Changes to the IMI Appraisal Process Pricing Scheme

During IMI’s Board of Directors meeting held on 21 June 2022, a unanimous decision was reached on updating the current Appraisal Process Fees for organisations wishing to vet their programs against IMI’s standards. 

The following pricing scheme will be implemented from 1 January 2023 onward. IMI has retained the two-track pricing scheme, which divides countries into ‘full fee paying’ and ‘discounted’, according to whether their GDP per capita is higher than or lower than the world average GDP per capita (IMF 2022).

Backlogged audits (ones which were due before 1 January 2023) and applications which have been filed before 1 January will be charged the former price. 

IMI was established in 2007 to set out internationally-applicable quality standards for mediators and an international mediator credentialing scheme. IMI does not certify nor offer mediation training directly. Rather, training and certification is conducted by IMI’s implementing organisations: Certified Mediator Training Programs (CMTP’s) and Qualifying Assessment Programs (QAP’s), respectively. 

Organisations submit their mediation training and assessment programs for IMI appraisal and endorsement. Successful appraisal of an organisation’s program equals a guarantee of quality, meaning the organisation meets the independent international standards developed and established for mediator training and assessment through the recommendations of IMI’s independent international taskforces and worldwide stakeholder consultation. In addition, all approved programs are subject to an audit every two years, in order to maintain quality assurance. Applications are open to any organisation worldwide that meets the standards.

The core of the minimum standards for training that IMI has set have been recognised by the European Commission for Efficiency of Justice – “CEPEJ“ and as such IMI is the only mediation organisation whose work has been integrated into an intergovernmental standard setting body’s official standards.

Both the application and audit processes involve several stages of ensuring compliance to these high quality international standards, carried out by IMI’s team and by the independent Appraisal Committee. The Application Process typically takes 3-6 months depending on whether the submissions require revisions. 

Having in mind the development of mediation worldwide, as well as the recognition of the benefits of the appraisal process and trust mark which IMI offers, the demand for IMI’s recognition of training and assessment programs has increased worldwide. IMI has been set up as a non-profit initiative, with a symbolic pricing scheme which enables access to the quality assessment scheme to all. However, the pricing scheme which was set up 15 years ago and which had not been amended since had long ceased to cover IMI’s associated internal costs, hampering its capacity to carry out the process in a timely manner.

IMI is a non-profit foundation, currently funded entirely through mediator listing contributions and donations from mediators, as well as the organisation application processing fees, which cover the costs of assessment. IMI’s revenue is used to cover IMI’s costs, mostly related to the upkeep of the IMI website, and to support the further development of mediation standards worldwide. These contributions are therefore vital to IMI’s ongoing work towards the shared vision of Professional Mediation Worldwide: Promoting Consensus and Access to Justice. 

Please see the following page on the types of programs which can be recognized by IMI: https://imimediation.org/orgs/register-program/ and find a program here: https://imimediation.org/orgs/find-program/.