The Director of Education at the AGRM's Office in Kansas City, Missouri is the coordinator of the AGRM Certification Program. he/she is the main point of contact for the ministry from the time of initial enrollment in the pogram until the Consultant's On-site Evaluation.

The Director of Education will: 

1. Assign a Certification Program Consultant to work with the ministry. This will be confirmed by a letter to both the ministry and it's consultant.
2. Offer direction in completing the certification process through the mail, telephone, and electronic mail.
3. Provide sample forms and documents and an approved Certification Program Notebook that can be used as a model for the ministry's own Notebook.
4. Review the first draft of the enrolled ministry's Certification Program Notebook to determine whether it has met the requirements of the program.
5. After the review he/she works with the Certification Program Consultant, using the first draft of the Certification Program Notebook to prepare him for the On-site Evaluation. During this phase, he/she will also provide specific instructions for what may need to be done so it will meet the program's standards.
6. Grant final approval for initial certification and the "Certificate of Excellence" upon recommendation of the ministry's assigned Certification Program Consultant.

B. Role of the Certification Program Consultant

The Certification Program Consultant serves as a catalyst, resource, evaluator, and coach for an enrolled ministry's "journey toward excellence." To serve as a Certification Program Consultant, an individual must have at least ten years of successful service as a rescue ministry chief executive. In most cases, they have brought their own missions through the process of certification.

Several of those currently serving in this capacity have been directors for over thirty years. Because of their many years in rescue ministry leadership, Certification Program Consultants are tremendous resource people. They can offer important insights that are sure to benefit the entire operation of the mission.

Certification Program Consultants conduct an On-site Evaluation of each ministry seeking to become a "Certified Mission." The ministry is responsible for all expenses incurred; travel, meals, lodging, etc. An entire business day should be set aside for the Consultant's On-site Evaluation.

Larger ministries, with several programs operating at a number of different sites, may require an additional day or two.

During their time on-site at the ministry, Consultants may be available for banquets or chapel services and interviews with the local media. They can also address the staff, board of directors, or auxiliary of the mission. Extra time must be allotted if the Consultant is asked to do any of these additional activities.

During the On-site Evaluation, the Certification Program Consultant will review the various documents and and other factors that demonstrate the ministry's compliance with the standards of the program. he/she will offer suggestions to assist the ministry in correcting and improving in areas that do not meet the program's requirements. If he/she determines that the ministry is in significant compliance, the Consultant recommends that the Director of Education grant certification.

If, for some good reason, the ministry's director feels the assigned Consultant is not appropriate for the organization, a request for a change may be directed to the Director of Education. The Consultant has the same prerogative. A decision to request a change must be for some substantive reason and not without just cause.

C. Role of the Certification Consultants Committee

The Certification Committee assists the Director of Education in the on-going development and administration of the AGRM Certification Program. Meeting annually, this committee, made up of the active Certification Program Consultants, provides guidance on the operation, policies, and standards of the program.

The Director of Education may refer to them for input when confronted with difficult situations regarding a ministry's compliance with the program's standards.

D. Waiver of Program Standards and Requirements

There may be legitimate reasons to request a waiver of a particular program standard or requirement of the AGRM Certification Program. Application for such a waiver requires the completion of the "Standards Waiver Request" form. (page 74) A copy of this form must be completed for each waiver requested. They must be submitted to the Consultant during the "On-site Evaluation" and will be included with the report he/she submits to the AGRM Office.

1. Failure to comply with local, state, or federal, laws or regulations that are commonly understood and applied to the operations of the mission in question.
2. A lack of compliance with written directives of any inspector representing a government regulatory agency or insurance company.
3. An operating procedure or function which potentially endangers the safety or health of employees, clients, volunteers, or vistors.

E. The Certificate of Excellence

The "Certificate of Excellence" is the second phase of the AGRM Certification Program. Application for this phase of certification can only be made by those ministries that have first met all the requirements of the "Certified Mission" phase. Materials documenting a ministry's compliance with the standards of the "Certificate of Excellence" must be submitted to the Director of Education in a separate notebook using the format outlined in the "Certifed Excellent" section of this manual.

F. Receiving Recognition for Certificated Mission Status and the Certificate of Excellence

Qualifying for certification is an accomplishment worthy of recognition. A special award plaque is presented by the AGRM to "Certified Missions" and those ministries that meet the standards of the "Certificate of Excellence." AGRM staff members and officers are available to make a special presentation at the mission being certified. This has been a special public relations event that some certified ministries have used to highlight their commitment to integrity and to excellence. Also, at each year's AGRM Convention, an awards ceremony is held to recognize missions that have been certified since the previous convention.

G. Logos.

Each ministry that completes the certification process receives a special "Certified Member" logo for use with its publications, stationary and public relations materials. There is a special logo for ministries that attain the "Certificate of Excellence."

1. Re-certification occurs in the fifth calendar year after a ministry becomes a "Certified Mission." (e. g. 1997 certified, then 2002 re-certified).
2. Re-certification requirements must be met by December 31 of the fifth calendar year. Failure to enter the process of re-certification by this date will result in a termination of the ministry's enrollment in the AGRM Certification Program. If this occurs, it must go through the initial application process to be reinstated.
3. Being re-certified is not automatic. A ministry must give evidence that it meets the criteria outlined in most recent edition of the AGRM Certification Manual.
4. The Director of Education, with the assistance of the ministry's Certification Program Consultant, approves all re-certified ministries.
5. A Consultant's On-site Evaluation is also required for re-certification.
6. A re-certification fee of $100.00 is charged for administrative costs, which includes and a copy of the latest AGRM Certification Manual.
7. Certified missions are notified by the AGRM Office when scheduled for re-certification.

H. Cancellation.