A Conceptual CIPP-Based Model for Professional NDT Certification in Malaysian TVET Institutions

Abstract

The implementation of professional Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) certification in public Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions remains insufficiently theorized, particularly regarding how international certification requirements are translated into institutional practice. While standards such as ISO 9712:2021 provide a robust basis for personnel qualification and certification, limited attention has been given to the institutional mechanisms required to operationalize these requirements systematically within Malaysian public skills training institutions (PSTI). This conceptual paper aims to develop an initial implementation model for professional NDT certification by integrating ISO 9712:2021 requirements with the Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) framework. The study employed a two-stage qualitative conceptual design comprising document-based thematic analysis of three core certification references, namely ISO 9712:2021, the International Committee for Non-Destructive Testing (ICNDT) Guide, and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) ANDE-1, followed by a narrative literature review to support and contextualize the identified elements. The synthesis generated four principal implementation domains: context, input, process, and product. In addition, governance emerged as a cross-domain element supported by quality assurance, industry linkage, and continuous improvement. The proposed model suggests that the effectiveness of professional NDT certification should be understood not merely as standards compliance or candidate examination performance, but as the outcome of systemic alignment among strategic rationale, institutional readiness, implementation quality, and professional competency outcomes. This article contributes by reframing NDT certification as an institutional implementation system and by offering a conceptual foundation for subsequent expert validation and empirical testing in Malaysian TVET settings.