The case for a voluntary system for credentialing evaluators

A voluntary system for credentialing evaluators is described. I examine the urgent need for such a system in the field of evaluation, as well as vario us concerns regarding credentialing. The paper also includes an unabridged and adapted version of a table that was used in a debate on certification a t the 1998 annual meetings of the American Evaluation Association in Chicag o. The table is helpful in understanding both the pro and con sides of the credentialing issue.