IMI Status Update

"Dear IMI Community,

Many thanks to those who responded to my recent Appeal for Engagement – as we hoped we have received many interesting ideas with volunteering offers and even a much appreciated personal donation! I am very inspired by the depth of your thoughtful proposals and genuine desire to get more involved in specific areas.

Your main suggestions we have received so far focus on future development in scope/geographically and coordination/communication enhancement.  Here is a quick overview of identified directions we have volunteers to work in:

• Designing and establishing hub/coordination bodies in EU, Africa, Middle East, Asia, North and Latin Americas

• Putting together research and performance database  

• Developing tools and ongoing quality assurance mechanisms in mediation

• Diversifying funding streams

• Enhancing external and internal communication 

To start with the last point, IMI is focusing to ensure more regular targeted (internal & external) communication. The Independent Standards Commission is undergoing a structural revamp to ensure that it is fit for purpose and allows optimal active contribution from its 70+ global thought leaders and experts.  In parallel with this structure change, the Web Portal is being enhanced over the next few months to accommodate the interactive needs of the IMI community.  With the platforms established to get more up to date and more regular communications from the ISC Chair Judith Meyer, the Vice Chairs, and myself as Board Chair, IMI is poised to greatly increase the sharing of information within the IMI community and invite greater interactions with mediation stakeholders. The first step is introducing Questions and Answers space where any user (or someone who is looking for information about mediation before making a decision to mediate) will be able to ask any question and IMI Certified Mediators will post replies.  We are therefore asking IMI Certified Mediators to please indicate your willingness to be notified about the questions to enable you to contribute to the replies.

In a nutshell you can see the list of planned actions below and we will update you on their progress and welcome your further support in them:

*  Re-structure the Independent Standards Commission into activity streams.

*  Enhance the IMI web-portal, making it interactive between users and IMI Certified Mediators.

*  Enable more regular communications from the ISC.

*  Introduce an opportunity for IMI Certified Mediators to contribute to a global database on mediation metrics for use in policy decision-making by institutions.

*  Increase the direct reach to users (the Kluwer Corporate Counsel Dispute Resolution Service is a start along this strategic pathway)

*  Develop the IMI Code of Professional Conduct and improving quality assurance and ethics even further.

*  Strongly promote the IMI Inter-Cultural Mediator Certification to users and mediators.

*  Increase the number and diversity of Qualifying Assessment Programs (QAPs).

*  Bring IMI closer to countries and regions through the establishment of hubs.

*  Make it possible to input key statistics about individual mediations into a database that can be annually analysed, permitting trend analyses to be recorded. 

*  Invite other leading mediation bodies to participate actively in IMI's mission.

I will mark on the agenda of the next IMI Board of Directors meeting in May these and other issues that have surfaced from your responses, and then send out a further note to you then.

I trust you have found this first Status Update informative and that it provides greater insight into the focused direction IMI is taking with your help. We continue to encourage your views and invite your participation in existing initiatives or new ones as they arise.  Let us hear from you so that we can together make Professional Mediation Worldwide happen."

Web-link: http://www.imimediation.org/
Source: IMI
Language: English
Contact: Ute A. Joas Quinn, Chair IMI - Ute.Joas-Quinn@IMImediation.org