WIGIS and PAGIS co-hosted a presentation on the GISCI Certification Program. I would like to acknowledge the initiative of Dana Baker, Matthew Krusemark, and Minott Kerr in recognizing the need for this event and their diligence in making it happen. I also wish to thank presenters Eric Bohard and Milton Hill for their thoroughness and patience in fielding a rather large roomful of questions.
 
Many aspects of the Certification Program were illuminated during the course of the WIGIS/PAGIS meeting. The topic of Contribution Points seemed to generate significant confusion, so I've done some research and am offering clarifications on that and two other topics below.
 
I would also encourage anyone with lingering questions to consult:
1) The GISCI Procedures Manual, available online at http://www.gisci.org/Application_Materials/MANUAL.pdf
2) The GISCI Powerpoint presentation Eric referenced, available at http://www.gisci.org/8-14-03gisci_presentation.pdf.
3) The GISCI Manager, Scott A. Grams, sgrams@gisci.org
 
Now, for the clarifications I promised....
 
VOLUNTEER WORK
Anyone working in GIS on a regular but unpaid basis may count their hours as Professional Experience, noting the appropriate % FTE for the duration of this commitment.
 
MANAGER/COORDINATOR SUPERVISORY BONUS
These Professional Experience points are awarded with little regard to job title. If you serve as a GIS staff supervisor or an inter-agency coordinator, you may be eligible for the supervisory bonus points. If your job title is "Coordinator" or "Manager" but you have neither of the above responsibilites, you may not be eligible.
 
CONTRIBUTION POINTS
Summary: As to whether you earn Contribution Points for work done on the job or toward an academic degree, very often the answer is yes. A project report for your employer does not earn Contribution Points. If you present that report at a conference or publish it in a 3rd party publication, however, you may earn points. Likewise, a thesis or dissertation itself is not a publication that earns contribution points. However, if you present all or a portion of the work from a thesis at a conference or public event, this DOES earn Contribution Points. If your presentation is then published in conference proceedings, you get additional Contribution Points. The critical difference is whether you have taken initiative to share your work with a wider audience and whether that audience is a neutral public body as opposed to clients or co-workers. I have corresponded with Scott Grams, GISCI Certification Manager, to arrive at this summary; should anyone wish to see the details, email me and I'll forward the conversation.
 
You'll also find support in the Procedures Manual noted previously. Below are some relevant excerpts from the manual (red color emphasis mine, for those who can see it):
-----------------------
It must be emphasized, however, that work-related publications and sales presentations are elements of work experience. Contributions are intended to recognize documents and activities that relay lessons learned and techniques developed at work beyond the client and employer. They should benefit the profession as a whole.
 
The Contribution Point Schedule provided below is broken down into seven categories:
• GIS Publications (writing or reviewing certain GIS related materials). Theses and dissertations are included in the Education section under coursework credit and no additional credit will be given.
• GIS Professional Association Involvement (being a member of an organization with a focus on GIS activities or education)
• GIS Conference Participation (organizing a state, local, or national GIS conference)
• GIS Workshop Instruction (presenting a workshop at a state, local, or national event. Workshops that are presented on behalf of the applicant’s employer are not applicable)
• GIS Conference Presentation (presenting at a state, local, or national GIS conference. This includes poster presentations)
• GIS Awards Received (awards for excellence in GIS proficiency that may be bestowed by a variety of sources)
• Other GIS Contributions (includes GIS Day type event organization or participation and various community
 
Examples of What Constitutes a Work-related Publication
(1) An employee of a county GIS organization creates maps of zoning and future land use, then someone else in the county’s IT department puts those maps on a county Web site for access by the public. This is not a contribution to the profession as the decision to publish was made by the author’s employer.
(2) An employee of a city-planning department writes an article for the regional GIS user group’s newsletter during normal working hours describing how a zoning map was produced. This is a contribution since the decision to publish was made by the newsletter editor.
(3) A consultant designs a new database for a client and then writes a magazine article describing the project and its results at the request of the firm’s marketing department. The database design is not a contribution, but the magazine article is.
(4) A student does original research to produce a term paper, and then writes an article for the URISA Journal describing the work. The term paper is not a publication, but the Journal article is. The difference [in content] between the term paper and the published article, if any, is not relevant.