Tried and Tested Podcast

In this episode of Tried and Tested, host Isabelle Gonthier, PhD-ICE-CCP, speaks with Dr. Joseph Emmanuel, Chief Executive and Secretary of the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, about the role of assessment in shaping student learning, progression, and opportunity. Drawing on more than three decades of experience across academic governance, large-scale assessment, institutional transformation, and national education initiatives, Dr. Emmanuel shares his perspective on how assessment can move beyond marks to better support learner development. As India continues to advance competency-based education and holistic progress measures, Dr. Emmanuel explains why assessment should be used not only to evaluate students, but to promote learning, identify potential, and guide future pathways. The conversation covers India’s National Education Policy, the shift away from rote learning, key stage assessments, teacher capacity building, classroom practice, PARAKH, holistic progress reporting, equity at scale, and what education systems around the world can learn from India’s diverse assessment ecosystem. What you’ll learn: Why assessment should be used as a tool for learning, not only a way to assign marks How India is moving from rote learning toward competency-based education Why classroom teaching and external assessment need to work together How key stage assessments can support learning progression before high-stakes exams What PARAKH and holistic progress reporting aim to bring to India’s education system Why teacher capacity building is essential to meaningful assessment reform How assessment can help identify student abilities, aptitudes, skills, and potential What other education systems can learn from India’s scale, diversity, inclusivity, and focus on equity Who should listen: Education and assessment leaders focused on school reform K-12 and secondary education professionals rethinking student progress Policymakers and school board leaders working on competency-based assessment Teachers and educator development teams supporting classroom-level change Assessment professionals interested in large-scale education systems Organizations focused on equity, access, and quality in education Leaders exploring how assessment can better prepare students for learning, work, and life About the Guest: Dr. Joseph Emmanuel is the Chief Executive and Secretary of the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), one of India’s premier national school education boards, responsible for conducting the Class X and XII examinations in India and overseas. A distinguished leader in the field of education, he brings over three decades of rich and diverse experience spanning academic governance and large-scale assessments. Prior to his current role, Dr. Emmanuel held several key leadership positions at the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), including Secretary, Director (Academics), Regional Director, and Officer on Special Duty for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). Across these roles, he demonstrated exceptional administrative acumen and visionary leadership in strengthening school education systems. His professional journey also includes serving as Executive Officer at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and as National Project Manager for India’s participation in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) under the OECD—an engagement that reflects his global outlook on educational benchmarking and quality standards. He was instrumental in integrating technology across examinations, affiliations, and student services, thereby enhancing efficiency, transparency, and scalability. A key architect in advancing the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Dr. Emmanuel has championed transformative academic initiatives to promote competency-based learning, continuous assessment, and the all-round development of learners.

In this special episode of Tried and Tested, host Isabelle Gonthier, PhD, ICE-CCP visits the Entrust Fraud Lab for a closer look at how identity fraud is evolving and what it means for high-stakes testing. This video-first episode takes viewers inside a hands-on lab environment, and listeners are encouraged to tune in to the video version to see the fraud techniques and demonstrations discussed throughout the conversation. Joined by Simon Horswell, Fraud Solution Specialist at Entrust, Isabelle explores how fraud techniques can be studied, reproduced, and better understood before they affect live programs. As deepfakes, injection attacks, presentation attacks, and digital identity tools become more accessible and more sophisticated, Simon explains why assessment organizations need layered defenses, strong identity verification, and a full-candidate-journey view of test security. The conversation covers document fraud, remote identity verification, fraud lab research, machine learning signals, deepfake detection, balancing security with candidate experience, human review, data protection, and what testing can learn from sectors such as border control, finance, and fintech. What you’ll learn: How fraud labs study, reproduce, and test attacks in a controlled environment Why identity fraud has evolved from physical document attacks to deepfakes and injection attacks What presentation attacks and virtual camera injection attacks mean for remote testing Why fraud prevention requires layered defenses instead of one “silver bullet” How assessment organizations can balance strong security with a reasonable candidate experience Why identity verification should extend across the full candidate journey, not just check-in What testing programs can learn from border control, finance, fintech, and digital identity regulation Who should listen: Assessment and credentialing leaders responsible for test security Remote proctoring and exam delivery teams managing identity verification Certification and licensure programs using high-stakes online testing Security, operations, and compliance teams focused on fraud prevention Organizations evaluating deepfake, injection attack, or digital identity risks Candidate experience teams balancing security, accessibility, and user friction Leaders looking to understand how fraud tactics are changing across industries About the Guest: An expert in ID document security and fraud with over 25 years’ experience, Simon Horswell plays a key role in Entrust’s product development strategy. Simon is responsible for managing the Fraud Lab team and advising Product. This includes giving expert advice and training on recognising fraud signals, deep-dive investigations, research and generating training datasets, helping businesses to reduce cost of customer acquisition, enhance fraud protection, and satisfy global compliance needs. Prior to Entrust, Simon worked as a Document Expert and international trainer with Foster & Freeman Ltd, working closely with the forensic equipment manufacturer on new and existing products, and providing training and advice to police, immigration and forensic departments, and banks and document manufacturers all over the world. Simon has also served as an Expert Document Examiner and trainer for several years at the UK’s National Document Fraud Unit (NDFU), sharing his knowledge with embassies, consulates, immigration offices and police departments all over the world. His duties also required him to give expert testimony in court. Simon started his career in the security sector as an Immigration Officer in the UK Immigration Service and the Forgery Team at Gatwick Airport.

In this episode of Tried and Tested, host Isabelle Gonthier, PhD, ICE-CCP speaks with Matthew Barrell, Environmental, Social, and Governance Manager at PSI, about ESG, social value, and the future of assessment. Based in the UK, Matthew leads PSI’s ESG program, overseeing sustainability strategy, carbon reduction initiatives, and social value delivery while working across the business to embed sustainability into operations, decision-making, and client services. As ESG expectations continue to grow across assessment and credentialing, Matthew explains why sustainability is no longer just about environmental impact or corporate initiatives. The conversation explores social value, accessibility, public procurement, candidate experience, delivery networks, community impact, environmental responsibility, governance, and why meaningful ESG work must move beyond compliance to become part of how organizations operate every day. What you’ll learn: Why ESG is becoming more important across assessment, credentialing, and public sector work How the conversation has expanded beyond environmental sustainability to include social value Why assessment itself can create social impact through access to education, licensure, employment, and mobility What it means to design candidate experiences that are not just compliant, but genuinely inclusive How delivery networks, suppliers, and local partners can support social and economic impact Where assessment organizations can reduce environmental impact across test centers, travel, energy use, and operations Why data, reporting, accountability, and governance are essential to making ESG commitments meaningful How leaders can embed sustainability into the business instead of treating it as a standalone initiative Who should listen: Assessment and credentialing leaders thinking about ESG and social value Certification and licensure organizations responding to public sector and procurement expectations Operations and delivery teams managing test centers, partners, suppliers, or candidate experience Accessibility and accommodations teams focused on inclusive testing experiences ESG, sustainability, and social impact professionals working in assessment or education Business leaders looking to connect sustainability goals with day-to-day operations Organizations trying to move from ESG commitments to measurable impact About the guest: Matthew Barrell joined PSI Services (UK) Limited in 2025 as the Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) Manager. Based in the UK, he leads the company’s ESG program, overseeing sustainability strategy, carbon reduction initiatives and social value delivery. Matthew works closely with teams across the business to embed sustainability considerations into day-to-day operations, decision-making and client services, helping drive progress against PSI’s environmental and social impact goals.

In this episode of Tried and Tested, host Isabelle Gonthier, PhD, ICE-CCP, speaks with Angela Macauley, PMP, President and CEO of the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, about workforce demand, candidate pipelines, and the role credentialing organizations can play in helping professions stay visible, relevant, and understood. Drawing on nearly 20 years at NBCOT across marketing, communications, governance, strategy, and organizational leadership, Angela shares a broad perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing occupational therapy and the future professionals entering the field. As workforce needs shift and younger generations discover careers in new ways, Angela explains why credentialing organizations must think beyond certification as a final step and consider how they communicate value much earlier in the candidate journey. The conversation covers future-facing messaging, social media and digital outreach, education-to-workforce alignment, employer expectations, public protection, and how professions can make their pathways feel both credible and compelling to the next generation. What you’ll learn: Why candidate demand and workforce visibility are becoming strategic priorities for credentialing organizations How professions can communicate value before future candidates are actively thinking about certification Why occupational therapy must remain visible, understandable, and compelling to the next generation How younger audiences discover careers through digital channels, peer networks, and online communities What future candidates need to understand about cost, time, flexibility, growth, and long-term relevance Where education, certification, and employer expectations may need stronger alignment How credentialing organizations can support public protection while making career pathways feel accessible What workforce-led marketing can teach programs about messaging that resonates with prospective candidates Who should listen: Certification and credentialing leaders focused on workforce demand Program leaders responsible for candidate pipelines and future growth Marketing and communications teams supporting credentialing or professional associations Occupational therapy leaders and stakeholders thinking about the future of the profession Education and workforce partners aligning preparation with employer needs Organizations trying to make career pathways clearer, more visible, and more compelling Leaders balancing public protection, professional standards, and candidate engagement About the Guest: Angela Macauley is President and CEO of the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT), where she has spent nearly 20 years working across marketing, communications, governance, strategy, and organizational leadership. Her experience has given her a broad perspective on credentialing and the opportunities and challenges facing the occupational therapy profession. She leads NBCOT’s strategic direction and its work to uphold the standards that support safe, competent occupational therapy practice and advance its mission of public protection.

In this episode of Tried and Tested, host Isabelle Gonthier, PhD, ICE-CCP speaks with Chad Buckendahl, PhD, ICE-CCP, Managing Partner at ACS Ventures, about how assessment, credentials, and workforce readiness can be better connected across the learner journey. Drawing on his work in program design, evaluation, standard setting, policy, legal issues, and validation studies across credentialing and education, Chad explores why school, work, and professional credentialing should not be treated as separate systems. As more education and credentialing leaders look for ways to connect classroom learning with future careers, Chad explains why durable skills, quantitative reasoning, data interpretation, and career-connected credentials deserve closer attention. The conversation covers credentials as checkpoints across lifelong learning, the role of high school in building workforce-ready skills, the risks of siloed systems, the importance of validity, reliability, and fairness, and why AI literacy should start with being a critical consumer of new technologies. What you’ll learn: How credentials can serve as checkpoints across a lifelong learning pathway Why school, workforce, and professional credentialing systems need stronger connections What durable skills, including reading, communication, and quantitative reasoning, mean for career readiness Why data interpretation may be one of the most important skills students need for work and life How high school credentials can help students explore career pathways without narrowing opportunity What education and credentialing leaders should consider before adding workforce credentials to school programs Why AI literacy should focus on critical thinking, source credibility, and responsible use How multidisciplinary learning can help people adapt as work, technology, and assessment continue to evolve Who should listen: Education and assessment leaders connecting school outcomes to workforce readiness Credentialing and certification professionals exploring earlier career pathways K-12 and secondary education leaders evaluating workforce-related credentials Employers and workforce development teams focused on durable skills and talent pipelines Psychometricians and program evaluators working across education and credentialing Policy and program leaders responsible for validity, fairness, and quality assurance Organizations thinking about how AI and technology should shape future-ready skills About the guest: Chad Buckendahl, PhD, ICE-CCP, is a Managing Partner with ACS Ventures, LLC with an emphasis in program design, evaluation, standard setting, policy, and legal issues. Dr. Buckendahl has designed and led development and validation studies for programs in credentialing and education. He regularly contributes thought leadership through professional conference presentations, white papers, journal articles, and book chapters. He currently serves on the joint committee for the revision of the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, technical advisory committees in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom for diverse licensure, certification, and education programs; and previously served on volunteer committees for the Association of Test Publishers (ATP), Institute for Credentialing Excellence (I.C.E.), International Test Commission (ITC), and National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME).