Who benefits from certifying GIS professionals?
First and foremost, the public. Given that the public sector is one of the largest (if not the largest) employment sectors using GIS technology today, it is felt that the nation’s taxpayers deserve assurance that competent and ethical GIS professionals are being hired with their public tax dollars. Certification is one of the means governments (as well as other employers) can use to identify the most qualified individuals for GIS positions. Also, citizens are possibly the largest group of people that can be affected by the use of GIS in the operations of government, so it is expected that GIS certification can assure the appropriate application of GIS technology to improve their quality of life. Finally, young people can be made aware of the GIS career and what it takes to become a GIS professional through the formal definition of the profession that certification provides.
