January 20, 2010: Based on feedback the Commission received from land trusts that have been through the program, commissioner experience from reviewing more than 100 applications and an outside review, the accreditation process is changing to be more efficient for applicants and the Commission.
As part of this, the Land Trust Alliance made the decision to reduce the number of practices sampled from Land Trust Standards and Practices for accreditation, from 37 to 26. This change will maintain the rigor of the program while reducing the time applicants spend completing the application. It will also enable the Commission to efficiently manage an increasing volume of applications.
In conjunction with the changes to the indicator practices, the Commission released revised application materials today. Many of the pre-application and application questions and attachments have been combined or reorganized in order to reduce redundancy while retaining the substance of the indicator practices that were removed from the list. The amount of questions and attachments has been reduced by nearly 40%, with attached statements replacing many of the previous questions.
Through these changes and revised materials, the Commission is reducing the redundancy in the application noted by previous applicants while maintaining the rigor of the program. The changes to the indicator practices will go into effect on March 31, 2010.
>> See the revised list of accreditation indicator practices.
>> View a graphic showing how previously overlapping information is now managed under the revised set of indicator practices .
>> Attachment Location for Eliminated Indicator Practices: Comparison of the 2008 and 2010 Applications (MS Word)
>> Download the new application materials today.
Frequently Asked Questions about the new changes to the accreditation process
Indicator Practice Changes Announced
The Land Trust Alliance recently adjusted the accreditation indicator practices, reducing the number from 37 to 26, in response to the Commission’s systematic review of the accreditation process. The change results in a reduction in redundancy and a more efficient application process for land trusts and commissioners alike.
When is the change effective?
The change to the indicator practices will be effective March 31, 2010. The 2008 list of indicator practices will continue to be in effect for accreditation decisions made through March 30, 2010.
What are the indicator practices?
Indicator practices are a sampling of the practices from Land Trust Standards and Practices, the ethical and technical guidelines for the responsible operation of a land trust. Evaluating the indicator practices provides an overview of the current operation of an applicant land trust and indicates whether or not the land trust operates in an ethical, legal and technically sound manner and ensures the long-term protection of land in the public interest.
How and why did this change come about?
The Commission regularly solicits feedback from applicants and in 2009 it contracted with an accreditation expert to review this feedback and the Commission’s experience with reviewing more than 100 applications. The consultant found redundancy in the application, indicator practices and review process that could be eliminated – saving applicants and commissioners time while retaining the rigor of the review.
The reduction in the number of indicator practices increases efficiency of the program and reduces redundancy while maintaining the integrity and rigor of the program.
The indicator practices that were retained are accurate indicators of the land trust’s ability to operate in an ethical, legal and technically sound manner and ensure the long-term protection of land in the public interest.
The Commission listened to the feedback of the land trusts that have been through the program. The change in indicator practices reflects incorporation of that feedback.
Were there other changes?
Yes, in conjunction with the change to the list of indicator practices, the charge of the Commission has been clarified. The Commission evaluates land trust implementation of Land Trust Standards and Practices via the sample of accreditation indicator practices. The Commission’s bylaws and the Accreditation Agreement signed by applicants reflect the connection to the complete set of Land Trust Standards and Practices. The Commission may also take into consideration an applicant’s willful disregard of a non-indicator practice if it puts the applicant or the accreditation program at risk. The Applicant Handbook contains details on these and other program changes.
Does this mean it will be easier for land trusts to get accredited?
The pre-application and application have been reformatted to reduce redundancy and should take less time for applicants to complete. While the application itself should be easier to complete – if the land trust has all of the documentation necessary – applicants must still provide evidence that they are meeting each indicator practice. The standard of compliance has not changed and each applicant will be subject to a compliance review as comprehensive and detailed as the applicants that have come before them.
Is there an example of reduced redundancy?
The questions and attachments from the March 2008 version of the accreditation application have generally been incorporated elsewhere in the 2010 application. For example, planning and evaluation documentation once provided under practice 1B. Planning and Evaluation, 6A. Annual Budget and 7A. Capacity will now be reviewed only under practice 7A. Thus, basic data provided by applicants remains the same, but duplication is reduced. In addition, several attachments will be requested only once at the time of pre-application, eliminating the need to provide three copies of certain documents.
Who is responsible for the changes?
The land trust accreditation program is based on a sample of indicator practices drawn from Land Trust Standards and Practices, the ethical and technical guidelines for the responsible operation of a land trust. Land Trust Standards and Practices is published and maintained by the Land Trust Alliance, which licenses the reprinting of the indicator practices to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.
The Commission provided the recommendation for the changes to the Alliance, based on feedback from scores of applicants and on its systematic study of the processes and review of more than 100 applications. The Alliance Board is the entity that approves the specific indicator practices, and it voted to make the changes last fall effective March 31, 2010.
Are revised materials available?
Yes. Revised application materials and an updated Applicant Handbook are available on the Commission’s website at www.landtrustaccreditation.org/the-process/application.
What help is there in understanding the changes?
The Commission hosts regular webinars on the accreditation process, please see www.landtrustaccreditation.org/tips-and-tools/training or the Land Trust Alliance Training Calendar www.lta.org/training/webinars-workshops for the next scheduled webinar.
Can you describe the evaluation the Commission conducted?
The Commission conducted a thorough evaluation of its program in the summer of 2009. It relied on information from applicant surveys and timesheets as well as data distilled from the review of more than 100 applications. A national accreditation consultant assisted in the analysis of the information and provided recommendations for action.
The recommendations were predicated on retaining the program’s integrity while increasing efficiency for applicants and the Commission. Significant findings included:
- Accreditation makes a difference to applicants and to the land trust community
- The program has integrity
- There is room for improvement
- Applicants spend significant time compiling documents
- There is redundancy in the application and review process
- Review time per applicant is greater than expected and increases dramatically when applicants are not prepared
The consultant made several recommendations and the Commission adopted all of her suggestions. Implementation of the recommendations is underway; several steps required coordination with the Land Trust Alliance. Key recommendations were as follows.
- Reduce the level of customization and coaching in the Commission’s response to each applicant. Instead, indicate to applicants where the areas of noncompliance are and direct them to appropriate Alliance resources to learn how to take corrective action.
- Reduce unnecessary duplication in the drafting of Commission documents.
- Reduce redundancy in the application and improve efficiency by reducing the number accreditation indicator practices (a step that required Alliance action). At the same time, emphasize that the indicator practices are only sample of the entire set of Land Trust Standards and Practices that applicants must implement.
- Work with the Alliance to increase applicant preparedness and create an efficient system for the Commission to require unprepared applicants to withdraw from the process.
Who can I call about a question that is not addressed here?
Feel free to call the Commission staff at 518-587-3143 or e-mail
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
