Adventure Accreditation Process
The Pathway to Achieve Adventure Safety Accreditation
The process of gaining recognition as an accredited organization with the Adventure Safety Accreditation program involves successfully completing five steps, beginning with a preliminary application and continuing through an evaluation and decision-making process, followed by maintenance-of-accreditation activities.
These five steps are outlined below.
Preliminary Steps
- Organization fills out application and pays application fee
- Viristar determines if organization is eligible to pursue accreditation, and sends acceptance or declination message
- If organization is eligible, Viristar sends additional information on the accreditation process
Organizational Self-Evaluation
- Organization evaluates whether or not it meets Adventure Safety Accreditation standards, and takes the steps necessary to come into conformance with any standards it believes are currently unmet
- Organization communicates with Viristar to address any questions arising during self-evaluation process
- Organization sends to Viristar its completed self-evaluation, including documentary evidence of conformance
- Viristar reviews self-evaluation documents, generally within three weeks of submittal
- When self-evaluation is approved, Viristar and organization schedule a site visit, to be held within six months of self-evaluation submittal
Site Visit
- Viristar Accreditation Reviewers conduct an in-person visit. The site visit evaluates administrative operations; physical plant including buildings, grounds, adventure activity installations; and vehicles, equipment and supplies. The in-person review component normally includes hands-on inspection as well as interviews, and may include an evaluation of an adventure program in action with participants.
- The Review Team normally provides a brief oral presentation of their findings before departure
- Review Team provides written report to Viristar office; report is forwarded to organization
- Organization provides written response within two months from receipt of report, including how any unmet standards are addressed
Accreditation Decision
- After review of self-evaluation materials, site visit report, and organization’s response to site visit report, Accreditation Council votes on accreditation status of applicant organization
- Viristar notifies organization of decision
- If accreditation awarded (normally for three- or five-year period), organization pays annual accreditation fee, and Viristar provides Certificate of Accreditation and accreditation badge, along with instructions for use
Activities During Accreditation Period
- Organization provides Notifiable Activity information to Viristar (e.g. major incidents, new program activities or participant populations or program areas, major organizational staff, geographical or other transitions)
- Organization completes Annual Report and provides to Viristar, and pays annual accreditation fee
- Through complaint response process, organization responds to official complaints brought to Viristar’s attention regarding accredited organization
- Organization wishing to re-accredit after expiry of accreditation period notifies Viristar no later than 11 months prior to expiry
- Viristar provides current Self-Evaluation documents to organization, which fills out and returns Organizational Self-Evaluation to Viristar no later than six months prior to expiry
Learn More or Apply
For a response to specific questions regarding the accreditation process, contact us.
Begin the preliminary application process by clicking the button below.
BEGIN APPLICATION