subject matter expert in the field of security," adds Santa Cruz, who was certified in 1996.

"The security field is extremely competitive, and if one is aspiring to reach the top, it requires a high level of understanding of the industry, which can only materialize through experience and higher learning," says Donald Williams, CPP™, chairman of Security Consultants, Ltd., Kingston, Jamaica. " [The CPP™] increased my knowledge tremendously," says Williams, who has been a CPP™ since 1979, "and gave me the confidence to develop my own security organization."

A similar sentiment is echoed by Thomas W. Keating, CPP™, chairman of American Protective Services, who has been a CPP™ since 1977. "Today's business environment demands continuous learning," he comments. "My current role is no longer to do a good security job, it is to provide good security jobs. By strongly supporting the CPP™ program, I am fostering professionalism and excellence for both our industry and my company."

Another company that has embraced the CPP™ as a prerequisite for advancement among managers is Pinkerton Security and Investigation. Spearheaded by Don Walker, now executive vice president for Pinkerton, the company plans to support at least two new candidates for the CPP™ designation among its managerial ranks each year, especially focusing on international offices. According to Walker, eight of Pinkerton's Asian managers are CPPs™ today, and the company's goal is to have every country manager become a CPP™.

Newland predicts that as ASIS expands its membership base, the prestige of the CPP™ will increase. That view is echoed by others who have found that earning the CPP™ was essential for career advancement. "The last two security director positions I held mandated that the successful candidate hold CPP™ certification," says Shirley Pierini, CPP™, director of security and loss prevention for LA Cellular, Cerritos, California.

"My management said it was important not only for my professional development but also for the marketing of the company's security consulting services externally," says Diane Horn Kaloustian, CPP™, manager, security administration, Aetna, Inc., Hartford, Connecticut. She adds: "I now have a broader understanding of security, which gives me a different perspective when handling security issues."

Frank Carpency, CPP™, vice president, security programs division, CETROM Consulting Engineering, Inc., could not agree more. "The CPP™ has opened many doors," he says. Carpency sees the requirement in more requests for proposals that come to his company. He finds that holding the designation himself can tip the scales in his favor, when other bid factors are equal.

Review of the CPP™ exam and its administrative procedures is constant. Early on, PES formally commented that the PCB had "done more than many, if not most, other organizations in developing standards for test content, construction, and administration."

To ensure that questions on the exam reflect the important aspects of a security manager's job, periodic role delineation or job analysis surveys are commissioned by the PCB. The first such project was commenced in 1986, with subsequent studies in 1992 and 1997. "Job analysis gives an up-to-date picture of the most important tasks performed by security management professionals," explains PCB Past President O'Hara. "It becomes the basis for construction of the exam."

Role delineation is a standard test validation method that identifies three components of a job specialty: the major aspects of that specialty, the tasks performed in each aspect, and the knowledge needed to perform those tasks.

Survey participants are asked to review a list of major responsibilities and task statements for accuracy and completeness. They are also asked to rate both, using a set of validity scales. The major responsibilities are rated on relative importance and percentage of time devoted to each. The task statements are rated for how often that task must be performed and potential for harm to the organization if the task were not carried out properly.

Based on the responses, the major responsibilities are assigned a weighted value. Composite values are then determined for each of the responsibilities and tasks. These values are used to determine the principle security functions that should be covered on the CPP™ exam, and the weight each function should be given in the mix of questions.

The values also provide documentation that shows the aspects, tasks, and knowledge that comprise the security professional's job. The results of these studies ensure that the exam accurately reflects current practice.

Recertification

Recertification was a part of the CPP™ process from the start. The principal purpose of the CPP™ program has always been professional development and improvement. As with all professions, the 1973 Newland task force reasoned, the security profession was evolutionary. To remain certified, therefore, all CPPs™ should acquire proof of professional development and be recertified every three years.

Today's CPP™ recertification program still encourages individuals to keep current in new security developments and active in security programs. To remain certified, CPPs™ must acquire sixteen maintenance credits within three years. CPPs™ can earn maintenance credits in a number of ways, including membership and service in ASIS or other chartered security organizations; participation in security-related educational programming at the local, national, or international level; speaking or lecturing on security topics; and publishing articles or books in the field.

Lifetime CPP™ Designation

Criteria for bestowing a Lifetime CPP™ Designation have been prepared by the PCB. To be considered a nominee must be a CPP™ in good standing and must have paid the recertification fee for the current term. A candidate must also have been a CPP™ for at least twelve consecutive years and should be retired from full time security employment.