Adventure Park Insider—Boulder, Colo., May 2, 2025—ACCT has nearly completed its Qualified Course Professional (QCP) draft guidelines for operation managers and practitioners, the latest of its revisions to the QCP draft guidelines for various members of the industry. The QCP task force, which has been working on revisions to the QCP guidelines for the past three years, discussed this current effort at the “Open Office Hours” Zoom meeting on April 22.
The revised guidelines for QCPs have been developed to align with the ANSI/ACCT standards, which in several instances reference “qualified persons.” While the standard provides a general description of what “qualified person” means, the QCPs provide more clarity and are structured so that organizations can apply the definition to specific roles. The concept drafts also make it possible for an individual to self-credential, by presenting certifications, degrees, or other evidence of competence.
Historically, QCPs were limited to vendors, and included the roles of installer, trainer, tester, and more recently, operation reviewer. As the industry has grown, it has become practical to acknowledge the expertise and qualifications of people involved in operations as well. Hence the new QCPs for operations managers and practitioners (i.e., guides, facilitators, and monitors).
Also in recognition of the changes to the industry, and particularly to the increasingly unique aspects of individual aerial adventure courses and other activities, the guidelines recognize a range of means to establish a QCP’s skills and competence. To that end, the concept guidelines will no longer require a specific number of hours or other numerical measures, as was the case in the past—though numerical measures may still be used.
During the Zoom call, board member Michael Smith acknowledged that the change to the QCP requirements is controversial. However, no one on the call—which included members of the ACCT board of directors and the QCP task force, plus one journalist—voiced any concerns over the work of the task force.
The QCP revisions, and the rationale for them, are discussed in detail on the ACCT Academy. The QCP task force is looking for any final input by May 16, and hopes to present the revisions to the ACCT board of directors for approval in July. Interested persons should read the guidelines and comment on the ACCT Academy site.
