The Review Process 

The Trusted Skills review process is transparent, confidential, consistent, and simple. It is important that our certified Trusted Skill reviewers are compensated for contributing their expertise to their community.

For each completed review during the pilot phase, expert reviewers will be compensated $300.

Step 1: Review the certification criteria

You must be familiar with four elements:

  1. The concise certification criteria for the four Trusted Skills professional certificates

  2. The skill level required to meet the minimum standard for the defined certification

  3. The acceptable forms of evidence for each skill

  4. Review the contents of the portfolio you have been invited to review.

  • Did they submit all the required components?

  • Are you confident this submission is in your area of expertise?

Step 2: Accept the assignment and complete required documentation

If you’re comfortable in accepting the reviewer assignment and are confident you can complete your assessment within 14 business days, proceed to review, sign, and submit the required documentation before initiating the assessment process.

  1. Reviewer Code Of Conduct - Download Here

  2. Reviewer Conflict-Of-Interest Declaration - Download Here

Step 3: Download submission

Download the required components of a candidate’s submission from the private and secured DropBox link provided to you by the Trusted Skills team.

Biography

The biography is a background document that will help you understand more about the candidate’s experience. This is a written document.

ePortfolio

The ePortfolio is required for all three levels of certification. It follows the adage, “Show, don’t tell,” and includes tangible evidence of a candidate’s skill as defined in the certification criteria and associated reflection. This is a collection of evidence that demonstrates the candidate’s skill level in each of the identified areas.

Testimonial

The Trusted Skills testimonial provides you with the context you need to understand the evidence presented by the candidate. This might be a written statement or a video file.

Advanced Skills Case Study

The certification case study is required only for level 2 advanced certification and allows a candidate to demonstrate the synthesis of their skills in real-time.

Step 4: Complete criteria assessment

Using the criteria matrix, assess the candidate’s evidence and its alignment to the certification criteria. Based on this, you will assign each skill one of four standards:

  • Level 0: No evidence of basic skill level

  • Level 1: Evidence of basic skill

  • Level 2: Evidence of advanced skill

  • Level 3: Evidence of expert skill

Marketing Management ePortfolio Reviewer template - Download Here

Digital Marketing ePortfolio Reviewer template - Download Here

Content Creation ePortfolio Reviewer template - Download Here

Creative Thinking ePortfolio Reviewer template - Download Here

Step 5: Complete your summary report

Based on your assessment, prepare your summary report using the template provided. This standardized template ensures clear alignment between the certification criteria, a candidate’s evidence, your observation, and your recommendation.

In this summary report, you will summarize your evidence-based recommendation. This recommendation will offer guidance to both the oversight board and the candidate on your interpretation of the application. It highlights major themes and corresponding evidence that contributed to your recommendation. This will also provide an overview of the strength and weakness of the candidate’s application focusing solely on the evidence and whether it met the defined criteria.

Step 6: Submit your Report

Your next step is to submit your report to the assigned oversight board prime (“prime”). The prime is a qualified member of the oversight board assigned to provide oversight for each candidate participating in the prototype. The prime is responsible for making a final certification recommendation to the oversight board.

You will do this by email to support@trustedskills.org

Step 7: Oversight Prime makes recommendation to Board

The prime will assess your report and will make one of two recommendations to the full COB.

Step 8: Certifying Oversight Board makes decision

The oversight board will assess the prime’s recommendation and proceed with one of two scenarios:

Scenario 1: Oversight Board Accepts Reviewer Recommendation

If the prime accepts your recommendation, the Board can proceed directly to a certification vote. Once the board has achieved a majority vote, the final decision is communicated to the candidate.

Scenario 2: Oversight Board Amends the Reviewer Recommendation

If the prime does not support your recommendation, the prime must provide evidence to the full Board. In this scenario, the Board can make one of three decisions:

  1. Vote to accept the prime recommendation

  2. Vote to accept the reviewer recommendation

Vote to request the prime and reviewer to develop a consensus recommendation and resubmit to the Board.

Consensus Recommendation

If a consensus recommendation is achieved, the oversight board will assess the submitted consensus recommendation and may proceed immediately to a vote. If a majority of the oversight board vote to accept the recommendation, the oversight board will communicate its decision to the candidate.

No Consensus Recommendation

If no consensus recommendation is achieved, the oversight board will assess the competing recommendations and call a vote on the standard to be awarded. Once a majority vote is achieved, the oversight board will communicate this decision to the candidate.