CPD for HKMAAL Accredited Mediators

HKMAAL Accredited Mediator CPD Programme and the CPD Requirements

 1. It is desirable that HKMAAL Accredited Mediators on either or both the General and Family Panels be considered to be of high quality and be seen as having met established standards of training. It is also desirable that these standards be upheld even after accreditation, and in this regard, "HKMAAL Accredited Mediator Continuing and Professional Development ("CPD”) Programme” (the "CPD Programme”) is considered to be an important element.

2.  At the same time, the HKMAAL Mediator Accreditation is renewable annually and the renewal is subject to, among other things, that the HKMAAL Accredited Mediator seeking renewal of his/her accreditation has attained a total of at least 5 CPD points/ hours every Membership (Calendar) Year (the "CPD Requirement”).

3.  The CPD Requirement is the minimum standard which HKMAAL Accredited Mediators are expected to meet. They are encouraged to exceed the minimum standard whenever possible.

4.  Mediators newly accredited by HKMAAL will have to start to, at the next Membership Year following the year of accreditation, fulfill the CPD Requirement, i.e. to attain at least 5 CPD points / hours every Membership (Calendar) Year. 

5.  A HKMAAL Membership (Calendar) Year starts on 1st of January and ends on the following 31st December.  

6. It is expected that some activities under a HKMAAL Accredited Mediator CPD Programme will also contribute to the satisfaction of the CPD requirements of other professional bodies. Similarly, mediation activities organised by organisations such as the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, the Law Society of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Mediation Council Limited and the Hong Kong Mediation Centre may contribute toward the fulfillment of HKMAAL CPD Requirement.

Attendance Policy

7.   The CPD Attendance Policy for HKMAAL Accredited Mediators is as follows:

1. For a course of less than 1 hour in duration, any course participant who is absent for any period during the course, including late arrivals or early departures, will not receive any CPD points for that course;

2. For a course of 1 hour or more but less than 3 hours in duration, a grace period of 10 minutes for either late arrival or early departure (but not both in the same course) will be permitted without deduction of any CPD points.  Any course participant who is otherwise absent during the course apart from scheduled breaks will not receive any CPD points for that course;

3. For a course of 3 hours or more but less than 6 hours in duration,
• 1 CPD point will be deducted for any late arrival or early departure beyond the 10 minutes' grace period of up to 30 minutes from the commencement or before the end of the course;

• any course participant who arrives late or leaves early for more than 30 minutes or who is otherwise absent during the course apart from scheduled breaks will not receive any CPD points for that course.

4. For a course of 6 hours or more in duration,
• 1 CPD point will be deducted for any late arrival or early departure beyond the 10 minutes' grace  period of up to 30 minutes from the commencement or before the end of the course;

• 2 CPD points will be deducted for any late arrival or early departure beyond the 10 minutes' grace period of more than 30 minutes and up to 60 minutes from the commencement or before the end of the course;

• any course participant who arrives late or leaves early for more than 60 minutes or who is otherwise absent during the course apart from scheduled breaks will not receive any CPD points for that course.

8.  Each HKMAAL Accredited Mediator is required to keep their CPD training record:

• to provide a detailed record of compliance with the HKMAAL CPD Programme and Requirement;
• upon invitation, to be submitted to the HKMAAL Mediation Accreditation Committee for review for purposes of the renewal of accreditation.

9.   Each HKMAAL Accredited Mediator will be invited to make a written declaration on his/her having undertaken the minimum hours of CPD in the immediate past Membership Year at each membership renewal exercise.

10.  Notwithstanding the written declaration as made (as mentioned under Para. 9 above), each HKMAAL Accredited Mediator will be randomly requested to submit his/her CPD training record at each membership renewal exercise. There will be no fee charged for the review of the CPD training record, the cost of such review being included in the annual panel maintenance fee paid by each HKMAAL Accredited Mediator. Accurate recording and maintenance of the CPD training record in order to comply with the requirements of the HKMAAL Accredited Mediator CPD Programme is very much dependent upon the integrity of each HKMAAL Accredited Mediator.

11.   Each HKMAAL Accredited Mediator must in the CPD training record include the dates, hours, topics, trainer/presenter/speaker, and other relevant details of all events and activities which will count toward compliance with the HKMAAL Accredited Mediator CPD Programme.

12.   The review of CPD Training Record Forms will be carried out by the HKMAAL Secretariat.  No later than 2 months after a CPD Training Record Form has been duly submitted by a HKMAAL Accredited Mediator to the HKMAAL, the CPD Training Record Form will be returned to the HKMAAL Accredited Mediator in question with an indication that either:

1. the CPD Training Record Form has been duly and properly maintained and that the HKMAAL Accredited Mediator CPD Programme requirements have been met for the purposes of the renewal of accreditation; or
2. the CPD Training Record Form has not been duly and properly maintained or, if duly and properly maintained, the HKMAAL Accredited Mediator CPD Programme requirements for the purposes of the renewal of accreditation have not been met.

13.  In the event that accreditation of a HKMAAL Accredited Mediator is duly renewed, the CPD Training Record Form will be returned to the HKMAAL Accredited Mediator in question.

14.  In the event that accreditation of a HKMAAL Accredited Mediator is not duly renewed as a result of the situation referred to in b) above, the HKMAAL Accredited Mediator in question will be given clear comments and advice on what action is necessary to rectify the situation.

15.  The purpose of the CPD Programme is to enhance the skills and knowledge of HKMAAL Accredited Mediators. For qualifying as a CPD Programme, an event organiser has to register their event(s) with HKMAAL (please see the page "Registration of CPD”).  Suggested areas for further study and/or training, include the following:

• Communication skills

• Negotiation

• Problem‐solving

• Restorative Justice

• Other mediation training (e.g. Family, Construction, Medical, Community, Environment, Cross‐culture)

• Legal awareness

• Partnering/alliance‐building

• Conflict management/avoidance

• Conflict Coaching

• Facilitation

• Collaborative practice

• Advanced mediation skills

• Other dispute resolution processes

(This list is by no means exhaustive.)

Suggested areas for further study specifically for HKMAAL Accredited Family Mediators include the following:

• Domestic violence

• Child Abuse

• Drafting Settlement Agreements

• Child‐care & child development

• Psychological process of separation and divorce

• Appropriate arrangements for custody, care, control and access

• Step‐parenting/families

• Co‐parenting

• Parenting coordination

• Local policy in practices e.g. Housing, Insurance, Taxation & C.S.S.A.

• Family law

• Collaborative practice

• Special knowledge in solving financial disputes.

(This list is by no means exhaustive.)

16.  Activities which will qualify as meeting the CPD Requirement for Accredited Mediators include:

• attending events which have been registered under HKMAAL CPD Programme;
• participating in committees or working groups on ADR;
• writing and publishing relevant ADR articles for newsletters or other publications;
• developing and/or delivering ADR training;
• attending HKMAAL's forums, workshops, talks and conferences;
• arranging/facilitating /participating in training and similar mediation/ADR events, including coaching, supervision and simulation exercises; and
• providing pro-bono mediation services* under the Hong Kong Judiciary’s Integrated Mediation Offices and the Building Management Mediation Co-ordinator’s Office.
  (*: the maximum CPD points that could be attained from this category of CPD activities in a HKMAAL membership (calendar) year is capped at 3 points / hours)

17.  The above contents may be revised from time to time to reflect the latest developments in the field of ADR, changes in HKMAAL mediator accreditation requirements and refocusing on what constitutes good practice.