Below you will find answers to some frequently-asked questions. If your answer is not here, please use the form to contact us. We also encourage you to use the search function of our website, accessible via the ‘search’ icon in the main menu. Please note that IMI is staffed by one part-time staff member and volunteers, so there is likely to be a short delay in responding to you.
FAQs
Training and starting out
The International Mediation Institute is not a training provider; we establish standards for mediators and mediator training, but do not train mediators ourselves. If there are no IMI Certified Mediator Training Programs in your area, you may wish to contact your nearest organisation with an IMI Qualifying Assessment Program to ask what local training programs they can recommend. You can find programs using the tool on our website at https://imimediation.org/find-program.
You suggest you prioritise training programs that meet the criteria IMI have established for training programs.
IMI do not offer training. Please find a program using the tool on IMI’s website, and learn more about IMI Certification at https://imimediation.org/certify.
Please see https://imimediation.org/certify.
IMI Qualified Mediators have completed initial mediation training only; IMI Certified Mediators are highly-experienced professional mediators.
We recommend you join the Young Mediators’ Initiative Facebook group, and consider becoming a YMI member. YMI members are eligible to participate in the Worldwide Mediation Mentorship Program.
YMI can be contacted via ymimediation@imimedation.org, and applications can be made online (see the ‘YMI’ menu).
If you have taken training via an IMI CMTP, you should approach that organisation to be submitted as IMI Qualified.
If you undertook the training before the CMTP was recognised by IMI, then under some circumstances you may be eligible to be submitted as IMI Qualified—see the organisation’s program page via www.imimediation.org/find-program/ to see whether it applies to the training you undertook.
General policy follows.
Retrospective recognition of IMI Qualified status by new IMI Certified Mediator Training Programs
A training program that has been newly approved as an IMI CMTP may have been delivered prior to the organisation’s application for recognition of that program. IMI will offer limited retrospective recognition of program graduates as IMI Qualified, under the following conditions:
* The CMTP must have been approved with no substantive changes. This does not mean the application was immediately approved, but rather that any alterations made to the application were administrative, clarifying, or did not otherwise form a substantive change to the training program. IMI may request information as to the last time the program was meaningfully changed or updated.
* Where approved by IMI, retrospective recognition can be granted for a period of up to one year preceding approval of the CMTP.
* Those eligible for retrospective recognition should contact their training program to be submitted to IMI as a new IMI Qualified Mediator.
I’m Certified or a Reviewer
If you have an existing login, go to https://imimediation.org/login. If you do not have your password, you can reset it via https://imimediation.org/password-reset/ using your username or email address. If you are newly-Certified and do not yet have a login, your profile will need to be added—the organisation that approved you will submit your name and email address to us for addition.
If you no longer have access to your email address, please submit an enquiry below.
Log into the IMI website, and go to your profile page. You will find a link to this in the menu under ‘My IMI’ once logged in, if you are not taken there automatically. Click the little ‘gear’ icon to the right of your image, and you will be given the option to ‘Edit profile’. Click this and make your desired amendments.
You cannot add IMI Certifications, Specialisations, Committees or Taskforces on your own behalf—only IMI can do this, after verification from the related QAP, CMTP, or Chair.
If there are issues in saving changes to your IMI profile, check that there are no form fields with indicators next to them—make sure your website URL includes http:// or https://, and that you have selected no more than six areas of expertise. Scroll up and down the page to find the red error text that tells you what the problem is.
1. Log into the IMI website
2. Find the person’s profile (if they are newly-Certified, they will need to provide you the direct link, in the format imimediation.org/member/firstname-lastname)
3. Navigate to the Reviews/Feedback tab
4. Enter your Feedback Digest and submit
IMI will need to approve the Feedback Digest before it is publicly published (does not apply to existing Reviewers, or organisations with QAPs or CMTPs).
Only IMI Certified Mediators and Advocates with up-to-date listing contributions or waivers are displayed in the ‘Find a Mediator’ database. Your direct profile link still works, in the format https://imimediation.org/member/your-full-name. You can find your link by logging in, going to your profile, and copying the URL from your address bar. If your listing has expired and you would like to renew, please follow the directions for making a contribution, and your profile will be re-activated by IMI.
Log into your IMI profile, then navigate to the ‘Support IMI‘ page at https://imimediation.org/support. Select the item, i.e. a contribution or donation, and proceed through check-out. Payments are currently accepted in EUR, USD, and GBP, with annual listing contributions for IMI Certified Mediators and Mediation Advocates set at 165EUR. Payments in other currencies are charged at the exchange rate plus a 5% processing fee.
Methods of payment available are credit card, PayPal, or manual bank transfer. You can read more about methods of payment and about IMI’s funding here.
I represent a team or organisation
Please see our website under ‘Organisations’ and here for the process and all information. Applications are made online only.
QAPs:
Become a QAP: https://imimediation.org/qaps/become-qap/
CMTPs:
Application to become a CMTP
QAPS assess experience mediators; CMTPs deliver training to early-career and beginner mediators.
We no longer maintain a mediation events calendar, however do post IMI-associated events in our blog and on social media as applicable. If you would like IMI to be a collaborating or supporting organisation for your event, note that it must be related to knowledge-sharing, or international, or aimed at enhancing the diversity of the mediation profession. For example, online or conference events that focus on sharing information, international competitions, or workshops aimed at bringing new and diverse groups to the mediation profession.
Typically, where IMI is a collaborating or supporting organisation, IMI’s logo should be included in collateral and/or on the event’s website; where discounted rates are applicable to an event, IMI Qualified and/or Certified Mediators and Mediation Advocates should be granted a relevant discount; and there may be the possibility of IMI collateral at the event. We do not financially support events or attendance at events, but will promote them to our networks as applicable. Our objective is to promote mediation worldwide—see our Mission and Vision and ‘Initiatives’ section for an idea of what we are likely to support.
Use this form to request IMI event support: https://forms.gle/Nq5Wec7WpH1r3rLb8
Mediation Logbook
Yes! Mediators and mediation advocates worldwide are welcome to use the IMI Mediation Logbook and feedback hub. You do not need to be an IMI mediator to do so. Learn more about the logbook here.
You may have received an email asking you to give feedback on a mediator’s performance. Thank you for being willing to assist with this.
The mediator will not see the feedback you leave about them unless you select “Yes, please share my response with the mediator”. They will not see your name or the matter date. They will receive an email notifying them that you have left feedback, but will not be able to view it unless you explicitly choose that.
Mediators’ Reviewers will see all feedback left about the mediator, but cannot see your name or the matter date.
IMI are able to check who left feedback for a mediator or advocate, in order to verify there are no conflicts of interest.
That’s okay. Please contact IMI using the form below, indicating the correct mediator or advocate, and we will amend it for you.
You will need ‘directory’ access to search and view mediators’ experience, e.g. for registration purposes. You can self-register with your organisation name and email at https://logbook.imimediation.org/#verify-experience/. Access is at the discretion of IMI. See here.
You can also invite mediators to ‘print’ their logbook for you. Please do let us know if you find the IMI Mediation Logbook helpful for your organisation’s purposes.
We recognise that people at different stages of their career, and in different countries, are in different financial positions. For that reason you can select what annual access fee you pay for the logbook. We have included a suggested price of 50EUR per year, with a minimum of 12EUR. You can pay in USD or GBP, using credit card, PayPal, or bank transfer, as for all payments and contributions on the IMI website.
Click the ‘forgot?’ button next to where it says ‘password’ on the login form to reset your password.
Suggestions to improve the logbook are always welcome. Please let us know using the below form.
Other
In addition to events and initiatives associated with IMI and its Taskforces, we promote the following:
* Professional accomplishments of IMI Certified Mediators and Mediation Advocates who are up-to-date with their listing contributions
* IMI Certified Mediators and Mediation Advocates (e.g. marketing the ‘find a mediator’ page via Google Ads)
* IMI Qualifying Assessment Programs and Certified Mediator Training Programs, in response to enquiries
* Blog posts and items published on the IMI website (e.g. if an item concerns mediation in India, we may ‘boost’ it to audiences interested in mediation in India)
All promotions are at the discretion of IMI.
Do you have an idea for an article? Would you like to write for us? Have you attended a recent IMI event? Then please get in touch. We are looking for articles, short videos or podcasts related to mediation. If you are interested in contributing or if you have ideas for an article please contact us.
Content Guidelines
Content should be relevant to the themes of IMI and the blog audience and be written in the form of short snappy, trend or news pieces.
All posts must be between 400 and 800 words and may contain relevant images, videos, and outbound links with the permission of the copyright owner.
Posts must be written in plain English, do not use legalese, as these should be accessible to non-lawyers.
Content must be the author’s own work. All contributors are responsible for the originality and accuracy of their submissions.
Posts may be cross-published from e.g. a law firm/institution blog, however this must be explicitly stated/linked back to original site. Posts may not be promotional or advertorial.
Posts must be submitted in a ready-to-publish state consistent with our style guidelines, posts requiring heavy editing may be rejected or take longer to be published.
Publication and editing of posts is at the discretion of the IMI editorial team.
Style Guidelines:
Length: Generally between 400 and 800 words.
Subject matter: Any subject related to mediation, sticking within the broad theme of IMI – this can include interviews, event coverage and related news and trends.
Copyright: do not publish material that is copyrighted, images must have the permission of the owner – when using creative commons images make sure the criteria can be met.
British English: use UK English unless this will compromise the style of the author. Do a spell check and watch out for common misspellings. Use full words, such as “I will” as opposed to “I’ll”. For extra spelling help, use http://www.oxforddictionaries.com.
Hyperlinks: insert hyperlinks when making references to websites, articles, events etc. in order to make it easier for the reader to find the information.
Footnotes: footnotes may not be used, only information in brackets or embedded hyperlinks.
References: references to other publications should be in italics, legislation and case names should also be italicised.
Names and job titles: Job titles should have initial capitals, in the body of the text the first mention of a name should be in bold. Commercial entities and arbitration/mediation institutions are also bolded.
Quotes: when using direct quotes make sure you have the quotee’s approval before submission. When using a quote from an official press release, state that the quote has been taken from a statement e.g. XXX said in a statement
Events: venues, dates, organisers, sponsors, speakers etc. should be referenced, you may include links where appropriate.
Definitions: always define a term initially and abbreviate it in brackets e.g. alternative dispute resolution (ADR).
Photos: You may include a photo with the permission of the owner, if using a creative commons licence make sure to reference accordingly. Please send such details and photo attached so we can upload the photo.
Titles: Use short catchy titles where possible.
Dates: should follow the format, writing out the name of the month e.g. January 1, 2015.
If your complaint is about an IMI Certified Mediator or Mediation Advocate and pertains to a mediation, please see the Professional Conduct Assessment Process.
All other complaints may be directed to IMI using the form below. They will be received by IMI Support in the first instance, with escalation proceeding to the Executive Director, then to an associated Committee or Taskforce as applicable such that issues regarding organisations’ Qualifying Assessment Programs would be escalated to the Appraisal Committee that assesses such programs. Whistleblowers are protected in the interest of transparency and independence—please let us know what information you are comfortable with us sharing.
Contact Form
If reporting a website issue, please be as descriptive as you can (what page is affected? what error occurs? is a message displayed?).
To request that IMI or YMI support your event, please use this form instead: https://forms.gle/Nq5Wec7WpH1r3rLb8