Setting the stage for our discussion

• Seek understanding
• Focus on how to move forward
• The changes are real and are going to happen

 

What

• The ICF is increasing requirements for membership and chapter leadership to include ICF credentialing. 
• ICF members must become credentialed/certified. 
• Goal is to have everyone working TOWARD ICF credentials by April 2006
• Summary of requirements is provided below.
• Details about credentialing to follow at a later date.
• ICF leaders must become credentialed or work toward credentialing
• There is an intent to have different levels of membership that may include students
• The recent increase in ICF member dues is intended to provide funding for a Public Relations campaign that will educate the public about coaching.  Details are expected from ICF in the future.
• The ICF acknowledges that this is a huge change with major implications.

 

Why is this happening?  

• Establish a strong professional association
• Promote the coaching profession
• Set and raise standards to resolve confusion about coaching
• Build, support and preserve integrity of coaching
• Ensure public confidence in coaching as a profession
• Increase the demand and trust of the coaching profession world-wide
• Reinforce professional coaching as a distinct and self-regulating profession

 

Background

• There is confusion in the marketplace regarding coaching
• Prospective clients often do not know what coaching is, how it might benefit them, how to choose a coach
• Standards for coach education and credentialing are confusing
• Too many coaches struggle to make a living
• Other professions experienced similar struggles as their professions emerged
• The community is starting to ask for ICF credentialed coaches
• MCI is hiring coaches and requiring that they be trained by an ICF accredited school and either have or work toward obtaining an ICF credential
• In California, the chapters are seeing the public ask more about credentials before hiring a coach

 

The ICF Foundation

• Core competencies
• Code of ethics
• Professional oversight
• Credentialing
• Professional Coach Training Accreditation
• Self-Regulatory Oversight

 

Implications to You as a Coach

• Need to decide if you are going to pursue and/or maintain an ICF credential
• Need to decide if you will retain your ICF membership
• Question:  Are you already working toward, or intending to pursue, an ICF credential?

 

Implications to NCCA

• Need someone to follow the evolution of credentialing and explain detailed requirements to NCCA members
• Need to make conscious decisions about NCCA activities as they relate to credentialing. 
• Will require NCCA members work toward and eventually obtain ICF credentials
• Other implications starting to be identified

 

General Certification Requirements

 

Certification	Number of training hours from an Accredited Coach Training Program (per ICF website)	Number of Client Coaching Hours (requires someone has hired you as a coach, you have a formal coaching agreement and you coach rather than provide other services); maximum of 10% can be pro-bono. Keep log of client name, contact info, start and end date, paid hours, pro-bono hours.	Number of coaching references	Exam	Other
ACC (3 year max)	60	250	5	Oral	2 letters from ICF credentialed coach whom have heard you coach
PCC	125	750	5	Written and oral	Be coached 10 hours over three months by ICF credentialed coach
MCC	200	2500	10	Written and oral (see note)	Provide documentation of contribution to profession

Note:  For an MCC, the exam is waived if it was completed for PCC during ICF grandfathering process