Accreditation is a work in progress. It is not intended as a certification, but as an endorsement. Think of the accreditation of academic programs that vary greatly but contain common elements. It addresses two major problems in my opinion 1) Many people have degrees in related subjects pick up considerable knowledge and expertise in statistics. PSTAT is a way to officially bring them into the statistics profession. and 2) Experienced professionals need a verification of skills that shows contemporary work. There are many people with stats degrees who jump off into other careers and don't currently use statistical approaches. So PSTAT let's someone like me who works as a consultant add some credibility.
But as with many outreach programs, it is the people who need it least who seem to take advantage of it. So outside of the courtroom example, I don't think there is a need for a Director of Statistics to get a PSTAT. The problem Mr. Tuzov wants to address is how entry level people can show their credentials. This is something ASA might want to address in the future.
I just received a letter stating my PSTAT status after a very long process. The big problem with PSTAT is that is hard for someone in the private sector to put together a portfolio. We are bound by numerous confidentiality agreements. Fortunately I had done some projects which I could submit. If I had worked exclusively in drug development, this would have been hard. Also ASA has to refine the reference request process. I would be happy to discuss my experiences offline.
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Georgette Asherman
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