10 Standards of HPT

The 10 Standards of HPT are a set of universal guiding principles, set by the International Society of Performance Improvement, or ISPI, for performance improvement professionals and other similar roles in the field. The first four standards act as principles and the remaining standards relate to taking a systematic approach. The 10 standards are as follows:

(Principles)

  1. Focus on results or outcomes.
  2. Take a system view or think systematically.
  3. Add value by remembering the organizational purpose.
  4. Partner & work collaboratively with others.

(Systematic Approach)

  1. Identify Needs & Performance gap
  2. Determine the cause
  3. Design the solution
  4. Develop the solution
  5. Implement the solution
  6. Evaluate the solution

The above standards serve as a foundation and successfully demonstrates one’s industry mastery for current (or those interested in becoming) certified performance technologists, or CPT. ISPI grants the certification to experienced performance professionals who are committed to the field and show a record of applying the 10 Standards of HPT effectively in their career. The descriptions below explain each standard.

  1. The focus of the first standard, focus on results or outcomes, is a standard that helps keep the “bottom line” at the forefront of any impacting consideration, before any implementation. It clearly expresses a client’s goals and intentions and aims to minimize implementations that failed to align accordingly.
  2. Taking a systematic view involves acknowledging areas and parts within an organization or larger system, to note the relationships and impacting factors to consider and avoid new or unresolved challenges.
  3. To add value suggest a practitioner should only attempt solutions that add or enhance quality. The idea is to strengthen and devalue in any way.
  4. To work in partnership with clients and stakeholders emphasizes the importance of making a collaborative effort to address a challenge or concern for producing satisfactory results.
  5. Finding the best and even an accurate solution is more difficult when failing to determine the need or opportunity (Identify Needs & Performance gap).
  6. To determine the cause, the source of a problem must be located. This is not limited to the actual cause of a problem, but any items that hinder relevant progression.
  7. Plans for solutions that are feasible, aligned with goals, and likely to improve performance (design the solution).
  8. When a practitioner begins to consider an approach to develop the solution, the eighth standard helps to validate a solution’s features and design as an effective instrument to produce the desired outcome(s).
  9. To implement the solution, planning is required that involves monitoring progress along the way to address any challenges that may arise.

10. Evaluating the solution is the last standard. It involves collecting data to analyze the end results and help discover opportunities for improvement or items to correct.

References

Dessinger, J. C., Moseley, J. L., & Van Tiem, D. M. (2012). Performance improvement/HPT model: Guiding the process. Performance Improvement, 51(3), 10–17. https://doi.org/10.1002/pfi.20251

Advanced Solutions International, Inc. (n.d.). Certified Performance Technologist Standards. Retrieved April 14, 2019, from https://www.ispi.org/ISPI/Credentials/CPT_Certification/CPT_Standards.aspx

Charlotte ISPI Chapter (2010). Certified Performance Technologist (CPT): Setting the Standard. Online Webinar Presented in Charlotte, NC. Retrieved April 14, 2019 from http://www.ispicharlotte.org/resources/documents/ispi_webinar_72010.pdf