Neovation + NASSCO — 2026 Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Gold Awards
August 24, 2026
Our Custom Learning team and our client NASSCO have been awarded two Gold Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards for the digital transformation of NASSCO's PACP®/LACP®/MACP® recertification program.
The 2026 winners were announced on August 13, 2026. Founded in 1993, the HCM Excellence Awards are the longest-running and largest awards program dedicated to Human Capital Management, often described in the industry as the Academy Awards of the field.
The two wins
Gold — Best Certification Program Modernizing Infrastructure Safety: The PACP®/LACP®/MACP® Digital Recertification Transformation
Gold — Best Custom Content Converting Expertise to Accessibility: NASSCO's Asynchronous Operating Model Transformation
Why this program matters
NASSCO's PLM certification is the mandatory credential for the professionals who inspect and code the condition of underground sewer infrastructure across North America. Their assessments directly inform how public infrastructure budgets are prioritized every year. When the coding is consistent, utilities and municipalities can trust the data they're spending against. When it isn't, they can't.
Keeping that workforce current had become a real constraint. NASSCO's previous self-paced recertification course had failed outright. The instructor-led alternative worked, but it could only reach so many people a year — and it asked busy field professionals to absorb travel costs and time away from active work just to maintain a credential they already held.
What we built together
Over roughly a year of close collaboration, our Custom Learning team worked with NASSCO to rebuild the recertification pathway from the ground up:
- A 13-module, fully asynchronous eLearning series
- Built to mirror the exact tools and workflow field technicians use on the job
- Forced-completion architecture to ensure learners genuinely engage with the material rather than clicking through it
- Knowledge checks throughout, so learners can gauge their own readiness as proceed through the series
The results
- 98% exam pass rate among self-paced completers, compared to 92% for the instructor-led course
- Approximately 1,200 professionals recertified in the first year
- Zero critical technical failures since launch, replacing a predecessor course that had broken down entirely
The self-paced pathway didn't just match the classroom outcome. It slightly exceeded it, while removing the travel and scheduling barriers that kept people from recertifying at all.
What NASSCO says
"This course is life-changing for our industry! It is easily accessible and meets learners where they can be at their best. NASSCO's self-paced recertification course allows busy underground infrastructure professionals to learn on their own schedule and at their own pace, offering knowledge checks as they move through the material. Recertification is ever-more critical to our industry in helping maintain high-quality data collection standards for aging infrastructure."
— Laurie Perkins, P.E., Training Director, NASSCO
"From an industry perspective, it raises the bar on the usability of the data. When more inspectors are able to stay current and trained in the industry-accepted coding standards, you get better quality data, more consistency, and ultimately better actionable data that allows the end user to make crucial budget decisions with. At the end of the day, it helps provide reliable information that owners can trust."
— David Hamberlin, NASSCO-Certified Trainer, 2026 Trainer Achievement Award
"The NASSCO self-paced PLM recertification course is a meaningful step forward. It makes it much easier for people to stay current without the cost and disruption of travel or time away from active work, which removes a real barrier to maintaining certification. Just as important, it helps strengthen consistency in how condition assessment data is understood and applied across the industry. When more people can realistically keep their training current, the result is better data quality, better decision-making, and more confidence from the utilities and stakeholders relying on that information."
— Eric Sullivan, NASSCO-Certified Trainer, 2026 Trainer of the Year
From the team that built it
"We couldn't be prouder to share that our work with NASSCO just won two Gold Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards. Converting a flagship recertification program like PACP/LACP/MACP into a 13-part eLearning series was a massive undertaking. It took over a year of deep collaboration, heavy problem-solving, and a ton of instructional creativity to make highly technical content truly engaging. The best part, beyond the awards, is that NASSCO loved the results so much they've already partnered with us again to take on their full certification program."
— Meredith Warner, Senior Instructional Designer, Neovation
Credit where it's due
None of this happens without the people who built it. Thank you to Brayden and Meredith for leading the project, to Pao, Taylor, Ketellyn, Yarot, Bruno, and Leticia for the work that made this recognition possible, and to Barrett for support on the award submissions.
And most of all, thank you to NASSCO for trusting us with a program that carries real weight in their industry. Two Golds is recognition of a partnership, not a vendor engagement.
How entries were judged
Entries were evaluated by a panel of veteran, independent senior industry experts, Brandon Hall Group analysts, and executives using a proven and published evaluation framework that applies the same criteria to every submission:
- Alignment to business need and environment
- Program design, functionality, and delivery
- Adoption, integration, user experience, innovation, and creativity
- Overall effectiveness, impact, and measurable benefits
Brandon Hall Group publishes its judging criteria and judge profiles at excellenceawards.brandonhall.com. See the full list of 2026 winners.
About NASSCO
NASSCO, the National Association of Sewer Service Companies, is the industry source for trenchless technology education, resources, and advocacy. Founded in 1976, NASSCO sets the standards for the assessment, maintenance, and rehabilitation of underground infrastructure, and its PACP, LACP, and MACP certification programs are the common language for pipeline condition assessment across North America. Its membership includes contractors, suppliers, public agencies, utility owners, and engineers, and it serves as the industry's advocate for underground infrastructure funding. Contact information here.
About Neovation
Be powered by knowledge™ – Neovation Learning Solutions is a leading provider of innovative online learning products and services to a global roster of mid-market and extended enterprise businesses and organizations with over 500 clients worldwide. At Neovation, we are committed to being your reliable and trusted partner for digital knowledge management. Our mission is to empower your organization's success by enhancing your operational knowledge through our comprehensive range of products and services. Founded in 2012, Neovation is based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Contact: Dan Belhassen, CEO & Founder – dcb@neovation.com
About Brandon Hall Group™
Brandon Hall Group™ is the Workforce Excellence Intelligence company. For more than 30 years, it has helped organizations translate workforce performance into measurable business results, combining independent research, proven practices from award-winning organizations, benchmarking, and strategic advisory. More than 10,000 organizations worldwide have engaged with Brandon Hall Group through its research, advisory services, Excellence Councils, Institute, certifications, and the HCM Excellence Awards®.
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