Accreditation Cycle

What exactly is an accreditation cycle?

For agencies pursuing initial accreditation, most accrediting entities provide a period of time—often somewhere in the range of one to two years—to prepare for the first formal assessment.

Once the agency becomes initially accredited, the accreditation cycle begins. Simply put, the cycle is the period of time between formal assessments. Depending on the accrediting entity, it is commonly three to four years in duration.

So When Does the Cycle Actually Start and End?

Your new accreditation cycle begins the day after your formal assessment concludes and continues through the final day of your next formal assessment.

Because formal assessments don't necessarily fall on exactly the same dates each time, the actual length of your cycle can fluctuate a little. Sometimes circumstances beyond our control can shift the cycle entirely—like we experienced during the pandemic. Extensions and other circumstances can also change anticipated assessment dates.

That's why it's important to work from your agency's actual assessment dates, rather than simply adding three or four years to the calendar.

Here's a Three-Year Cycle Example:

Initial Formal Assessment: March 12–14, 2024
Cycle Starts: March 15, 2024

First Reaccreditation Assessment: April 2–4, 2027
Cycle Ends: April 4, 2027

Next Cycle Starts: April 5, 2027

Second Reaccreditation Assessment: April 2–4, 2030
Cycle Ends: April 4, 2030

Notice that the first cycle isn't exactly three calendar years. That's okay. Your actual formal assessment dates determine the beginning and end of the cycle.

And don't let those dates make annual requirements more complicated than they need to be. If your cycle starts in April, that doesn't mean everything needs to operate on an April-to-April schedule. Many activities, such as training, already occur on an established schedule. For annual activities you have more control over—like Use of Force or Bias Policing reports—a calendar-year approach may simply make more sense. Complete the report each January using the previous year's data, for example, and you'll still have one completed within each year of your accreditation cycle. For a little more information on this strategy, check out my other Helpful Tip called "Accreditation Year."

Why Does the Cycle Matter?

Knowing where you are in your accreditation cycle gives context to everything else you're doing.

Rather than thinking only about the next assessment date, think about the entire period between assessments as your working timeline. It helps you pace the work, maintain compliance along the way, and understand where today's accreditation activities fit into the bigger picture.

And when that next formal assessment concludes?

Take a moment to celebrate—and then welcome to Day One of your next accreditation cycle.

Who do you know that could benefit from these accreditation-friendly tips and resources? Consider sharing this link with a colleague so they can sign up:https://www.accreditationacademy.net/signup 

Areaka P. Jewell

Accreditation Academy

areaka@accreditationacademy.net

(305) 360-1075