Criteria for Considering Mediation Training Courses for which Approval is Sought for Purposes of Mediator Accreditation

The policy of the HKMAAL Mediation Accreditation Committee (the "Committee") is to require that each new mediation-training course for which approval is sought from the Committee, be examined on its merits and reviewed from time to time. It is essential that any mediation-training course, which is approved by the Committee, is of sufficiently high standard to enable the participants to receive credit towards accreditation.

The following are the criteria which the Committee will take into account in connection with the consideration of a proposed new course:

1. the dates of the proposed course;
2. the content of the proposed course;
3. the proposed course programme day-by-day, including how many hours of lectures and simulations per day;
4. the name and qualifications of the course trainers, including their mediation training record, mediation experience and the amount of time, each of them will actually spend providing training during the course in question;
5. the names and numbers of coaches, their qualifications including for each individual their mediation training record, mediation experience and the amount of time they will actually spend coaching during the course in question;
6. the maximum number of participants in the proposed course;
7. . the number and length of role plays in the proposed course, with a brief description illustrating the training objective of each and details of how each stage of the process is covered;
8. the methods by which the role plays will be monitored by the course trainers and coaches and how the individual course participants will be coached or provided with feedback;
9. whether a certificate is issued to "successful" course participants (including a definition of what "successful" means) and what is the content of such certificate, if any, and
10. the method by which a course participant will provide feedback to the course provider and how such feedback is to be used by the course provider

Each time that it is intended by a course provider to again provide a mediation training course for which Committee's approval has previously been given, with a view that the participants in such course should receive credit towards accreditation by the Committee, the provider of such course should notify the Committee in writing of such intention in a timely manner, confirming that the course to be given is exactly the same as that previously approved, and if not exactly the same describing what the proposed changes are, and in addition advising the Committee of the information set out in (a), (d), (e) and (f) above, in which event, should all be in order, the course provider can usually expect approval from the Committee for such course.

The Committee reserves the right in its sole discretion to approve or refuse to approve any mediation training course for which approval is sought.

Important Note:

It is reminded that all courses approved by the HKMAAL MAC should be conducted within 12 months from the date of approval.  An approved course by the HKMAAL MAC may at most make 2 requests to change the dates of the approved course.  The HKMAAL Secretariat will deal with the request for changing of the dates of the approved courses. In the event that the course is not held within 12 months from the date of approval, a new application will have to be made to the HKMAAL MAC and an application fee shall be payable.  A course provider may submit more than one application at the same time, provided all the courses are to be conducted within 12 months from the date of approval.

The policy as set out above is subject to change from time-to-time.

2 April 2013
* For consideration by the Committee at an upcoming meeting, mediation course providers are required to submit their applications two (2) weeks before the scheduled meeting of the HKMAAL Mediation Accreditation Committee. For dates of the meetings of the HKMAAL Mediation Accreditation Committee, please click here.