What certificate shows a person is authorized to serve as a delegate or alternate delegate?

• A. Credential
• B. Mandate
• C. Proxy
• D. Representation

Answer: (A)

In parliamentary practice, the document that proves someone is authorized to participate in a meeting as a delegate or alternate is a credential. A credential is the formal certificate issued by the organization’s credentials committee (or governing body) confirming the holder’s eligibility to attend, participate, and, if permitted, vote in the proceedings. It acts as proof that the person has been properly credentialed by the body to represent a delegating group.

A proxy is a different concept: it’s a written authorization for someone else to vote on your behalf, typically used when you cannot attend. Mandate and representation aren’t standard terms for this specific certification of participation, as they refer more generally to authority or the act of representing someone, not to the formal credential used to authorize a delegate.