Society of Certified Criminal Analysts
Encyclopedia
The Society of Certified Criminal Analysts (SCCA) is a professional body established to promote professionalism and high standards in analysis by establishing standards and testing and by certifying analysts. The Society was established by working analysts in 1989 to complement the work of the International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts
(IALEIA), which is open to analysts and intelligence officers
worldwide.
As of 2005, over 200 persons worldwide have met certification standards. Members tend to be among the more experienced and educated analysts and frequently hold higher classifications in their respective organizations. Some agencies encourage SCCA certification for analysts seeking promotion
or employment
.
SCCA is the accreditation
arm of IALEIA in 1996 and IALEIA's support was re-affirmed by its Board in 2003. SCCA also entered into an agreement with the Australian Institute of Professional Intelligence Officers
(AIPIO) to allow its members to qualify for certification without necessarily being members of IALEIA.
Countries in which analysts have been certified include Canada
, Argentina
, Australia
, Austria
, Belgium
, France
, the Netherlands
, South Africa
, the United Kingdom
and the United States
.
Certification is by way of examination which takes about 6 hours in total. Key features of the examination process include developing intelligence
reports, use and application of intelligence analysis
tools and a depth of understanding in relation to intelligence concepts and models.
Certified analysts are required to undergo a re-certification process every three years to validate currency of competence
. There are two levels of certification, normal and 'life', the latter being achieved at a higher level and after a period of certification at the lower level.
Analysts gaining certification are entitled to use the postnominals
"CCA" in correspondence.
International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts
The International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts is an organization incorporated in the United States in 1981. The function of IALEIA is to advance standards of professionalism in law enforcement intelligence analysis at the local, state, national and international levels...
(IALEIA), which is open to analysts and intelligence officers
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
worldwide.
As of 2005, over 200 persons worldwide have met certification standards. Members tend to be among the more experienced and educated analysts and frequently hold higher classifications in their respective organizations. Some agencies encourage SCCA certification for analysts seeking promotion
Promotion (rank)
A promotion is the advancement of an employee's rank or position in an organizational hierarchy system. Promotion may be an employee's reward for good performance i.e. positive appraisal...
or employment
Employment
Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
.
SCCA is the accreditation
Professional certification
Professional certification, trade certification, or professional designation, often called simply certification or qualification, is a designation earned by a person to assure qualification to perform a job or task...
arm of IALEIA in 1996 and IALEIA's support was re-affirmed by its Board in 2003. SCCA also entered into an agreement with the Australian Institute of Professional Intelligence Officers
Australian Institute of Professional Intelligence Officers
The Australian Institute of Professional Intelligence Officers is a not-for-profit organisation which aims to promote the intelligence profession in Australia...
(AIPIO) to allow its members to qualify for certification without necessarily being members of IALEIA.
Countries in which analysts have been certified include Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Certification is by way of examination which takes about 6 hours in total. Key features of the examination process include developing intelligence
Intelligence (information gathering)
Intelligence assessment is the development of forecasts of behaviour or recommended courses of action to the leadership of an organization, based on a wide range of available information sources both overt and covert. Assessments are developed in response to requirements declared by the leadership...
reports, use and application of intelligence analysis
Intelligence analysis
Intelligence analysis is the process of taking known information about situations and entities of strategic, operational, or tactical importance, characterizing the known, and, with appropriate statements of probability, the future actions in those situations and by those entities...
tools and a depth of understanding in relation to intelligence concepts and models.
Certified analysts are required to undergo a re-certification process every three years to validate currency of competence
Skill
A skill is the learned capacity to carry out pre-determined results often with the minimum outlay of time, energy, or both. Skills can often be divided into domain-general and domain-specific skills...
. There are two levels of certification, normal and 'life', the latter being achieved at a higher level and after a period of certification at the lower level.
Analysts gaining certification are entitled to use the postnominals
Post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles or designatory letters, are letters placed after the name of a person to indicate that the individual holds a position, educational degree, accreditation, office, or honour. An individual may use several different sets of...
"CCA" in correspondence.