The Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE) created the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) in 1987 to help ensure the health, welfare, and safety of the public through the accreditation of a variety of certification programs/organizations that assess professional competence.  Certification programs that receive ICE and NCCA accreditation demonstrate compliance with the NCCA's Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs, which were the first standards for professional certification programs developed by the industry.