The CPIF™ – A Certification Whose Time Has Come

Less than two months ago, I completed a rigorous training program to become a Certified Performance Improvement Facilitator (CPIF™). It was part of what the creators, Deb Page and Judy Hale, describe as the PIF - Learning and Performance Journey™. Delivered through Deb’s company, The Institute for Performance Improvement (TIFPI), it trains people to be able to facilitate performance improvement projects that require participation across organizational boundaries, often across industry sectors. To do this well, one must be able to maintain a neutral, safe and encouraging demeanor; to elicit participation and commitment from all stakeholders; and to have a systemic and systematic approach to all the work to be completed.

The ‘what’ of this work is the scaffolding of the International Society for Performance Improvement’s (ISPI’s) principles and process. The principles include being results oriented, operating in a systemic (and systematic) manner, adding value, and developing partnership and collaboration with the client. The systematic process has the six sets of practices that enable one to analyze a performance need/opportunity; determine its root causes; design solutions for implementation and evaluation; ensure conformance and suitability; execute solutions; and evaluate for results and impact.

The ‘how’ of this work are the ten CPIF standards that reflect effective practice. They include personal attributes that support effective collaboration; skills for planning and leading facilitation sessions; using appropriate facilitation skills throughout the session; demonstrating a range of participative management skills to guide the group forward; using a wide range of questioning techniques to gather information and manage group dynamics; and employs a wide variety of group process tools and protocols to lead, manage, and adjust group dynamics to forward group results.

Since I didn’t arrive with a project to work on, I got paired with another participant, Dr. Caitlin Dooley, the Deputy Superintendent of the Georgia Department of Education (GADOE) to work on one of hers. A former teacher and professor, and current researcher and administrator, Caitlin is a force to be reckoned with, always working hard to help her team and educators succeed. Our project, still ongoing, is to broaden access to and participation in gifted education services for all children served by GADOE.

Following the process outlined in the CPIF program, we have identified and convened stakeholders across multiple organizational entities, created a team, formulated the problem to be solved, understood the range of factors influencing the current situation and requiring change in order to be successful, and are in the middle of drafting the range of integrated solutions that will move us towards our desired state. We are also drafting a more comprehensive project plan to support the conversations and work to be done.

The entire experience has been a ‘wow’ for me and other participants working on their own “big rock” projects. The design of each course, corresponding to a step in the facilitation process, is based on solid instructional design principles, engaging us individually, as well as in teams, small and large groups. We even have a coach (more like a mentor) to review our assignments, answer questions, and provide guidance and encouragement. As importantly, we get to learn from each other and build a network of practitioners which can become a community of practice.

So many of the challenges we face in society are complex and messy, not amenable to simple analyses and exacerbated by simplistic solutions. The root causes tend to be systemic and far reaching, not defined or constrained by organizational boundaries and industry domains. To get any traction requires the perspective to see the larger picture; the ambition to tackle the issues in a comprehensive way; the tools to facilitate focused conversations to enroll participation around shared cares, build teams, and coordinate committed actions; and the perseverance to constructively, collectively deal with any/all circumstances as the team moves the project towards success. This game is a long game, with plenty of short game opportunities to build competence, succeed along the way, and celebrate progress while keeping eyes on the (long game) prize.

Many of the initial projects brought by PIF-LPJ participants had to do with workforce planning efforts, recognizing current and anticipated shortages for many key positions across industries. How broad a swath? From aviation pilots and ground crew members, gifted education teachers, STEMM teachers, computer scientists and technicians to roofers, plumbers, and electricians, and more. Our VUCA world, the acceleration of AI and digitization, and the disruptive ripples of the pandemic and whatever the next wave might be have revealed a shortfall, globally, of institutions and systems in place to educate people to be agile learners, adaptive to shifting opportunities in a changing world, and effective contributors in society. 

My invitation is this: if you think that these kind of mega, societal challenges are worth the effort to impact and improve, and that you have (or want to have) the tools for the job on a project team that needs a steady, facilitative hand, then I encourage you to find out more about the PIF-LPJ™ program. To do so, email Deb Page at deb@tifpi.org. 

I’d love to hear about how this lands for you. Let’s have a conversation.

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