The International Institute for Facilitation (INIFAC) was created in 2003 when five facilitators came together to develop a certification program at the masters level that would achieve several objectives:

• Define a set of facilitator competencies and sub-competencies, with input from facilitators and clients, that define the knowledge and skills needed to achieve outstanding facilitated sessions.
• Establish the highest degree of rigor and consistency available by implementing defined scoring guidelines for each competency and sub-competency.
• Promote the highest standard available for facilitator quality by requiring an 80% or higher assessment score in each competency.

Following a review of existing competency models, the initiating team developed a draft of competencies and sub-competencies specifically designed to define the knowledge and skills needed to achieve outstanding facilitated sessions. The focus of the initiating team was to ensure that each sub-competency significantly contributed to a facilitator achieving excellence in facilitation. The initiating team defined an outstanding facilitated session as a meeting in which the following conditions are met:

• Participants understand what is to be done in the meeting and why.
• Participants are interested and engaged through out the activity.
• Participants stay focused on the issue.
• Participants interact openly and productively.
• Participants develop creative solutions that address the issue.
• Participants understand and are committed to the solution.
• Disagreements are resolved effectively and efficiently, with all parties feeling their views were heard and respectfully considered.
• Dysfunctional behavior is addressed effectively and efficiently, with all parties feeling the group’s norms were respected and violations of the norms appropriately addressed.
• At the completion of the session, participants understand the decisions made, and the follow-up actions to be taken, by whom and by when.

To gain additional input on competencies, the initiating team commissioned a research project that included a survey of over 450 facilitators and clients. The survey requested participants to 1) respond to the definition of an outstanding facilitated session, 2) identify the facilitator skills needed to achieve an outstanding facilitated session, and 3) rate the importance of 57 skills in achieving an outstanding facilitated session. (Click here for a copy of the survey report.)

From the input gathered, the initiating team redrafted the competencies and sub-competencies by deleting some, adding others and modifying many. The result is the “Master Facilitator Competencies” with six competencies and 30 sub-competencies. (Click here to see the competencies.)

Following the initial design of the certification, the initiating team of facilitators worked closely with IAF leaders to ensure open and regular communication concerning the direction of the Master Facilitator Certification program.