Considering all the angles.

My most recent hobbyist project has been turning an old road bicycle into a fixed-gear bicycle--a machine without shifters or derailleurs that forces the rider to pedal constantly, no coasting, lest he tumble over the front. (Fixed-gear bikes help improve pedaling efficiency, but that's another story.) The project was really pretty simple, the crucial adjustment being the chain line. That is, the line along the teeth of the front chainwheel to those of the cog in the back had to be straight. A noticeable deflection in angle could cause the chain to come off when the bike is in motion, and that could make for an unhappy encounter with pavement.

Angles also matter in our profession. In their cover story for this issue of ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT, Lenora G. Knapp and Michael E. Gallery, CAE, urge anyone thinking about beginning a certification program to consider all the angles--the costs, benefits, and implications of the initiative before undertaking it. The first such consideration, of course, is the relationship of the effort to the association's mission. The Construction Financial Management Association, Princeton, New Jersey, for example, recently decided to develop a certification program because doing so would support the association's goal of being essential to the professional growth and success of CFMA's members. Says William M. Schwab, CFMA's executive director, "Because of the recent economic and ethical challenges in the financial industry, we believed that a certification program for construction financial professionals was a significant need in our industry." By conducting a full membership needs assessment and preparing a viable business case, "we were able to qualify and quantify our belief."

Authors Knapp and Gallery suggest that associations answer several key questions as part of assessing the need for and odds of implementing a successful certification program:

1. Is it the best use of the association's resources?

2. Do the benefits justify the costs?

3. Will the program generate a positive financial return on investment?

4. Is it the right time to develop a certification program?

5. Is certification consonant with time association's mission and strategic goals?

The rest of this issue of ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT offers a variety of perspectives on our field. Beginning on page 36, "Cross-Border Collaboration" author Steven M. Worth points out that global localization isn't only a buzz-term: "Identifying market needs," he writes, "is about working with people within the given market to discover those needs."

"In-House or Outsource" (page 42), by Karla B. Hignite, is a collection of insights from meeting professionals about what they outsource and why they do or do not choose to outsource parts of their meetings management.

Deborah Bright tackles a timely topic in "Whelm Talking's Tough" (page 49). She outlines effective tactics for communicating difficult news, whether to the board, the staff, or the membership.

In "A Partnership Continuum" (page 54), authors David La Piana and Michaela Hayes explore the potential that partnerships hold for helping associations become more effective. Along the way, they offer helpful tips for partnering right.

Finally, Debra L. Wentz and Daniel R. Seymour illustrate how the leadership of the New Jersey Association of Mental Health Agencies used its low-cost, easily replicated advocacy program to convince the state government to maintain, and in some cases even increase, funding for critical mental health and human services programs (page 62).

At ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT, we work to consider all the angles of the profession, a responsibility we can only fulfill with your help. As always, we thank those who have contributed an idea or an article. We encourage you to write or call if you want to share feedback, an insight, or an approach. Oh, and what about the bicycle? Yes, I got the chain line right, and I'm pedaling happily indeed.