Apply for Membership

The CAPC accreditation process involves:

• Sending the application package (see below)
• Sharing a portfolio for peer-review (see below for content requirements)
• An interview with a Board of Examiners to discuss your portfolio and practice

Membership applications are accepted at any time, and should be sent to the Accreditation Director (accreditation@capc-acrp.ca). All applications are kept strictly confidential. Applications should be submitted electronically using a file-sharing site such as Google Drive or Dropbox, or a USB storage device.

Application Package

The formal application requires that a candidate submit the following:

• A completed Application Form.
• Supporting documents mentioned in the application form within the Application Form. The Accreditation Director shall verify that the application contains all the information required, and the Board of Examiners will then decide on the adequacy of the documentation and, as needed, request additional documents such as confirmation letters of internships, work placements and projects completed.
• An application fee of $100.00 per specialty sent by e-transfer to treasurer@capc-acrp.ca

Contents of Portfolio

Candidates must present a portfolio containing 5 to 7 dossiers, demonstrating involvement in a variety of treatments and projects. Any information considered sensitive and/or confidential can be redacted out.

Portfolios dossiers may include:

• Conservation assessments and condition reports
• Treatment reports
• Preventive conservation reports
• Collections surveys with evaluations and recommendations

Documents submitted should follow CAPC's Conservation Documentation Guidelines.

The Interview

The Accreditation Director will set up a Board of Examiners (BoE) consisting of a minimum of four members. One CAPC member acts as the Chair of the Board, and another as Recording Secretary. The other examiners are members who are accredited in the same specialty as the applicant, or non-member specialists based on the specialization sought and the language of the interview. The steps leading to the interview are:

1. Applicant reviews and approves the proposed BoE. The applicant may veto members without having to provide a reason.
2. The BoE signs a confidentiality agreement, learns the identity of the candidate and receives the application materials.
3. The BoE examines the application to prepare the interview and requests clarification and/or additional documentation as needed.
4. The Accreditation Director schedules the interview at a time mutually convenient to all. Interviews may be in person or via video conferencing software and are recorded.

The examination is directed at establishing the applicant's professional competence and ability to take responsibility for the initiation and execution of conservation projects. It is designed to assess the applicant's knowledge, abilities, and ethical principles. It has three main sections with questions asked to establish competency in each:

1. Ethics and standards of practice
2. General knowledge common to all conservation professionals
3. Knowledge and abilities specific to the applicant's area of specialization.

More details on the examination can be found in the Rules and Regulations Governing Membership in the CAPC Bylaws.

After the Interview

Once the examination is completed, the BoE discusses the application and writes a recommendation letter with feedback to the Board of Directors, who then vote to accept the member. If a BoE decides that a candidate should not currently be accepted, the identity of the candidate is withheld from the CAPC Board of Directors.

Membership of successful applicants becomes official once they pay the $125 registration fee, which covers membership dues for the current year. If registering after July 1st, the following year’s membership fee is included with the registration fee. Thereafter, the annual CAPC membership renewal fee is currently $125.00.