SOP Comparison

[kurt]

Has anyone else downloaded the comparison document? I think this is one of the more interesting documents I've seen in the last year.

Mike, your dedication is humbling.

[Bob White]

OK...

I'm the dunce....

Where is the comparison document?

[hausdok]

https://www.inspectorsjournal.com/forum ... goto&id=60

[Les]

It really should be required reading for the alphabet crowd, my association included. A careful reading will "make you think", so some will not find it appropriate.

[Chad Fabry]

Mike, I can't imagine how much time that took...Thanks.

It makes for a very interesting read.

[hausdok]

Hi,

You're very welcome. I should point out that I started that sometime in the spring of 2006 and that when ASHI changed their SOP requirements to include their code of ethics I didn't go back in and redo the ASHI portion. I suppose I should, but getting re-motivated to work on that again, after spending 6 straight hours the other day moving it to a Word document and reformatting it, ain't gonna happen real soon.

I think you'll find the WHILAG portions interesting. The group took home all of the various SOP's and then came back the next month to start trying to put together one that would satisfy all of the respective organizational requirements plus what the independents and franchises wanted. After the initial review, they agreed that the one that was the most comprehensive and consumer friendly was the NAHI SOP and they voted unanimously to use that as the basis for the WHILAG proposal while borrowing from some of the others.

In the end, it took 6-7 months of meet 4 hours a month to get a consensus SOP that all felt satisfied the various association requirements while protecting consumers. Even though not everyone got what they wanted, the process was about as fair as it could be and the result was the best they could come up with given their differences.

OT - OF!!!

M.

[ozofprev]

Yes, thank you Mike!

[Eric B]

Mike, I'm very impressed. What a project!

What's sad is how many inspectors do not know the SOP requirements that they're suppose to be operating under. On more than one occasion I have had people tell me (insist) that the ASHI and State of Illinois SOPs are identical - they're not.

Now the question becomes, according to your contract, which Standards are you operating under? For me it's Illinois'. If I said ASHI, then I would not be meeting the State's requirements. Bad news if I got invited to court and some smart attorney began to compare Standards and realized that my contract was not compliant with state law.

[hausdok]

Hi Eric,

Yeah, that's a good point. WHILAG had folks in the room from ASHI, NAHI, AII, NACHI, AHIA, NABIE, WSPCA, WSIA, as well as myself and one or two other independents. We knew that there were more non-association-affiliated inspectors in the state than those affiliated, so it was important that the focus not be solely on associations. The turf wars began within minutes of the first meeting beginning. After one or two meetings where no real progress was being made toward consensus, it became clear that, in order to work toward developing decent recommendations for legislation, they first needed to develop a single uniform S.O.P. to accompany any recommendations; one that everyone in an association could agree enabled them to automatically meet the requirements of their associations by simply complying with the model legislation.

It was a bitch. There was a lot of blood shed in that room, but none of the associations can claim that they were excluded from the process and independents can't claim that it favors only the associations. Still, it remains to be seen whether the legislators will be listening this year, because they sure as hell weren't listening last year. We were right on the brink of some pretty boneheaded stuff until it got pushed off to a sunrise review.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Jerry Simon]

Originally posted by Eric B

Mike, I'm very impressed. What a project!

Now the question becomes, according to your contract, which Standards are you operating under? For me it's Illinois'. If I said ASHI, then I would not be meeting the State's requirements. Bad news if I got invited to court and some smart attorney began to compare Standards and realized that my contract was not compliant with state law.

How can one be an ASHI member and not follow their SOP? Ain't it sort of a requirement?

My contract says I follow both IL & ASHI standards (and I do).

[chicago]

By following NACHI... SOP I am following State of Illinois ..SOP and going beyond what the state requires, however if in a court of law I must state I follow Illinois standards as the appropriate answer.

[Scottpat]

Originally posted by Jerry Simon

Originally posted by Eric B

Mike, I'm very impressed. What a project!

Now the question becomes, according to your contract, which Standards are you operating under? For me it's Illinois'. If I said ASHI, then I would not be meeting the State's requirements. Bad news if I got invited to court and some smart attorney began to compare Standards and realized that my contract was not compliant with state law.

How can one be an ASHI member and not follow their SOP? Ain't it sort of a requirement?

My contract says I follow both IL & ASHI standards (and I do).

The ASHI SOP's also say that if the inspector is in a licensed state and the state have their own standards that they are to follow the states standards as required by the law.

Why even advertise what standards you follow, I mean does it really matter to your client? I'm tickled when I see everyone advertising that they follow ASHI standards, when they belong to another association!

For Y'all that advertise that you follow the ASHI Standards, did you know that ASHI made their Code of Ethics part of the standards! If you do one you must do the other, otherwise you are not following those standards.