Operation Review & ACCT Accreditation

After many years in the planning process, the Association for Challenge Course Technology rolled out its much-anticipated accreditation program this past July. Several cohorts of reviewers have received training (including Brian and Kathy) and some programs in the US have already begun the accreditation process.

An Operation Review is the third part of a complete quality assurance process for challenge course programs. You are already used to having a professional inspection completed to ACCT standards at least annually. Similarly, your staff undergo training and sometimes certification. Whether they are a summer camp, zip line tour, aerial adventure park, or outdoor education centre, an operations review looks at the ability of the organization to deliver a quality participant experience. Operation Accreditation by the ACCT is a verification that a site meets the standards in all of these areas.

Since most sites were not open for the full 2020 season (if they opened at all) operation accreditation may seem like a strange thing to be considering for 2021. The way to think about it, however, is that being forced to critically consider the way you operate is a perfect opportunity to re-start operations on the right path and make some of those little changes you have been considering for awhile.

The main part of an operations review process consists of a site visit. Similar to a camp accreditation visit, a reviewer will come to your site during a time your program is operating armed with a clipboard and checklist to see your staff in action. Unlike a camp accreditation visit, the focus is strictly on the challenge course program. The length of the visit depends on how many different systems or elements your offer. A site with zip lines and a Giant Swing and a lanyard course and a climbing wall and low ropes course will take longer to evaluate than a site that offers low ropes activities only.

A key feature of ACCT’s Operation Accreditation is that the process is driven by the organization being accredited. You hire the operation reviewer directly and they provide the report to you within 30 days. You then decide whether you want to submit their report to ACCT. Other documents that need to be submitted include the organization’s professional inspection report (and any subsequent repairs), the organization’s training report, and the application fee. Accreditation must be renewed every five years – with some annual paperwork between operation reviews. Operations must be ACCT organizational members (Business to Client B2C) to take advantage of this service. Successful organizations receive permission to use the ACCT accredited operation logo.

Adventureworks Associates, Inc. is excited to help our clients improve the effectiveness of their programs and risk management system through an operations review. Contact us to discuss an Operation Review for your site.

More information about Operation Accreditation is available on the ACCT website including a 15 minute webinar.