The Application Phase
Program Eligibility Criteria:
Law Enforcement Agencies are eligible to apply for and to become Certified and/or Accredited through
participation in the Accreditation Program if the following two conditions are met:
A. The agency is eligible through legal authority, meaning that the agency’s sworn officers:
- are mandated to enforce laws, AND
- are granted the legal authority to make an arrest by law, AND
- are certified by The Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission.
B. The Commission determines that an agency is eligible to participate.
Examples of eligible agencies include municipal, state, and specialized (e.g., campus, transit, and housing) law enforcement agencies.
Upon deciding to participate in the program, agencies must complete the Program Application and return the signed application to the Commission. The Program Application consists of two parts – Part I requests information about the agency, and Part II deals with the agency’s eligibility to participate in the program. Your membership fee will not be invoiced until after your application is approved by the Executive Director.
Agencies in this program stage are classified as Phase 1 – Applicant Agencies on the MPAC Participating Agency List and Map.
Upon receipt of a signed program application, MPAC Staff will arrange a call or meeting with an applicant agency’s CEO to verify their participation eligibility and discuss entry into the program.
As part of the Application Phase, agencies are required to appoint an Accreditation Manager (AM). This position is responsible for managing the agency’s Accreditation process and is the agency’s primary liaison with the Commission on all matters concerning Accreditation.
A sample job description from MPAC identifies the position’s primary duties and responsibilities.
The Accreditation Manager position should not be viewed as the sole agency employee responsible for compliance and adherence to our program’s requirements. Instead, the entire agency, under the CEO’s guidance and supervision, must actively comply with our program. The Accreditation Manager manages and coordinates compliance areas of responsibility with all employees to build and maintain an agency’s accreditation files.
MPAC Application On-Boarding Process:
The agency’s CEO fills out an application form and submits it to MPAC.
Once an application is received, the agency’s CEO and Accreditation Manager (AM) will be invited to join MPACnetwork/website Members Area. This is where all program documents and standards can be found.
The Executive Director will reach out to arrange a meeting with the agency’s CEO and Accreditation Manager (AM) to review the application and confirm entry into the program, including verifying compliance with Police Reform Law Requirements.
Once MPAC’s initial application review is completed, a membership dues invoice will be generated and sent to the agency. Annual fees are invoiced on a fiscal year basis: July 1 – June 30, and their payment is required to continue in the program. If joining after July of the fiscal year, the invoice will be prorated based on the number of months remaining in the fiscal year.
MPAC Staff will send an email to the agency’s CEO and Accreditation Manager (AM) with the specific Police Reform Law Standards requiring a written directive that needs to be submitted to MPAC within 30 days of an application being approved. These written directives should be returned via email to be assigned to and reviewed by MPAC Staff.
Once MPAC Staff verifies the agency’s written directives (policies) for the Police Reform Law, the application will be finalized, and the agency will be added to our website on MPAC’s Participating Agencies Map and List as being in Self-Assessment. The agency will have three years to have an initial assessment (either Tier 1 Certification or Tier 2 Accreditation) scheduled in MPAC’s Assessment Calendar.
Cost to Enroll in the Program
The annual fee is based on agency size and the maximum allowable complement or budgeted total number of full-time police officers in the agency.
NOTE – if any agency has vacant positions for their total allowable number of full-time officers, those vacancies are included when determining the total amount of the fee invoiced. The cost is pro-rated by the total number of months remaining in the fiscal year for enrollment after the start of the current fiscal year.
Effective July 1. 2024, there are five agency-size categories:
| Full-time Police Officers | FY2025’s Annual Fee |
| Less than 10 | $1,220 |
| 10-25 | $2,340 |
| 26-75 | $3,220 |
| 75-399 | $4,205 |
| More than 400 | $7,500 |
The Pre-Assessment Phase
This phase of the process is established for agencies to access program information and standards to prepare for the requirements of stage 3, self-assessment. Agencies in this stage are provided access to all program standards/requirements, MPAC Training, MPACnetwork, a PowerStandards Software License (based on available on-boarding scheduling), and MPAC Staff for inquiries/guidance.
Agencies in the program phase are classified as Phase 2 – Pre-Assessment Agencies on the MPAC Participating Agency List and Map.
NOTE – Previous guidance that indicated that there “are no time limits for achieving initial Certification” is still applicable for pre-assessment agencies.
Any agency that entered the program before July 1, 2023, previously classified as being in Self-Assessment, and that has not been placed on MPAC’s Assessment Calendar is now administratively classified in this stage of the process. These agencies can move to the next stage, self-assessment, at any point in time, once they meet the requirements established below for phase 3 – self-assessment.
The Self-Assessment Phase
This phase of the process involves a thorough examination by the agency itself. It is the most labor-intensive and time-consuming stage of the process because the activities in this stage initially begin with a comprehensive review of the standards and include all the activities associated with preparing for the agency’s on-site assessment.
The primary activities in stage 3 – self-assessment include:
- Analyzing each standard to determine agency compliance,
- Achieving agency compliance where non-compliance is determined, and
- Documenting and centralizing agency compliance for the assessors to review.
Agencies in this program stage are classified as Phase 3 – Self-Assessment Agencies on the MPAC Participating Agency List and Map.
In addition, self-corrective action by the agency during this stage generally involves policy writing, potential facility adjustments, and sometimes equipment purchases.
NOTE – Previous guidance that indicated that there “are no time limits for achieving initial Certification” is no longer applicable for agencies in stage 3 – Self-Assessment.
Agencies that are classified in the self-assessment phase include:
- Agencies that entered the program after July 1, 2023, and have completed a mandated review of their written directives for all police reform-related standards by MPAC and are assigned a three (3) year deadline by July 1, 2027, to have an initial assessment.
- Agencies that entered the program before July 1, 2023, and have completed a voluntary review of their written directives for all police reform-related standards by MPAC and have been assigned a three (3) year deadline to have an initial assessment based on when they submitted their written directives.
- Agencies previously awarded certification or accreditation have requested to return to self-assessment with the approval of MPAC and have a scheduled/definitive date on MPAC’s Assessment Calendar for an initial assessment.
- Agencies denied an award after reassessment and have been mandated to return to self-assessment by MPAC with a scheduled/definitive date on MPAC’s Assessment Calendar for an initial assessment.
- Any Pre-Assessment Agency that advises of their intent for an initial assessment at least six months before a requested on-site date. These agencies will be provided a scheduled/definitive date on MPAC’s Assessment Calendar for an initial assessment and will be required to follow the assessment process established by MPAC.
The On-Site Assessment Step
The first part of this stage of the process is designed to give agencies an indication of their readiness. The focus should be to confirm preparedness to be assessed by Commission-appointed assessors. It involves two preliminary reviews, submission of an application for Certification or Accreditation, and completion of a required mock assessment on all applicable standards.
The On-site Application:
This step begins with reviewing an agency’s readiness for assessment and compliance with program requirements and standards necessary for an on-site assessment by MPAC Staff. As requested, agency rosters, organizational charts, compliance logs, etc., and documentation will be included for review by MPAC staff with all applications.
Mock Assessments:
Mock assessments are invaluable for the agency to prepare before an on-site assessment to verify compliance or readiness with our program’s standards and/or requirements. It serves as a dry run for the agency. Mock assessments allow agency personnel to interact with assessors relative to their respective areas of responsibility and to identify and address problem areas (weak or lacking evidence of compliance or documentation) before the Commission conducts a formal on-site assessment.
Mocks for Initial Assessments: Mock assessments are mandatory for any agency before any initial assessment (certification or accreditation). Agencies with an initial on-site scheduled must document and submit the results of their mock assessment based on established timelines to MPAC before a formal on-site may proceed.
Deadlines for Initial Assessment Mocks:
Mocks must be completed at least 90 days before an initial on-site assessment. The 90-day deadline is the minimum period before an on-site agency has to have the mock finished. This does not prevent an agency from having their mock before the 90-day deadline based on readiness, schedules, holidays, etc.
If after confirmation by MPAC that an agency pending an initial assessment fails to have a mock at least 90 days before their on-site without the approval of MPAC Staff, their on-site will be canceled 60 days before the scheduled on-site and they will either be assigned to return to Phase 2 – Pre-Assessment or Phase 3 – Self-Assessment based on a review by MPAC Staff.
Mocks for Reassessments: For an agency that has received an award previously, mock assessments are strongly suggested/encouraged. Agencies scheduled for a reassessment on-site should document and maintain the results of their mock assessment for MPAC for reference upon request by Assessors, MPAC Staff, and/or the Commission.
Scheduling of Mocks: An agency arranges a mock assessment.
NOTE – Regardless of whether the agency is having an initial or reassessment on-site, The Commission or MPAC Staff may request any agency’s mock assessment documentation, checklists, notes, etc., as part of the review to determine whether an agency receives a certification or accreditation award.
On-site Assessments: After on-site application and completion of a mock assessment, stage 4 moves to the evaluation process for Certification or Accreditation, which consists of a multi-day assessment at the agency’s facility(s) by a trained team of assessors assigned by the Commission. The assessors are tasked with verifying compliance with all applicable standards and program requirements.
An on-site begins with an introductory meeting between agency personnel and the Assessment Team, the conducting of a tour of the agency’s facility(s), a review of agency files, and concludes with an agency exit briefing by the Assessment Team to summarize their findings and recommendations to the Commission.
The evaluation process for Certification or Accreditation consists of a multi-day assessment at the agency’s facility(s) by a trained team of assessors assigned by the Commission. The assessors are tasked with verifying compliance with all applicable standards and program requirements. An on-site begins with an introductory meeting between agency personnel and the Assessment Team, the conducting of a tour of the agency’s facility(s), a review of agency files, and concludes with an agency exit briefing by the Assessment Team to summarize their findings and recommendations to the Commission
The commission Review Step
Once the on-site assessment is complete and all required file repairs, including updates, changes, and/or additions to agency written directives and written documentation, MPAC Staff will complete reports of the agency’s performance. These reports are forwarded to the Commission. The Commission will review the agency’s assessment based on the findings and recommendations of the Assessment Team and Commission staff. The Commission votes in advance of scheduled meetings when awards are issued. In addition, they may vote to approve or deny Certification or Accreditation based on the totality of information provided and confirmation of compliance with all standards and program requirements.
The Commission is the sole determining body whether an agency receives a Certification or Accreditation Award.
Appeal of Commission Decisions:
There are no appeal options for the Commission’s decision to award an agency Certification or Accreditation; the Commission’s rulings and votes are final.
The Agency Award Step
When all requirements for Certification or Accreditation have been met and awarded by the Commission, the agency is invited to attend the Commission’s next regularly scheduled meeting. Meetings to review agencies and present awards are held three times per year in February, June, and October – and are referred to as the Winter, Summer, and Fall meetings.
Types of Assessments or Awards
Tier 1 – Certification:
Certification is the first tier or level of our program. It is highly recommended that an agency exits self-assessment in our program by first attaining Certification. The standards established for the Certification Program allow an agency to transition from self-assessment in a measured way with a reduced totaled number of standards based on essential functions and areas of focus for the agency.
Certification is not a lesser program. Certification can assist an agency in assessing the increased number of standards required to attain accreditation. Once Certification is achieved, the decision if or when to move from Certification to Accreditation is based on that individual agency’s specific needs or limitations.
Achieving Accreditation upon Certification:
Agencies are not required to achieve Accreditation upon Certification. Instead, they may be re-certified at the end of their three-year reassessment period;
However, if an agency elects to pursue Accreditation upon Certification, it may do so under the following potential timelines:
- Complete a three-year reassessment period while certified and come into compliance with accreditation requirements at their next scheduled on-site assessment, or
- Before July 1, 2024, during the first twelve months after an agency’s first time being certified (initial certification), enter the Accelerated Accreditation Program as noted below, or
- Request an accreditation assessment at any point during a three-year reassessment period.
NOTE – a request for an accreditation assessment before the end of the three-year reassessment period is not guaranteed to occur within the time requested. These requests will only be granted based on consideration of the availability of an Assessment Team and other previously scheduled assessments.
Accelerated Accreditation Program (AAP):
Before July 1, 2024, if an agency’s assessment for initial Accreditation occurs within twelve months of its assessment for an Initial Certification, only a select group of Certification standards and the additional mandatory and optional standards for Accreditation will be reviewed. Typically, two assessors will conduct accelerated assessments in two days under the supervision of a facilitator or team leader.
NOTE – After July 1, 2024, the Accelerated Accreditation Program is removed from MPAC’s Program.
Tier 2 – Accreditation:
Accreditation is the second tier or level of our program. It encompasses all the Certification standards along with additional mandatory and a percentage of optional accreditation standards. Accreditation is best accomplished upon completing an agency’s Certification to meet all readiness and program-related requirements.
If an agency wishes to enter directly into Accreditation from self-assessment, they may request to do so in writing to the Executive Director. They will provide an application for initial Accreditation to MPAC Staff that focuses on verification and confirmation of readiness by the agency to skip Certification. If approved, a department would then be assessed for Accreditation on all the Certification standards, additional mandatory accreditation standards, and a percentage of optional standards.
Reassessments for Accreditation will occur every three years during the month of the agency’s last on-site. So, for example, if an agency had its last on-site in January of 2023, its next assessment would occur in January of 2026.
Award Period:
Certification and Accreditation Awards are granted for three-year periods. The agency’s anniversary date is the month (February, June, or October) and year in which the Commission presents the award.
Upon completing their first assessment under the 6th Edition during an agency’s reassessment period, annual status reports are required at the first and second anniversary of an award date and a mid-point review with the agency monitoring compliance with standards during the three-year award period.