CEO's Message—First Quarter 2021 | The Value of Accreditation

As you all know, last year, NACVA accredited its CVA credential with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and almost 15 years ago, it was accredited with the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) (a division of the Institute of Credentialing Excellence). Obtaining both accreditations is a feat only four credentials in the world can claim, and it makes our CVA particularly special and unique within the valuation and financial forensics industry. If you are not proudly noting this accolade everywhere you mention your CVA, you should because it sets you apart from all non-NACVA credential holders, and anyone that is familiar with ANSI and NCCA will instantly recognize that you hold a credential of eminent stature. If they do not know who ANSI or NCCA is, you need to enlighten them by saying something to the effect: “ANSI and NCCA are the only two organizations worldwide (that I am aware of) that accredit credentials by requiring strict adherence to rigorous standards that go to the character and quality of that credential, and regulate over the administering organization’s program and processes, which insure consistency, objectivity, and security, validated through regular psychometric analysis.”

I know that is a mouthful, but it sums it up pretty well. Here is some verbiage that you can put in your CV and other communications referencing your CVA:
 

NACVA’s globally recognized Certified Valuation Analyst® (CVA®) designation is the most widely recognized business valuation credential and the only business valuation credential accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies® (NCCA®) and the American National Standards Institute® (ANSI®).

 

NACVA’s Certified Valuation Analyst® (CVA®) designation is the only valuation credential accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies® (NCCA®), the accreditation body of the Institute for Credentialling Excellence™ (ICE™), and the American National Standards Institute® (ANSI®).

Soon, NACVA will be submitting our application with the NCCA to accredit our Master Analyst in Financial Forensics (MAFF) credential, which I am 100% confident will be accredited. I can say that because the MAFF is under the NACVA umbrella and much of what NCCA requires for the CVA is already in place for the MAFF. In other words, we have got this in-the-can. Recently, as part of our preparations to submit our MAFF application to NCCA, our Litigation Forensics Board (LFB) updated the prerequisite requirements for obtaining the MAFF credential. Thus, they are new and improved, opening up pathways for more NACVA members as well as other financial forensics practitioners to obtain the credential, while retaining the high integrity the MAFF is known for. Those new requirements can be found here.

I hope to see many of you enroll into this program, and once we obtain NCCA accreditation, the MAFF will rise higher above the rest to become one of only a few hundred credentials worldwide to achieve this prestigious accreditation.