National Association of Parliamenatarians

The National Association of Parliamentarians is an international organization dedicated to the promotion of effective parliamentary practice, principally as formulated in Robert's Rules of Order. (There are other sets of rules of order: for instance, the Canadian Parliament uses Beauchesne; other Canadian bodies use Bourinot's rules of order.)

[from http://www.parliamentarians.org/] The National Association of Parliamentarians, founded in 1930, is the largest non-profit organization of professional parliamentarians in the world. Headquartered in Independence, Missouri, the association helps organizations of all sizes conduct business efficiently through education and advocacy of effective meeting procedures and the accreditation of meeting professionals.

Credentials

The National Association of Parliamentarians provides three different levels of credentials:

Member

[from http://www.parliamentarians.org/membertypes.php#regular] At the primary level of NAP membership, regular members receive all of the standard benefits of NAP membership after demonstrating basic knowledge of parliamentary principles. Regular membership demonstrates a commitment to learning and practicing fair and effective democratic processes, and allows members to participate more fully in the activities of the National Association of Parliamentarians.

Registered Parliamentarian

[from http://www.parliamentarians.org/membertypes.php#rp] Registered Parliamentarian® (RP) status demonstrates an in-depth knowledge of parliamentary procedure. The NAP Registration Examination tests the member's knowledge in four key areas of parliamentary procedure—motions and related procedures; meetings; officers, boards, committees, voting, and elections; and rules of the assembly.

Professional Registered Parliamentarian

[from http://www.parliamentarians.org/membertypes.php#prp] A member who reaches Professional Registered Parliamentarian® (PRP) status has demonstrated to fellow professionals that he or she not only has the in-depth knowledge of parliamentary procedure required of a Registered Parliamentarian, but also the skills to provide effective, practical help to an individual or organization in need of parliamentary assistance. These skills include the ability to preside over a meeting; to perform the duties of a parliamentarian for another presiding officer and help them preside effectively; to consult organizations on the rules that govern their meetings and operations; and to share parliamentary knowledge with others. A Professional Registered Parliamentarian must maintain this certification through practical experience and recurrent training, ensuring that each PRP maintains the same high professional standards throughout his or her career.