Certifications are complex, and therefore are added in multiple steps. First you will create the certification itself and link it to a Specification from the VISION Developer module. Then you will add organizations and job positions, if applicable. Finally you will add requirements and rules. Once all of this is done, you can assign certification units to learners.
For steps on how to create certifications, see the following Job Aids:
Set Up Certifications in VISION Developer
Add Certifications to the VISION Learning Station
Create the Certification
•Title: Enter a name for the certification.
•Description: Enter a description for the certification (optional).
•User Defined ID: User defined coding entered for the certification in the VISION Learning Station.
•VDM Specification: This is a list of the Certification Tables in the VISION Developer module. Select the table that contains the certifications you want to use.
•Certification is Based on: This is the date that the certification will have been issued to learners. Choose whether the certification is based on the "Calendar year" or if it is based on the "Certification Year" which starts on the "Calendar Year Start Basis".
•Calendar Year Start Basis: This option is only available if the certification is based on the calendar year. Select a date on which the certification will start.
•Valid For: Select a length of time after the starting date that the certification will remain useable. At the end of this time it will "expire".
•Grace Period: The amount of time that learners will have after the certification "expires" in which they will still be able to gather credits and be considered "certified".
•This Certification is: Define the certification's relationship to VISION Learning Station organizations and job positions:
oNot Organization Specific: Learners from any organization can be added to this certification.
oOrganization Specific But NOT Job Specific: Learners from any job within one specific organization can be added to this certification.
oOrganization AND Job(s) Specific: Learners from specific jobs within one specific organization can be added to this certification.
Next Step Button
Click this button to add an organization and job positions (if applicable) and to continue creating the certification.
Associate Organizations or Jobs
If this certification is Organization or Job specific, you will add those to it now.
Organization Drop-Down
Select the organization that you will add to the certification.
Organization Hierarchy
Select the job positions within the organization that you will add to the certification by clicking the Add button next to each. Once you have added a job, it will appear in the Associated Organization/Jobs column in the left.
Associated Organizations/Jobs
These are the jobs that have been added to the Certification. Remove a job with the Remove button, or remove all jobs with the Remove All button.
Done Button
When you have added the organization or all of the appropriate jobs, click the Done button.
Create Requirements and Rules
Next, you must add Requirements to the Certification. Each certification is made up of one or more requirements.
(Certification Title)
The name entered for the certification upon creation.
(VDM Specification)
The Certification Table linked from the VISION Developer module.
Display Order
The order in which each requirement appears on this menu. You can use the up and down arrows to change the display order.
Add/Edit Rule button
Click to add carryover and course repeat rules to the requirement. You will not be able to complete the requirement until you've added rules.
•Rule/Sequence: The order in which each set of rules will apply to the requirement's certification units. These are broken up according to the number of sequences you entered for the requirement. Each Sequence may have the same rules or different ones.
•Total Allowed: The total number of certification units a learner can accumulate for the sequence.
Carryover Settings
The number of extra credits earned for this requirement that can be applied to future requirements.
•Enabled: Check the box to enable Carryover Settings for this sequence.
•Allowed: The number of units a learner may earn in excess of the total allowed in this sequence to be used for the next sequence.
•Starting: The time frame in which carryover units can be earned.
•From Period: The starting point of the "Starting" time frame.
Course Repeat
The number of times a course can be repeated for certification hours during this sequence.
•Enabled: Check the box to enable Course Repeat for this sequence.
•Allowed: The number of times a learner can repeat the same course for units during this sequence.
•Starting: The time frame in which learners can repeat a course.
•From Period: The starting point of the "Starting" time frame.
Save Requirement Button
Click this button to save the information for this requirement.
Description
Enter a description for the certification (optional).
Requirement Total
The total number of units that this certification requires.
Number of Period Segments Requirement is Broken into
The certification can be broken into smaller segments to encourage learners to accumulate units over time. Enter the number of segments that you would like the requirement broken into.
Does Requirement Honor Certification's Grace Period?
You entered a grace period when you created the certification. Will the requirement honor it?
Requirement Based Time Frame
Whether the requirement is based on the "Calendar Year" or if it is based on the "Certification Year". If "Calendar Year" is selected, you will chose the Calendar Year Start Basis.
Calendar Year Start Basis
Select the time that the requirement's time frame will start, either Jan 1 of this year, July 1 of this year, or Jan 1 of next year.
Is Requirement valid for the same period of time as the Certification?
Enter whether or not the selected requirement operates during the same time period as the certification as a whole.
Validity Period
The length of time from the "based on" date that the certification will stay valid. At the end of this time it will "expire".
Save All Button
Click this button to save the information for all requirements.
Current User Records
These are the records that collect and store each learner's certification hours as they accumulate them. A learner must have an active certification record in order to accumulate certification hours.
User Name
The unique user name entered into the VISION Learning Station for the learner.
Last & First Name
The first and last name of the learner as it was entered into the VISION Learning Station.
NERC Cert Number
User defined coding entered in the "User Defined ID" field in the Learner's record in the VISION Learning Station.
Issue Date
This is the date that the certification was "issued" to the learner, but not necessarily the date that it started on.
Expire Date
The date that the certification expires and the date by which the learner must have earned all of the required credits (if there is no grace period).
Learners will receive an automatically generated email when their certification is about to expire.
Status
the certification may have one of the following statuses:
•Current: You up-to-date with this certification.
•On Suspension: You have passed the end of the certification period, but not the grace period. You can still earn credits for the certification.
•Reinstated: You were on suspension (passed the end of the certification period, but not the grace period) and have earned the necessary credits before the end of the grace period.
•Revoked: You have not earned the necessary credits and the Grace Period for the certification has passed.
View/Edit Link
View the user's certification record.
•ID: The VISION Learning Station identification number of the certification record.
•Current Record: Whether the record is being used to collect certification data at this time.
•Start Date: The date that the certification becomes available to the user.
•Certification ID: User defined coding entered for the certification record in the VISION Learning Station.
•Issue Date: This is the date that the certification was "issued", but it is not necessarily the date that the learner received it.
•Expire Date: The date that the certification expires and the date by which you must have earned all of the required credits (if there is no grace period).
•Grace Period Expire Date: The date that the grace period will end, and which will change your status from "On Suspension" to "Revoked" if you have not earned the required number of credits.
•Status: The learner may have one of the four following statuses:
oCurrent: You up-to-date with this certification.
oOn Suspension: You have passed the end of the certification period, but not the grace period. You can still earn credits for the certification.
oReinstated: You were on suspension (passed the end of the certification period, but not the grace period) and have earned the necessary credits before the end of the grace period.
oRevoked: You have not earned the necessary credits and the Grace Period for the certification has passed.
Requirements
Toggle the Detail button to view a detailed report of the learner's requirements information.
•Requirements: Each certification is made up of one or more requirements. Here the requirements are listed with along with the number of credits required and your current performance on each one.
•Renewal Basis: "Based On", "Valid For", and "Grace Period" are listed for the specific requirement.
•Prior Carry Over: The number of credits earned in the past that can be applied to this requirement.
•Needed: The total number of credits that you need to earn to satisfy the requirement.
•Earned: The number of credits that you have earned for this requirement.
•Difference: The difference between the number of credits you need and the number of credits you have earned. This is the amount of credits that you currently need to fulfill the requirement. Credits in red are ones that you have yet to fulfill, credits in green are extra.
•Carry Over: The number of extra credits earned for this requirement that can be applied to future requirements.
•Status: You may have one of the four following statuses:
oCurrent: You up-to-date with this certification.
oOn Suspension: You have passed the end of the certification period, but not the grace period. You can still earn credits for the certification.
oReinstated: You were on suspension (passed the end of the certification period, but not the grace period) and have earned the necessary credits before the end of the grace period.
oRevoked: You have not earned the necessary credits and the Grace Period for the certification has passed.
•Breakdown Recommendation: (Active records only) This is an ideal strategy for earning credits continuously over the time that your certification is valid. You do not have to follow this recommendation.
