Volume 27 • No 01 • 2004
ISSN 0742-468X • Since 1978
On-line Since 2000
First Thousand
GISCI Certified GIS
Pros
Get ESRI Bonus
October brings us Harloween and all the candy we can eat; November brings us family and Turkey; December brings the celebration of Christmas and all the trimmings. January … well January starts with a hangover, and has very little else to offer. This year is different. The folks at ESRI announced a great incentive program for those of you who get your GISCI certification.
My GIS what?
That’s GISCI and it stands for the Geographic Information systems Certification Institute. Naturally they have a new GIS professional certification program. Redlands, California – Graduates from the Geographic Information System (GIS) Certification Institutes (GISCI) new GIS Professional Certification Program.
The idea of GIS certification has been around for at least two decades, perhaps longer. Certification is complicated because GIS is different things to different people. The GIS expert at the firehouse does not need to know the same level of detail as the GIS experts as ESRI. Yet somehow, both should be able to be certification. Over the years GIS certification developed into career recognition through the evaluation and approval of individuals engaged in a specific occupation or profession. Today, it is offered by national membership associations representing numerous other career paths.
The GISCI program gives recognition to professionals whom demonstrate competence and integrity in the field and establish and maintain professional practices and ethical conduct.
“The GIS Professional Certification Program, especially its re-certification requirement, calls for GIS professionals to maintain currency in their field on a continual basis,” says Bill Huxhold, chairman of the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) GIS Certification Committee, which developed the program. “This donation by ESRI is a very important contribution to that goal, and it acknowledges the value of improving the skills of GIS professionals as they progress in their careers.”
The GIS professional certification process was developed under the guidance of URISA, a nonprofit association of professionals using GIS and other information technologies to solve challenges in state and local government agencies and departments.
Alright already, what’s the ESRI bonus?
Okay, Okay. Just get certified and you will receive free materials and training from ESRI. Each of the first 1,000 professionals to obtain certification will receive core professional GIS training and educational materials worth $335 (That’s a generous donation of $335,000 from ESRI). These resources will
enable the professionals to continue developing their skills and support
their contributions in their respected fields.
Hey tell me more!
Each graduate will receive:
- The Planning for a GIS Virtual Campus class by Roger Tomlinson, Ph.D. and certified GIS professional, and the books
- Thinking About GIS: Geographic Information Systems Planning for Managers by
Tomlinson,
- Beyond Maps: GIS and Decision Making in Local Government by John
O'Looney, and
- GIS in Public Policy by R.W. Greene.
“The GIS Professional Certification Program furthers GIS technology by
recognizing the experience, education, and contributions of professionals
from numerous disciplines to the continued professional use of this
important technology,” says Jack Dangermond, ESRI president. “The program’s code of ethics will help guide the GIS professional community to make appropriate ethical choices and encourage interdisciplinary collaboration
and cooperation.”
Application materials are available online at www.gisci.org. For more
information on the program, check out the details at URISA
Conclusion
Certification is a complicated issue. In the IT world, several suppliers such as Microsoft, CISCO, and Novel have made a big deal about certification. It is an expensive and grueling ordeal. The good news is that technicians get trained and understand the technology in a formal way. The bad news is the human resources departments have gotten so lazy they will not even talk to candidates who are not certified. The foolishness of this is best seen in the transition from Windows NT server to Windows 2000 server. It would not be a stretch for a season NT sys admin to get the new manual and in a few hours be ready to work on Win 2000. On the other hand a bright inexperienced college grad might sit for the Windows 2000 certification and pass, even though he has no hands on experience. I know several sys admins who spent the money to get recertified in 2000 (and now again in XP) just to avoid the problems on the employment line. Make no mistake certifications of this type are big money makers and coerce companies into sticking with one supplier.
That leaves us with GIS certification. The good news is that the efforts are being led by URISA and other industry groups. That is the key – let’s keep it vendor neutral. Equally good news is that those of you who really know your GIS stuff will be able to stand out in a crowd of wannabes. Mostly, let’s use our heads when it comes to hiring people. There are a lot of us old GIS hackers out there who may not take the time to get certified who certainly know their stuff. Take this guy Jack Dangermond, for example. Certified or not, I would put him on my team anytime. How about you?
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