Charter International Association of Facilitators March 2020

Summary of the initiative

Name
International Association of Facilitators (IAF)
Objective(s)
The Statement of Values and Code of Ethics establishes the values and ethical standards at the core of professional facilitation.
The Core Facilitator Competencies framework articulates six competencies which form the basic set of skills, knowledge, and behaviours that facilitators must have in order to be successful facilitating in a wide variety of environments.
The Professional Development Path describes the levels of endorsement or certification the IAF provides its members to recognise their mastery of the six core competencies and contribution to the field.

Description of the Initiative

    Sector

    Sector

    Contact Point - Commission
    GROW.DDG2.E.5 - Regulation of Professions

    Self/Co-Regulation Basic Act

    PRIVATE ACT
    Year
    2020
    Title of Act
    Chater International Association of Facilitators March 2020

    Geographical Coverage

    Global coverage
    Participating Countries
    Belgium
    Other countries
    Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine, USA

    Description

    Problems that lead to the introduction of Self/Co-Regulation and the adoption of the Founding Act
    The IAF sought to develop ethical standards for the increasing numbers providing or receiving facilitation services. It adopted its Statement of Values and Code of Ethics in June 2004 after extensive consultations and discussion with IAF members worldwide.
    Later on, the IAF sought to develop professional standards to describe the basic set of skills, knowledge and behaviours that facilitators must have in order to be successful facilitating in a wide variety of environments. This led to the Core Facilitator Competencies framework, developed over several years by the IAF with the support of its members and facilitators from all over the world. This six-competency framework has been tested since, and continues to be used to validate the delivery of professional facilitation services.
    Finally, the IAF also sought to develop a professional qualification framework to attest to facilitators' effective competencies under the Core Facilitator Competencies. In response to the needs of IAF members and their clients, the association established a full Professional Development Path comprising four recognition levels, including the renowned IAF Certified™ Professional Facilitator (CPF) designation. These credentials attest, to various degrees, of a facilitator's competencies under the Core Facilitator Competencies framework, as well as their contribution to the field.
    Target Group(s)
    Facilitators and the buyers of facilitation services. Facilitators may work on their own (freelance), as part of a company providing services to external clients (consultant), or as part of a company providing services to internal clients (internal consultant).
    Type of Instrument(s)
    Charter including a Statement of Values, Code of Ethics, Core Facilitator Competencies framework, and Professional Development Path.
    Type of Financing
    Membership fees, professional development fees, event fees and donations.
    Level of Financing
    Annual budget: €400,000.
    Type of Monitoring
    Conduct an initial survey of compliance capacity of future regulateesConduct regular visits and spot checksInitiate complaints proceduresMaintain database of those bounded by the normsProduce regular reportsReceive complaints and verify if norms were breached or notReflexive dialogue with the - stakeholdersOther
    European Commission
    National public authority
    International public authority
    Private regulator (code owner)yesyesyesyesyes
    Private independent party with a mandate (e.g. auditors)
    Self-appointed private parties (e.g. NGOs)
    Type of Enforcement
    Faming, shaming and blamingJudicial sanctionsMembership suspension/exclusionPrivate finesOther
    Private Regulatoryesyes
    Private independent party with a mandate (e.g. auditors)
    Court system
    Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) / Online dispute resolution (ODR)