CALEA was established as an independent accrediting authority in 1979 by the four major law enforcement executive associations: International Association of Chief's of Police (IACP); National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE); National Sheriff's Association (NSA); and Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). CALEA's purpose and mission is two-fold. First, to establish a body of standards designed to increase agency effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of public safety services and, second, to establish and administer a series of accreditation programs through which public safety agencies can demonstrate voluntarily that they meet an established set of professionally recognized standards leading to excellence in service delivery and management.