Please Note: These recertification guidelines currently only apply to holders of the CO-OP® credential. New guidelines are currently being approved for the Certified Organizational Ombuds credential and will be posted when approved.

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If you have any additional questions, please reach out to [email protected].

Frequently Asked Questions – Recertification

Current CO-OP®:  Please review this blog post

Where can I find the Professional Development Hours (PDH) Tracking Form?

We strongly recommend downloading the tracking form in the beginning of your four-year certification period. This way you can fill it out throughout the four years versus having to try and remember it all at the end of the fourth year. Please note that all documentation must be in English.

Download the PDH Tracking Form

A maximum of 15 PDH can be obtained per conference. This depends on which sessions you attend. Please use the conference-specific tracking sheets below to determine the conference PDH you earned and fill out your PDH tracking form above. Be sure to save these conference-specific trackers as they will need to be sent to the committee if your application is chosen for an audit.

• 2025 Conference PDH Tracker
• 2024 Conference PDH Tracker
• 2023 Conference PDH Tracker
• 2022 Conference PDH Tracker
• 2021 Conference PDH Tracker

Can I see an example of a completed Professional Development Hours (PDH) Tracking Form?

Please contact the office for a sample 

What are qualifying Professional Development Hours (PDH) activities, and how do I calculate the PDH?

You may receive Professional Development Hours (PDH) in the following four categories:

1. Education
   1. Attending courses, classes, webinars, workshops, training programs, conferences, or meetings. Attendance may be in-person, online, by phone, or by conference call.
   2. Maximum PDH: 15 PDH for a single educational activity (e.g. a 40-hour workshop, a full semester college class, or a single IOA conference), but up to 60 PDH total during a four-year recertification cycle.
   3. How to Calculate PDH: On an hour-for-hour basis, rounding down to the nearest quarter-hour increment. Hours should be calculated from the beginning to the end of a single session or program, including brief "stretch" or refreshment breaks. Longer breaks, such as one-hour lunch breaks, do not count toward PDH for the activity.
2. Presenting & Instruction
   1. Preparing and delivering presentations or instruction featuring substantive content aligned with the CO-OP® Domains.
   2. Maximum PDH: 15 PDH during a four-year recertification cycle.
   3. How to Calculate PDH: On an hour-for-hour basis, rounding down to the nearest quarter-hour increment for both preparation and presentation.
3. Mentorship
   1. Participating as a mentee or a mentor in the IOA Mentoring Program, COFO program, or any other ombuds mentoring relationships.
   2. Maximum PDH: 15 PDH during a four-year recertification cycle.
   3. How to Calculate PDH: On an hour-for-hour basis, rounding down to the nearest quarter-hour increment. Verification may be provided by attestation from the mentor/mentee.
4. Writing & Publishing
   1. Producing original research and writing that relates to one or more of the CO-OP® Domains and is published in peer-reviewed or closely vetted venues.
   2. Maximum PDH: 15 PDH during a four-year recertification cycle.
   3. How to Calculate PDH: One PDH per published page.

Are there pre-approved PDH activities?

You can access a list of pre-approved PDH activities here. The list is updated throughout the year, so check back to see if anything new has been added by the CO-OP® Recertification Committee. When you list a pre-approved activity on your PDH Tracking Form, no further documentation is needed unless your application is audited.

What if my activity is not included on the pre-approved PDH list (aka it’s a non-pre-approved activity)? How do I submit these activities for PDH for credit?

When requesting PDH for an activity that is not on the list of pre-approved PDH activities, the Recertification Committee needs to know two things:

1. The duration of the activity
   1. You will calculate PDH on a quarter basis (for any course at least 30 min).  Hours should be calculated from the beginning to the end of a single session or program, including brief "stretch" or refreshment breaks. Longer breaks, such as one-hour lunch breaks, do not count toward PDH for the activity. Conference or workshop agendas are often submitted for this purpose.
   2. Examples:
   1.  A full-day course from 9:00 AM - 4:45 PM with a one-hour lunch break would be 6.75 PDH
   2. A full-day course from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM with a one-hour lunch break would be 7 PDH
   3.  Two separate morning conference sessions, each 1.5 hours in length, with a break in between, would count for 3 PDH
   4.  A half-day course from 8:30 AM - 11:45 AM would be 3 PDH
   5. A half-day course from 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM would be 3.5 PDH
   6. A half-day course from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM would count as 3 PDH
2. How the activity corresponds to the Domains Chart.
1. The Recertification Committee will need to review a short description of the activity to ensure it aligns with any of the criteria listed on the Domains Chart.

Domains/Content that can be certifed 

What happens after I apply for recertification?

Once submitted, your PDH Tracking Form will be evaluated by the CO-OP® Recertification Committee to ensure it lists at least 60 hours of applicable PDH. Committee members will contact you to request additional information as needed.

The CO-OP® Recertification Committee aims to respond to applications for recertification within four to six weeks.

Approved applicants will be notified by the committee through email. An official recertification packet will follow by email with the signed certificate.

What if my application is chosen for a recertification audit? What documentation should I keep track of during my four-year certification period in case I am audited?