Self-accreditation is only as credible as the accountability behind it. Open CPD’s answer to that challenge is the Declaration — a signed commitment that every provider makes before they can issue certificates or digital badges through the platform. It is not a terms-of-service checkbox. It is a specific set of five commitments, signed against a verifiable OCPD Provider ID, with documented consequences for misuse. Here is what it means and why it matters.
The five commitments
When a provider signs the Open CPD Declaration, they affirm five specific things:
1. Legitimate authority. The provider confirms they are the legitimate provider of the training listed on the platform and have the authority to issue certificates for it. This rules out providers issuing credentials for training they did not deliver or do not control.
2. Accuracy of course information. All course and event information submitted must be accurate, truthful, and not misleading. The Aims, Skills, and Outcomes that appear on every certificate must reflect what the training actually delivers — not what the provider wishes it delivered.
3. Honest CPD allocation. CPD points or hours assigned to each course must fairly reflect actual learning time, depth of content, and level of engagement. This directly addresses one of the most common abuses in the CPD market — inflation of hours to make training appear more substantial than it is.
4. Understanding of the framework. Providers confirm they understand that Open CPD provides a framework for self-accreditation and does not independently verify individual course content. This is transparency about what the platform is and is not. Open CPD is infrastructure — the provider is responsible for what they build on it.
5. Acceptance of consequences. Providers accept that misuse of the platform — including inaccurate CPD allocation or misleading course information — may result in suspension or removal of membership. This is the accountability mechanism. It is visible and verifiable: a removed provider’s OCPD ID no longer validates.
The OCPD Provider ID
Every Open CPD member is assigned a unique OCPD Provider ID when they join. This ID appears on their Certificate of CPD Membership and on all credentials they issue. It is the verifiable link between a provider’s declaration and their public record.
Anyone — a learner, an employer, a professional body — can check a provider’s membership status at open-cpd.com/verification using their OCPD Provider ID. The verification confirms that the provider has signed the Declaration and holds current membership. If membership is suspended or removed, the verification reflects that immediately.
This is the accountability layer that makes the Declaration meaningful. It is not a private record between the provider and Open CPD. It is a public, verifiable commitment.
The Certificate of CPD Membership
Once a provider has signed the Declaration, they can request their Certificate of CPD Membership. The certificate records the provider’s company name and OCPD Provider ID, the date the Declaration was signed, the date the Certificate of Membership was issued, and carries the CEO’s signature. The certificate is not a qualification. It is not regulatory approval. It is documented evidence that a specific provider, on a specific date, made a specific set of commitments — and that those commitments are publicly checkable.
Why certificates are stored on IPFS
Open CPD Certificates of Membership are stored on IPFS — the InterPlanetary File System, a decentralised storage network. This is a deliberate and considered choice, and it is worth explaining why.
Most digital certificates are stored on the issuing organisation’s own servers. If that organisation changes its systems, restructures, or ceases to operate, the verification links break. The certificate may still exist as a PDF, but the evidence layer — the ability to check it against a live record — disappears. That is a significant limitation for any credential intended to function as long-term proof.
IPFS works differently. Files stored on IPFS are identified by their content hash — a unique fingerprint of the document itself. The URL does not point to a location on a server; it points to the content. Any alteration to the document changes the hash and breaks the link. The URL is the verification. This means Open CPD Membership Certificates are immutable — they cannot be altered after issue. They are permanent — they do not depend on Open CPD’s own servers remaining live. They require no login, no wallet, and no platform account to view or verify. And they are interoperable: if a specific blockchain standard emerges as the dominant framework for professional credentials, the IPFS-stored certificate can be anchored to it without reissuing.
Full blockchain integration is technically available. Open CPD has chosen not to implement it yet — not because the technology is inadequate, but because the standards are not settled. Competing wallet ecosystems, conflicting token standards, and uneven adoption across sectors mean that committing to a single chain now would create fragmentation rather than solve it. IPFS meets all the practical requirements — immutability, permanence, open access, verifiability — while remaining chain-agnostic and future-ready. It is a considered position, not a limitation.
What this means for learners
A learner booking training with an Open CPD member provider can check that provider’s OCPD ID before they commit. They can see when the Declaration was signed. They can verify current membership status. If the provider’s membership has been suspended, that is visible before any money changes hands.
The certificate the learner receives at the end of the course is issued by a provider who has made five specific public commitments about accuracy, honesty, and legitimate authority. That is a different standard from a certificate issued by a provider with no public commitments and no verifiable identity. The accountability runs from the provider’s Declaration, through the Certificate of CPD Membership, to every credential they issue.
FAQ
Is the Declaration legally binding?
It is a contractual commitment to Open CPD’s terms of membership. It is not a statutory declaration. Misuse can result in suspension or removal of membership — a commercial and reputational consequence that is visible and permanent. The Declaration’s value is in making accountability public and verifiable, not in creating criminal liability.
How do I verify an Open CPD member provider?
Go to open-cpd.com/verification and enter the provider’s OCPD Provider ID. Current membership status, declaration date, and certificate issue date are all visible. If the ID does not return an active result, that is the relevant information.
What is IPFS and why does it matter for my certificate?
IPFS is a decentralised storage network. Certificates stored on IPFS are identified by a content hash — a fingerprint of the document. Any alteration changes the hash and breaks the link, making falsification immediately detectable. The certificate does not depend on any single company’s servers remaining operational. It exists on a distributed network and can be verified by anyone with the link, indefinitely, with no login required.
Can a provider’s Certificate of CPD Membership be revoked?
Membership can be suspended or removed for misuse of the platform. When this happens, the provider’s OCPD ID no longer verifies as active at open-cpd.com/verification. The certificate document stored on IPFS remains accessible as a historical record — but its current membership status is updated in the Open CPD verification system it links to.
