Cohort Dates
Check the cohort dates on the schedule at the header of this page
Duration
40 hours
Delivery
100% online with 25 hours of self-paced learning & 15 hours of instructor-led case studies
Additional delivery methods
Tuition
$2297
Menu
OVERVIEW
Build critical thinking and complex problem-solving skills with a BlueDragon Practitioner Certification.
Develop your critical thinking and problem-solving skills and gain valuable experience with Rapid Investigations, Comprehensive Investigations, and Proactive Program Reviews.
100% Online
This online course involves three weeks of self-paced online learning followed by a virtual case study.
Beginner-friendly
No experience with root cause analysis? No problem. We’ll equip you with the the tools you need to become a certified IPS Analyst.
High ROI
For only $2297, you'll gain problem solving and critical thinking skills that will boost your career and save you time and money.
COURSE HIGHLIGHTS
Develop a comprehensive understanding of the most modern methodology for solving workplace problems.
This intense, hybrid online workshop will introduce you the two of the most critical life skills you can learn in the age of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (1) – Critical Thinking and Complex Problem Solving.
Mainstream education has failed to adequately provide these critical life skills in primary and secondary schools and higher learning institutions. As a result, studies show that half of all millenials get an “F” in critical thinking (2). The course will break down critical thinking into its basic components that can be learned, practiced and mastered.
This course will help you develop a comprehensive understanding of the graded approach to solving complex, human-centric problems using the most modern and innovative approach available in regulated industries: the BlueDragon Integrated Problem-solving (IPS) Methodology.
With BlueDragon, investigators, root cause subject matter experts and Six Sigma Master Black Belts can take their complex problem-solving skills to the next level.
Personnel new to root cause analysis can develop a comprehensive understanding of the graded approach to solving complex, human-centric problems using IPS.
This course will prepare you for certification as a BlueDragon Certified Analyst Level 2 and 3, helping you to become much more valuable to your organization.
(1) World Economic Forum, 2016 Future of Jobs Report)
(2) Williams, T. (2020). “Study: Nearly Half of Millennials Get an ‘F’ In Critical Thinking.”
You'll build practical and essential skills such as:
- Critical Thinking
- Systems Thinking
- Cause & Effect Analysis
- BlueDragon Framework
- BlueDragon Rapid Investigations
- BlueDragon Comprehensive Investigations
- BlueDragon Proactive Program Reviews
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
This certification is relevant across all industries.
- Lean Six Sigma practitioners, Green Belts, Yellow Belts
- Federal, state and local auditors and investigators
- Inspector General investigators in all branches
- Project and program managers in all industries
- Methodologists helping others applying HCA in all industries
- Accident/Event Investigators in all industries
- Industrial Safety Managers in all industries
- Construction Safety and Management
- Performance Improvement Department personnel
- Contractor Assurance personnel
- Corrective Action Program Managers
- Occurrence Reporting personnel
- Safeguards & Security personnel
- Quality & Oversight Dept. personnel
- Environmental Health & Safety personnel
- Facility/Operations Managers
- Management of all levels
- Engineers in all industries
- Scientists in all industries
- Operators in all industries
- Regulators from all industries
- Nuclear Regulatory Commission Inspectors
- Institute of Nuclear Power Operators
- (INPO) Inspectors
- World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) Inspectors
- National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Inspectors
Ready to start your journey to Become a Dragon?
Check the cohort dates on the schedule below. Reserve your spot now!
BD2 BLUEDRAGON PRACTITIONER
Course Outline
Weeks 1 - 3
Lessons 1-12: Self-paced Learning
Complete Lessons 1 to 12 on your own (approximately 15 hours)
END OF WEEK 3
Live Case Study - Session 1
Live Session #1, a 4 to 5-hour instructor-led case study using a virtual white board.
All case studies start at 12pm EST unless otherwise noted.
See cohort schedule for dates.
Weeks 4 - 5
Lessons 13-21: Self-paced Learning
Complete Lessons 13-21 on your own (approximately 8 hours)
Week 6
Live Case Study - Sessions 2 & 3
Live Sessions #2 and #3, which are 5-hour instructor-led case studies using a virtual white board usually on a Tuesday and Thursday.
All case studies start at 12pm EST unless otherwise noted.
See cohort schedule for dates.
OBJECTIVES
Terminal Objective
After completion of the BlueDragon Practitioner certification course, students will have developed an understanding of the fundamentals of critical thinking and complex problem solving, they will have developed an understanding of the BlueDragon Integrated Problem-solving (IPS) methodology, and they will be able to participate in IPS Rapid Investigations, IPS Comprehensive Investigations and IPS Proactive Program Reviews.
CURRICULUM
Enabling Objectives
Given a course of instruction, prospective BlueDragon Practitioners will be able to understand:
TESTIMONIALS
What Clients Say
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Rob De La Espriella, BD3
Rob is one of the leading experts in causal analysis, with over 30 years of experience in leading and facilitating root cause analyses, event investigations and assessments at commercial nuclear power plants, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the DOE, the US Department of Defense (DOD), and Engineering firms.
Rob became a root cause subject matter expert and practitioner in 1989, as a member of the Florida Power & Light team that won the Deming Prize1, the first company in the world outside Japan to win the award. He has completed formal training in problem-solving methods including Kepner Tregoe, Management Oversight Risk Tree (MORT), TapRoot, Dr. Corcoran’s Phoenix Method, Human Performance Evaluation System (HPES), Total Quality Management (TQM), Lean/Six Sigma, and he is a certified Kaizen Team Leader.
Since 1990, Rob has led of facilitated hundreds of root cause evaluations, audits, assessments and complex problem solving efforts. In 1995, Rob received several awards from the NRC for leading root causes and bringing Total Quality Management Concepts to NRC Region I. In 2003 and 2005, the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) listed Rob’s Nuclear Assurance organization as one of the strongest in the US, and Rob attributes that recognition, in large part, to teaching root cause and problem-solving skills to his staff and promoting a problem-solving culture. The World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) also sought Rob’s expertise for improvement projects in South Africa and Slovenia.
In 2010, Rob began teaching his modern causal analysis approach at DOE sites. He later gave his method the trademark name of BlueDragon Hyper-Integrated Causal Analysis (HCA). Rob has used HCA to solve some of the most complex, human-centric issues (including near fatalities) at DOE and DOD sites.
Every summer since 2015, Rob has been invited as a guest lecturer by Princeton University’s Keller Center for Entrepreneurship. Rob has been teaching critical thinking skills to the Design Thinking Teams that are working on solving wicked problems for clients in New York and New Jersey.
BLUEDRAGON PRACTITIONER CERTIFICATION
Requirements for Certification
After completion of the BD2 training course and live case study, prospective BD2 candidates must complete the following before being certified by BlueDragon:
Rapid Investigations
Complete 6 Rapid Investigations within a 6-month period *
* Or substitute 2 additional Comprehensive Investigations
Comprehensive Investigations
Complete 3 Comprehensive Investigations within a 12-month period
- Attach the grading sheet for the charts (available on our Reference Library to former students)
- Attach the grading sheet for the final reports
Documentation
Turn in the required BD2 Certification documentation form.
Final Exam
Register and pay to take the BD2 Final Exam (75% to pass).
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
LMS Live Sessions
Online workshops are conducted through our BlueDragon Learning Management System (LMS), which requires access to the internet. There are no programs or software to download and our corporate clients will be provided with their own branded portal to access the LMS.
BD2 includes three instructor-led case studies. The case studies will be conducted online using Zoom. In addition, we will be using a virtual whiteboard that allows the team to collaborate simultaneously on the chart. These two platforms have made it possible to deliver virtual classes with the same or better results than live workshops.
- The use of virtual whiteboards has made it easier to conduct assessments, investigations and root cause analysis when we cannot conduct meetings in person.
For the instructor-led case study, participants are required to have a webcam and microphone and be able to access Zoom/WebEx through the internet.
Internet download speeds greater than 20 Mbps are highly recommended.
3 EASY STEPS TO
Get Started
1
STEP ONE
Register
Register yourself or your team for the BlueDragon Practitioner Course online.
3
STEP THREE
Access LMS
You will receive an email with login instructions.
- Change your password on your first login.
- Click on “My Courses” and start taking your course.
- Register for the Live Sessions that correspond to your cohort.
- Complete the course in 4 weeks or less.
BECOME A BLUEDRAGON PRACTITIONER
Register Now
BD2 PRACTITIONER CERTIFICATION
Instructor-Led Options
Online, Instructor-led
- 4 full days of online, instructor-led training over a 2 week period (usually Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8am to 5pm)
- Includes 12 instructor-led case studies
- Up to 20 students
- $50,000
Live at Client's Facilities
4 full days of live, instructor-led training over a 1 week period (usually Monday through Thursday from 8am to 5pm)
- Includes 12 instructor-led case studies
- Up to 20 students
- $60,000
Want to learn more?
BLUEDRAGON
Policies
Tuition for workshops are due 10 working days prior to the start of the workshop. Participants may lose their slot in the class if payment is not received by then.
If payment is received and a student must cancel for any reason, the following cancellation policy applies:
Cancellations at least 10 working days prior to the workshop receive a full refund.
Cancellations less than 10 working days prior to the workshop will receive a refund minus a 15% cancellation fee.
Thank you for your understanding and please contact us for any questions.
Tuition for online courses through the LMS is due at any time prior to gaining access to the LMS.
Tuition for instructor-led workshops are due 10 working days prior to the start of the workshop.
Alternate Method of Payment:
Checks can be made out to:
DLE Technical Services, LLC
4634 SW Long Bay Drive
Palm City, FL 34990
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR ORDER FOR PURCHASE. BY ACCESSING AND USING THIS WEBSITE SERVICE, OR SUBMITTING AN ORDER FOR PURCHASE, YOU AGREE TO BE LEGALLY BOUND BY THE TERMS OF SALE SET FORTH HEREIN. THESE TERMS OF SALE FORM PART OF YOUR ORDER AND PURCHASE.
INTRODUCTION AND GENERAL PROVISIONS
These Terms of Sale describe the terms and conditions for the sale of products by DLE Technical Services, LLC and its subsidiaries and affiliates (hereinafter, collectively, the “Company”).
These Terms of Sale, unless otherwise expressly agreed in writing by the Company, apply to every sale by the Company and are included in each acceptance by the Company of any customer’s offer to purchase. If a customer offers to purchase products from the Company with its own purchase order or similar form, any terms proposed therein which add to, vary from, or conflict with these Terms are objected to by the Company and expressly rejected, and shall not be a part of the contract of sale unless the proposed terms are accepted and approved in a written document referring specifically to such terms and signed by an authorized Company representative.
PRICING AND PAYMENT
All pricing is subject to central office approval of the Company. All products will be invoiced at the price in effect on the date of purchase, determined by the Company’s current price pages. The Company reserves the right to cancel or remove price adjustments or exceptions which may have previously been made to meet a competitive offer, when in its judgment it becomes necessary or prudent to do so or the competitive situation no longer exists. All pricing is subject to change without notice. Purchases made on or after the date of a price change will be invoiced at the new price.
Payment terms will be as stated on the face of each individual order form, and cash discounts, if any, will be allowed only if taken within the time stated thereon, which shall be calculated from the order date. Payments not received on the date the order is placed will be considered past due and could result in a suspension or cancellation of material and shipments.
The Company reserves the right without notice to apply and set off any amounts owed to customer, including but not limited to rebates, credits or complaint settlements, against any past due amounts owing from the customer to the Company.
If the Company brings legal action to collect past due amounts from a customer, the customer will be responsible to reimburse the Company for all of its costs and out-of-pocket expenses associated with such action, including but not limited to reasonable attorneys’ fees.
ORDER ENTRY AND CREDIT
Orders may be placed through use of the Company’s electronic ordering system available at www.dle-services.com, or by telephone or by visiting the Company’s Customer Service Center. An order is accepted when acknowledged in writing (including by electronic confirmation, fax or email) or when delivered, whichever occurs first. All orders to be placed on credit are subject to the review and approval of the Company’s Credit Department.
The Company reserves the right to select its own customers. All customers must, upon request of the Company, complete (and update and supplement as the Company may reasonably require from time to time) a credit application on the Company’s standard form. All customers submitting such application agree to adhere to these Terms of Sale.
The Company reserves the right to reject any order if at any time the Company deems the financial responsibility or condition of the customer placing any order to be unsatisfactory.
PRODUCT AVAILABILITY
The Company’s products fall into two categories:
1. Standard Products
2. Non-Standard Products
Standard Products are (A) “On Hand” or (B) “Special Order.” Standard Products are listed in the price pages and product literature. Availability of “Special Order” Products varies from plant to plant. Consult your Company Sales Representative or Customer Account Specialist for lead time, quantities, availability, and pricing.
A Non-Standard Product is any item that varies from the specification set forth in our product literature or price bulletin. Requests for Non-Standard Products must be made through the Company Sales Representative or Customer Service Center to obtain necessary approval, which will be subject to the following conditions:
1. Any change in the Non-Standard Product request automatically cancels the request and a new request must be submitted.
2. Orders for Non-Standard Products must be entered within 30 days after approval. Delivery must be completed within 30 days after date of manufacture.
3. The order is non-cancelable.
4. As a condition of manufacturing a non-standard product, The Company reserves the right to ship, and the customer must agree to accept, an over-run or under-run not to exceed 5% of the final order.
REVISIONS/CANCELLATIONS
The Customer Service Center must handle revisions or cancellations of standard product orders. Notification must be received prior to any actual loading, otherwise, the customer will be held responsible for payment.
TAXES
All taxes and excises of any nature levied by any governmental authority upon the sale, use or transportation of products covered by these Terms shall be paid and borne by the customer.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
If written or other materials are included with Products, then, unless otherwise stated in end-user license agreements that may accompany the products, the Company or original licensors grant you and your staff a limited, non-exclusive, terminable, non-transferable license to access and use such materials subject to these Terms of Sale solely in connection with the original unmodified version of the specific units of Products that you purchase.
QUALITY CLAIMS
After delivery and acceptance of the product, if any product quality complaint exists:
1. The customer must immediately notify the Company Sales Representative. The customer must safeguard the product prior to its inspection by The Company.
2. Product claimed to be defective, off quality, or substandard must not be used or sold by the customer.
3. If needed, the Company Sales Representative will arrange for an on-site inspection, obtain the facts, and discuss the results with the customer.
LIMITED WARRANTY AND REMEDIES
Products manufactured and sold by the Company are warranted by the Company to its immediate purchaser to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of thirty (30) days after the time of shipment. THIS EXPRESS WARRANTY IS THE ONLY WARRANTY APPLICABLE TO SUCH PRODUCTS, AND IS IN LIEU OF AND EXCLUDES ALL OTHER EXPRESS ORAL OR WRITTEN WARRANTIES AND ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
NO ORAL OR WRITTEN INFORMATION OR ADVICE GIVEN BY THE COMPANY OR ITS EMPLOYEES SHALL CREATE A WARRANTY OR IN ANY WAY INCREASE THE SCOPE OF THE COMPANY’S OBLIGATIONS HEREUNDER. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COMPANY BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOST OR CORRUPTED DATA, DOWNTIME, LOST PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, REPLACEMENT SERVICE OR OTHER SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INDIRECT DAMAGES, HOWEVER CAUSED AND REGARDLESS OF THEORY OF LIABILITY, INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE.
The Company will not be liable for any incidental, indirect or consequential losses, damages, or expenses. The customer’s exclusive remedy for any type of claim or action for defective products will be limited to the replacement of the products (in the form originally shipped) or, at the Company’s option, to a payment or credit not greater than the original purchase price of the products.
The Company will not be liable for products claimed to be defective where the defect resulted from causes not within the Company’s control, or which arose or occurred after shipment, including but not limited to accidents, misuse, mishandling, improper installation, contamination or adulteration by other materials or goods, or abnormal conditions of temperature, moisture, dirt, or corrosive matter.
Any claim that products sold by the Company were defective or otherwise did not conform to the contract of sale is waived unless the customer submits it in writing to the Company within thirty (30) days from the date the customer discovered or should have discovered the defect or non-conformance. No legal action or proceeding complaining of goods sold by the Company may be brought by the customer more than one year after the date the customer discovered or should have discovered the defect or problem of which it complains.
CHANGES TO TERMS OF SALE
THE COMPANY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THESE TERMS OF SALE FROM TIME TO TIME. SUCH CHANGES WILL BECOME EFFECTIVE WHEN THE COMPANY POSTS THE REVISED TERMS OF SERVICE AS PART OF THIS WEBSITE. THE MOST CURRENT VERSION OF THE TERMS OF SALE CAN BE REVIEWED BY CLICKING ON THE “TERMS OF SALE” HYPERTEXT LINK LOCATED IN THE HOME PAGE FOR THE WEBSITE. CUSTOMERS SHOULD CHECK THE TERMS OF SALE FROM TIME TO TIME, AS THEY ARE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF SALE SO POSTED FROM AND AFTER THE TIME THE CHANGES ARE POSTED. ANY REVISED TERMS OF SALE SHALL SUPERSEDE ALL PREVIOUS VERSIONS.
MISCELLANEOUS
These Terms of Sale do not create a distribution relationship or contract, exclusive or otherwise, nor will such a relationship or contract be inferred from any course of dealing between the Company and any of its customers who purchase products under these Terms of Sale. The Company and any customer who purchases products from it are each free without penalty to cease doing business with the other at any time, for any reason whatsoever and without notice, unless otherwise provided in a separate, written contract signed by an officer of the Company and of the particular customer.
The Company shall not be liable for any loss or damage of any kind or for any consequences thereof resulting from delay or inability to deliver caused by strikes, lockouts, fire, theft, shortage, inability to obtain materials or shipping space, breakdowns, delays or carriers, manufacturers, or suppliers, acts of God, governmental statutes, proclamations or regulations, riot, civil commotion, war, malicious mischief, receipt of necessary information from Licensor, or by any cause beyond your reasonable control.
This Agreement shall be construed and enforced under the laws of the State of Florida, USA without reference to the choice of law principles thereof. The customer hereby consents to and submits to the jurisdiction of the federal and state courts located in the State of Florida. The customer waives any defenses based upon lack of personal jurisdiction or venue, or inconvenient forum.
If any provision herein is unenforceable, then such provision shall be of no effect on any other provision hereof.
No waiver of any breach hereof shall be deemed a waiver of any other breach hereof.
Section headings are provided for convenience only, and shall not be used to construe the meaning of any section hereof.