IDP E-news - December 2009

Training Units Become Training Hours
on 1 January 2010
Submitting your IDP experience is about to get easier. As of January 2010, one hour of acceptable work experience will equal one training hour. Experience reports will go from being reported in training units to training hours.

All reports entered after 4 January 2010 should be entered in hours, even if the experience happened prior to the switch from units to hours.

Overall, the IDP experience requirement will go from 700 training units to 5,600 training hours. Eight training hours equals one training unit. The actual number of experience hours required to complete the IDP remains the same. A conversion of previously entered units to training hours will happen automatically within the electronic Experience Verification Reporting (e-EVR) system and will be reflected in your NCARB Record.

The lowest denomination the e-EVR will accept is .25 hours. All fractions of units will be converted to hours. No experience will be lost.

A major benefit for interns is that it will be easier to calculate and report your IDP training experience. It will also be easier for IDP supervisors to review. Experience reports can have a direct correlation to timesheets interns fill out on a regular basis and be more accurate.

Please note that some jurisdictional laws and regulations may still reference training units after January 1. Although the e-EVR will be in training hours from the intern and supervisor’s perspective, some of NCARB’s "behind-the-scenes" systems will continue to reflect training units, and your jurisdiction will still be corresponding with NCARB in terms of training units. To avoid confusion, please be aware if you are referencing training hours or training units when corresponding with NCARB or your jurisdiction.

For your reference, we will post the updated IDP Guidelines prior to 1 January 2010 on NCARB’s web site.

Training Unit to Training Hour Examples
Below are examples of training unit to training hour conversions. One training unit will equal eight training hours.

200 training units will equal 1,600 training hours
362 training units will equal 2,896 training hours
NCARB Professional Conduct Monograph: 16 training hours (2 training units)
LEED AP: 40 training hours (5 training units)
Post-Professional Degree: 936 training hours (117 training units)
1.5 AIA learning units (LUs) will equal 1.5 IDP training hours
2 AIA LUs will equal 2 IDP training hours

Direct Supervision and IDP Supervisor Definitions
When the phase-in of IDP 2.0 was announced last spring, the definitions of "direct supervision" and "registered architect" for the purposes of the IDP program were tentatively scheduled for revision during the second phase of IDP 2.0. The definition of "direct supervision" will be updated as planned; however, the updated definition of "registered architect"—or more accurately "IDP supervisor"—has been postponed to a later date.

While there are still plans to revise the definition of an "IDP supervisor," the revision announced last spring had to be postponed because it would cause impediments to the completion of the IDP in some jurisdictions.

"'Direct supervision' of interns shall occur either through personal contact or through a mix of personal contact and remote communication (e.g. e-mail, online markups, webinars, internet) such that the IDP supervisor has control over the work of the intern and has sufficient professional knowledge of the supervised work so that the IDP supervisor can determine that the intern understands and is performing his or her work experience within the professional standard of care.

To earn training hours in workplace settings described in the IDP Guidelines, the intern must work under the direct supervision of an IDP supervisor. The supervisor shall verify the training activities of the intern and foster a professional relationship that is grounded in a direct professional association between the intern and the supervisor."

	join the IDP e-news mailing list	back to main menu


	Training Units Become Training Hours on 1 January 2010 Submitting your IDP experience is about to get easier. As of January 2010, one hour of acceptable work experience will equal one training hour. Experience reports will go from being reported in training units to training hours. All reports entered after 4 January 2010 should be entered in hours, even if the experience happened prior to the switch from units to hours. Overall, the IDP experience requirement will go from 700 training units to 5,600 training hours. Eight training hours equals one training unit. The actual number of experience hours required to complete the IDP remains the same. A conversion of previously entered units to training hours will happen automatically within the electronic Experience Verification Reporting (e-EVR) system and will be reflected in your NCARB Record. The lowest denomination the e-EVR will accept is .25 hours. All fractions of units will be converted to hours. No experience will be lost. A major benefit for interns is that it will be easier to calculate and report your IDP training experience. It will also be easier for IDP supervisors to review. Experience reports can have a direct correlation to timesheets interns fill out on a regular basis and be more accurate. Please note that some jurisdictional laws and regulations may still reference training units after January 1. Although the e-EVR will be in training hours from the intern and supervisor’s perspective, some of NCARB’s "behind-the-scenes" systems will continue to reflect training units, and your jurisdiction will still be corresponding with NCARB in terms of training units. To avoid confusion, please be aware if you are referencing training hours or training units when corresponding with NCARB or your jurisdiction. For your reference, we will post the updated IDP Guidelines prior to 1 January 2010 on NCARB’s web site. Training Unit to Training Hour Examples Below are examples of training unit to training hour conversions. One training unit will equal eight training hours. 200 training units will equal 1,600 training hours 362 training units will equal 2,896 training hours NCARB Professional Conduct Monograph: 16 training hours (2 training units) LEED AP: 40 training hours (5 training units) Post-Professional Degree: 936 training hours (117 training units) 1.5 AIA learning units (LUs) will equal 1.5 IDP training hours 2 AIA LUs will equal 2 IDP training hours Direct Supervision and IDP Supervisor Definitions When the phase-in of IDP 2.0 was announced last spring, the definitions of "direct supervision" and "registered architect" for the purposes of the IDP program were tentatively scheduled for revision during the second phase of IDP 2.0. The definition of "direct supervision" will be updated as planned; however, the updated definition of "registered architect"—or more accurately "IDP supervisor"—has been postponed to a later date. While there are still plans to revise the definition of an "IDP supervisor," the revision announced last spring had to be postponed because it would cause impediments to the completion of the IDP in some jurisdictions. Beginning 1 January 2010, "direct supervision" will be defined as: "'Direct supervision' of interns shall occur either through personal contact or through a mix of personal contact and remote communication (e.g. e-mail, online markups, webinars, internet) such that the IDP supervisor has control over the work of the intern and has sufficient professional knowledge of the supervised work so that the IDP supervisor can determine that the intern understands and is performing his or her work experience within the professional standard of care. To earn training hours in workplace settings described in the IDP Guidelines, the intern must work under the direct supervision of an IDP supervisor. The supervisor shall verify the training activities of the intern and foster a professional relationship that is grounded in a direct professional association between the intern and the supervisor."	NCARB e-EVR Maintenance These changes will go into effect 1 January 2010; however, due to the holiday weekend, the e-EVR will not reflect these changes until 4 January 2010. Also, the e-EVR will be intermittently unavailable over the holiday weekend as we upgrade the system. AIA Learning Units As of 1 January 2010, one AIA learning unit (LU) will equal one IDP training hour. Credits for AIA learning units are based on the day the credit is earned. Please see the examples on the left. Stay Informed To help you stay up-to-date on the latest news and announcements, subscribe to our other electronic newsletters. Learn about the latest news on the Architect Registration Examination with ARE e-news. Subscribe today. Also, check NCARB out on the web at: Follow us on Twitter today! Add our Facebook Page to your news feed. Click here for more information.
National Council of Architectural Registration Boards \| 1801 K Street NW \| Suite 700K \| Washington, DC 20006