ToP Facilitator Certification

People and organizations that use facilitation services deserve assurance of excellence. They need real ways to determine the skills and capacities of facilitators. ICA is dedicated to working with a high level of integrity and we want to ensure that ToP facilitators are able to do the best work possible for our clients.

We have learned a great deal from working with the International Association of Facilitators (IAF) Certified Professional Facilitator (CPF) program. IAF’s certification program focuses on the general skills required to facilitate as a professional.

In addition to the general skills required for professional facilitators, ICA’s ToP Facilitator Certification program looks in depth at the understanding of and ability to use ICA’s ToP facilitation methods with excellence. The emphasis is focused on mastery of ToP methods and the integration of participatory values in your facilitation practice.

ToP Facilitator Certification Process

ToP facilitator Certification is based on evidence of competence. People prepare for it by taking courses and applying their skills in their professional work. ToP Certification, however is not a course. It is a process of assessing the skills and knowledge of each facilitator.

Successful ICA ToP certification candidates will:

  • Measure your skills in relation to a set of standards for ToP facilitators.
  • Receive feedback from master ToP facilitators.
  • Receive a certificate that entitles you to use the ICA designation: ICA Certified ToP Facilitator
  • Become a part of a highly respected network of ICA Certified ToP facilitators around the world.
  • Be recognized on ICA International’s public website as an ICA Certified ToP Facilitator

The process begins when you apply for ToP Facilitator Certification. We’ll send you a package of materials explaining the competencies, the process and the requirements.

Once you prepare and submit your ToP Facilitation Portfolio, two ICA assessors will review your portfolio for evidence that you meet the standards of competence. Successful candidates will be invited to an interview for further testing and demonstration of their skills. We will arrange to observe you use ToP methods in a facilitated session and review your facilitation of that event. We may invite you for another interview to demonstrate your ToP facilitator competence. We will complete the assessment process and inform you of the result. We will provide you with verbal and written feedback on your portfolio and your facilitation.

If the decision is to award you the Certified ToP Facilitator designation, we will inform you and we will arrange for you to receive the certificate. We will add you to the list of Certified ToP Facilitators on our websites. You will be able to use the designation “ICA Certified ToP Facilitator”.

ToP Facilitator Competencies

  1. Manage Positive Client Relationships
  2. Create a Participatory Environment
  3. Evoke the Creativity of the Group
  4. Use ToP Methods Effectively
  5. Model Positive Professional Attitude
  6. Orchestrate Quality Events
  7. Produce Effective Results

ToP facilitator certification only applies to the individuals who formally demonstrate excellence in relation to the identified competencies. Thousands of facilitators around the world use Technologies of Participation in their facilitation practice and do excellent work, but do not choose to become Certified ToP Facilitators. ICA does not certify organizations providing facilitation services.

Customers are lovin’ it

With company representatives and stakeholders in the same room, we needed serious expertise in designing the major planning session to launch our new organization. ICA helped us put the whole enterprise on a very solid foundation.

I make plans, hold meetings and conduct research using ICA’s methods of participation. They are the best methods around to involve people in groups in making sense of lots of information and making decisions about action.

All of our staff regularly make use of ICA methods and techniques in programs with colleagues and with the public. It makes them very effective in working together with others.

ICA just finished facilitating a strategic planning session with a community group, and the results were great.

In only three days, we had a way for our managers to move the entire organization toward team-based operations, and an action plan to get it done.

We had ICA Associates lead our strategic planning. It was so effective that we had them look at and enhance all of our program planning and evaluation processes.

As the new president of a large, complex organization, I had to quickly get our whole management team thinking along the same lines. With the help of ICA, it took only two days.

ToP Facilitator Certification is available in countries including Australia & New ZealandCanadaTaiwanUkraine & USA.  Other ICAs also offer public training courses, and in-house courses on request.

For ToP training near you look at our upcoming public ToP courses or contact trainers directly on the USA national network of ToP Trainers directly  or visit  ICA Worldwide