InMEDIATE. International Mediators Trained in Europe

Despite the numerous initiatives in place at EU level to foster the practice of civil mediation for settling cross-border disputes, the effective uptake of mediation is still hindered by multiple obstacles. One of the main challenges in this field is the lacking uniformity in mediation training standards and selection procedures, due to heterogeneous national regulatory frameworks. Various studies in the field highlight that even expert mediators need specialized training to face the challenge of mediating international civil disputes, where conflict dynamics and intercultural issues are at stake. The development of EU standards related to mediation skills and training would contribute to steering the quality of the mediation services.Building on these critical issues, InMEDIATE intends to establish a European vocational profile of the International Mediator. This goal will be achieved by designing, implementing and delivering a learning outcomes oriented training curriculum for mediation practitioners, aimed at providing a comprehensive set of certified qualifications, enabling trainees to act as international mediators in cross-border civil disputes. The assessment and validation of the learning outcomes gained by the trainees on completion of the course will jointly be developed by the 3 universities involved in the project and specific arrangements will be undertaken to ensure and guarantee quality standards of the validation process.TARGET GROUPThe training curriculum is designed to meet the needs of 36 trained and experienced mediation practitioners from EU member States.MAIN RESULTS1) Enhanced acknowledgement and deeper understanding of the mediation training standards in the EU countries.2) Professional training curriculum designed to provide certified qualifications for international mediators.3) 36 mediation practitioners fully trained and equipped with a final certification validating their learning outcomes according to quality standards set by partner universities.4) Enhanced professional development of mediation trainers and educators through intensive and fruitful exchange of knowledge, methods and practices.5) Online collaborative platform designed and developed for mediation trainees, educators and stakeholders for networking and community building purposes.6) Collection of existing OERs and new OERs developed and freely accessible through the InMEDIATE e-Platform.The above-mentioned results will be achieved through the production of the following IOs:IO#1 – InMEDIATE Training Curriculum for International Civil Mediators;IO#2 – InMEDIATE e-Platform;IO#3 – Toolkit for replicability of InMEDIATE certification system.Main activities leading to the production of the IOs:A1/IO#1 – Benchmarking analysis of mediation training curricula in the EU Member StatesA2/IO#1 – Organization of a short-term joint staff training event.A3/IO#1 - Selection criteria and proceduresA4/IO#1 - Selection of traineesA5/IO#1 – Training format and SyllabusA6/IO#1 – Recording and editing of video lessonsA7/IO#1 – Training course pilot-testing and fine-tuningA8/IO#1 – Organization of a face-to-face preparatory courseA9/IO#1 – Online training courseA10/IO#1 – Organization of Mediation Lab and follow-upA11/IO#1 – Evaluation of trainingA1/IO#2 - E-Platform development and maintenanceA2/IO#2 - Identification and selection of existing OERsA3/IO#2 - Design and production of innovative OERsA4/IO#2 – Production of video tutorialsA5/IO#2 – Organization and delivery of 3 webinarsA1/IO#3: Production of guidelines&Toolkit ReplicabilityA2/IO#3 – Organization of the final conferenceIMPACTSWith regards to target group, the following main impacts will be envisaged:1. Mediation practitioners equipped with an additional set of interdisciplinary competences and intercultural skills, enabling them to effectively handle cross-border mediation cases.2. Mediation practitioners equipped with a final certification validating their learning outcomes according to uniform training standards and quality assessment criteria.3. Improved cooperation and synergies among learners interested in the cross-border civil mediation sector 4. Increased professional mobility of international mediators across EU countries.Expected impact on VET organizations and mediation providers:1. Enhanced professional development of mediation trainers through short term joint staff training event .2. Strengthened cooperation at national and EU level aimed at building a wide EU network of mediation providers and training centres.3. Enhanced capacity to transfer and replicate the InMEDIATE training model and certification system within different national contexts and at EU level.4. Higher efficiency and effectiveness of mediation services provided by qualified international mediators.5. Better access to high quality resources and OER in the mediation field freely available through the online Platform.