The Mystery of Central Certifying Body of Six Sigma! What others have to say

The buzz around certification courses has seen a dramatic increase in recent years. With the increasing competition, professionals are bent on turning every stone to not just enhance their skill set but also improve their marketability. To meet the demand, several training and certifying bodies have come up in the last few decades, promising quality courses and certifications. Training and acquiring new skills have never been easier. But this also raises red flags related to quality and relevance.

A general answer to these problems comes in the form of Central certifying bodies that work towards monitoring and maintaining the quality of the training. However, there are many certifications that do not fall under any certifying body. In our previous article “ The Mystery of Central Certifying body of Six Sigma” we discussed how certain organizations claim to be the Central Certifying body of Six Sigma. Today we will go a step further on the same line and have a glimpse at what others have to say on this subject. The Article will include references to what other Trainers, Professionals, organizations or individuals have spoken on several social media outposts.

In an article (on the website of Acuity Institute), Stephanie Herman has tried to clear the air about the central governing body of Six Sigma. According to Stephanie Herman:

“This is a very common question, and the simple answer is no, there is no governing body that oversees Lean Six Sigma Certification.”

Another article posted (on www.greycampus.com) under the headline “How to get Certified in Six Sigma Green Belt” informs its readers that there is no central certifying body for Six Sigma. To quote the Article: “There is no single body assigned to give Six Sigma certificate to the quality profession. “

Rex Jayso Tuozo, a Philippines based trainer agrees with this as well. Rex Jayso also provides the answer to the second most obvious question: “Who provides the certification, if there is no Governing Body for Six Sigma?”

According to Rex Jayso:

“It is the Master Black Belt that certifies an individual, only ‘through’ the organization that he/she represents”.

You might get certification with the organization’s name on it but it’s the instructor who enables the organization in doing so. Losing the Mater Black Belt instructors would directly result in the organization losing its potential to grant Six Sigma certification.

Rex Jayso also speaks about organizations that directly or indirectly claim to be the central certifying body for Six Sigma. With respect to the International Association for Six Sigma Certification, Rex Jayso says: “While I admire how they positioned their business to earn money, I Personally see no value-adding to the Six Sigma practice.”

With respect to The Council for Six Sigma Certification, he says: “Its website does not state the name of its officers, consultants, institutions, Six Sigma expert-members that form the "Council. It doesn't even publish its office address which raises another red flag.”

Not having a governing body comes with certain disadvantages. 6sigma.com provides ‘5 Biggest Risks Six Sigma Faces Without a Governing Body’ where it explicitly describes the problems faced because of the absence of a central governing body. According to the website, the top 5 risks are:

• Lack of Consistent Training
• Lack of Organization
• Loss of Transparency 
• The abundance of Illegitimate Training
• Growth of a Poor Reputation for certified professionals

 There are a lot of other discussions and points that are being brought up. For example, Smart sheets bring up a comparison between the salary of people holding Six Sigma certifications and people who do not hold any certification.

Matt Hansen, in his LinkedIn article, has tried to answer several other questions related to Six Sigma certifications like:

• Do organizations require me to attend their training?
• Do they validate my application of the Lean Six Sigma tools?
• Do they offer online or classroom training options?
• How much do they cost?

With all the discussions going on, we can be sure that there is no central certifying body for Six Sigma. While the absence of a governing body brings a few issues, it also creates flexibility. Organizations get options to fine-tune the course to suit their objective. If you are a professional looking to take up Six Sigma certification, it would be advisable to do your homework, understand if you really need the certification course and choose a training provider that delivers the best within your comfort range.