IMI Certified Intercultural Mediator
IMI Intercultural Specialisation Certification Qualified Assessment Program
The Academy of Legal Mediation and Negotiation (powered by Toolkit Company) is based in The Netherlands and we mainly work in European countries incl Switzerland. We welcome candidates from another part of the world and do check and consult whether we are qualified to deal with this specific culture (do the assessors, know and understand, have experience with this country/culture?).
We offer assessments in Dutch and English. Depending on the availability of assessors and the candidate also French and German may be possible. The written test that is part of this program is offered in many different languages.
This assessment is done online.
1. Preparation by the Candidate
We ask candidates to:
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Prepare a logbook (Showing at least 5 cases with intercultural or cross-border aspects).
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Prepare a case study of a mediation with intercultural and/or cross-border aspects (this can be an actual mediation, or a case study based on several mediations so different aspects can be reviewed in the same case). Please include dilemma's, challenges, strategic choices and solutions that you encountered in practice while mediating intercultural or cross-border cases. You are requested to include the preparatory stages of the mediation.
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Prepare a self-assessment covering strengths and areas of improvements in intercultural and cross-border mediations, covering the candidates own cultural influences and their possible effect on the mediation.
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Complete a written intercultural readiness check test (a multiple-choice test which is validated to measure intercultural aspects in 1000s of cases).
The preparatory work will be reviewed by Toolkit Company before it is sent to the assessors for the assessment. The candidate thus has an opportunity to improve and also knows beforehand that s/he passed the administrative part of the assessment. This is the same as for the Mediation Advocacy Assessment (see info here)
2. Substantive Criteria
Preparations 1-4 form the base for a 45-minute discussion between the assessors and the candidate.
The following criteria are reviewed during the assessment
A. Knowledge
1. Cultural Framework(s)
The ability to apply at least one recognized cultural theory in practice is tested through the Intercultural Readiness Check (IRC). Besides this IRC test, in the discourse with the assessors the candidates theoretical knowledge is tested (and esp in how this works out in the candidate's practical experiences, especially in the appreciation of similarities and differences among cultures)
2. Self-awareness
The ability to recognize one’s own cultural influences and their possible effect on the mediation. The IRC gives a lot of insights in a candidate’s own cultural influences; and their possible effect on a mediation is discussed during the meeting with the assessors. The candidate receives an extensive analysis with helpful tips and insights based on the IRC results. The candidate is also requested to prepare a strengths and areas of improvements analysis. Which is also discussed during the assessment (and esp in how this works out in the candidate's practical experiences)
3. Multi-Cultural Perspectives
Through review of the IRC test results as well as the case study and self-assessment, several multicultural perspectives are discussed, including: the ability to recognize each participant’s culturally shaped perspectives of behaviours or events; the ability to understand and appreciate participants’ similar and different cultural perspectives, and possible imbalances between them; as well as the ability to manage ambiguities and mistakes that may emerge in multi-cultural situations and the ability to use the mediator’s understandings of these possible differences and similarities to create a workable environment for all participants, including one that optimizes communication among them.
Also, the dilemma's, challenges, strategic choices and solutions of the candidate in their actual cases forms an important part of the discourse between the candidate and the assessors.
B. Skills
4. Communication
Ability to adjust one’s own communication style to the preferred styles of participants from other cultures, and to help participants communicate optimally with each other, including establishing suitable processes to facilitate communications is one of the important pillars that are tested in the IRC and the practical implications of this for the actual mediation settings of the candidate are discussed during the assessment.
5. Preparation
Ability to prepare for a mediation by identifying possible cultural patterns and preferences (e.g., identifying specific Cultural Focus Areas for each mediation) and designing potentially appropriate processes and possible interventions.
This will be reviewed during the assessment and discussed with the candidate based on the case study.
6. Managing the Process
Ability to detect whether, when and how cultural considerations (e.g. Cultural Focus Areas) may be impacting on the mediation process as the mediation progresses including abilities to adapt the process accordingly and design appropriate interventions, that also encompass any settlement and compliance phases.
This will be reviewed during the assessment and discussed with the candidate based on the case study.
Costs
The full assessment process (submission of documents and the actual assessment): € 1.045,- (excluding vat if applicable). If only the administrative part including the IRC test is taken, this accounts for € 522,50,-.
Alumni of The Academy of Legal Mediation and Negotiation are eligible for a 10% discount.
