Community Sustainability Planning Certification and International Organization?

Good or bad idea?

A colleague and I are developing a distance learning course in community sustainability planning.

As it evolved, it seemed like it would be more valuable if the course were embedded within an international membership organization to advance an emerging common understanding and range of practices and include a certification program. Such an organization might be named the International Association of Sustainable Community Planning (IASCP).

We would be interested in comments feedback. Go here http://www.whistlegreen.com/iascp/ to view a mock up web site concept proposal (comment at the site, here, or both), and/or read the following for more detail.

Part of me reacts to this idea in the positive: yes, good idea, needed, useful. Part of me reacts in the negative: just what we need, another sustainability organization pitching its particular approach and certification. There must be tens if not hundreds of other organizations out there already. Why do we need another one?

I don’t think there is much chance of success as just another organization. However, if the IASCP could function as an integrative, umbrella group for the field, with a course/base certification that provided an integrative foundation and mastery of common components, concepts, skills, and then incorporated the particular frameworks, approaches, and trainings of other existing orgs, the umbrella/certification function might advance the understanding and practice in this young arena of evolving concepts, tools, and practices. The training and certification of existing programs would be arranged thru reciprocal credit for certification maintenance or advanced/specialty certifications within the IASCP. There would be no anticipated changes in other organizations other than a reciprocal credit agreement with the IASCP when a person successfully completed the other organization’s training/certification. Part of the research and development work of the IACSP could include integrative projects with other interested organizations to further integration and synthesis of understanding and practice.

To test the idea and solicit some feedback, my colleague has developed a mock-up website to present the concept proposal in more detail and to solicit feedback. Go here, http://www.whistlegreen.com/iascp/, and quickly click thru the few pages and let us know what you think. In particular,

1. How does the concept strike you initially and upon reflection?
2. Assuming it gathered momentum and did the job, is this a good idea/bad idea? Why?
3. What types of fatal or resolvable issues, start-up, production, use, or otherwise, do you foresee?
4. Any other comments/reactions?

If you have the time and interest, we would love to hear your reactions and thoughts. For those who do comment, thank you in advance.