Licensure

Licensure refers to permission (usually granted by the state) to conduct evaluations. The law usually specifies the qualifications of the evaluators. This typically entails the assessment of an applicant's competence in a core set of standards accepted within the profession or the applicant's experience. Licensure ensures a foundational level of knowledge of evaluation and potentially protects society from incompetent evaluators by delimiting the scope of practice of practitioners. Licensure can also protect a profession from competition. Currently there is no licensing process for evaluators in the United States; however, some evaluation organizations worldwide are exploring the possibility of certification.