International Standards for Mentoring and Coaching Programmes (ISMCP)

Following the framework within the ISMCP (International Standards for Mentoring and Coaching Programmes) accreditation adds both substance and credibility to programmes, and bolsters internal business cases for employee development. The framework ensures programmes are designed to align with participant and business objectives, under the professional umbrella of the EMCC Global standards and Global Code of Ethics.

The International Standards for Mentoring and Coaching Programmes (ISMCP) is an independent accreditation awarded to organisations designing, delivering and evaluating mentoring and/or coaching programmes either ‘in-house’ or externally. It is an integral and essential step on the path to establishing the professional credibility and status of good mentoring and/or coaching programme management, ensuring programmes are:

• Thoughtfully designed
• Systematically managed
• Significantly contributing to the development of participants, strategic drivers of the organisation and wider stakeholder objectives.

“Going through this exercise has enabled the Mentoring team to take a moment to take stock and truly reflect on the nature and content of the programme in its entirety. As a team we are often delivery-focussed, and this reflection time has allowed us to look at the programme as a whole.” – Jetske van Dijk, programme manager, The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women’s Mentoring Women in Business.

“Our accreditation journey to date has provided us with the opportunity to pause and truly assess the effectiveness of our programme. It has enabled us to identify gaps, discuss them openly within the committee and agree on the optimum path to enhance our programme. By engaging with EMCC Global, we were able to learn more about the practicalities of mentoring best practices, openly discuss challenges and embrace opportunities to drive our programme further.” – Catherine Duffy, general manager, Limerick at Northern Trust

Three steps to benchmark your organisation with ISMCP

1. Commit to the standards and the ISMCP framework. There is no cost associated with this, organisations simply need to decide to make a start, and contact [email protected]
2. Accredit your stakeholder briefing and training with an EMCC Global Quality Award (EQA) Bespoke Programme. This accreditation fee starts at €300 and includes free mentoring support from the EMCC Global Accreditation Team. The stakeholder briefing and training ensures:
   • Stakeholders understand the concept of mentoring and/or coaching and their respective roles
   • Participants are aware of the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to apply in their roles as mentors/coaches and mentees/coachees and they have the opportunity to identify skills gaps
   • Learning support is available throughout the participants’ involvement in the programme
   • Training and briefing take into account the context and purpose of the programme, balancing the need for core skills and knowledge against the need for flexibility in the manner and timing of delivery.
3. Building on the bespoke EQA, organisations would complete the full organisational self-assessment at their own pace, supported by the EMCC Global Accreditation Team using the ISMCP framework.

EMCC Global awards the ISMCP at three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold:

• Gold 90% overall adherence to the Core Standards with at least 80% in each category
• Silver 80% overall adherence to the Core Standards with at least 70% in each category
• Bronze 70% overall adherence to the Core Standards with at least 60% in each category