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Home Cook, Line Chef, or Executive Chef: Are You Ready for Your Designation Assessment?

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Wondering if you are ready for your designation assessment?

While your courses provide you with the foundational knowledge of mediation, applying for a designation takes further investment in the integration of skills.

Both the Q.Med and C.Med designations require the candidate to demonstrate their integration of skills in a role-play Mediation. The question for many candidates then becomes, what level of skill integration is required to be successful in the Supervised Mock Mediation (SMM) needed for the Q.Med designation or the Assessment needed for the C.Med designation?

To illustrate this, we will use the example of home cooks vs Line Chefs vs Executive Chefs.

Home Cooks – Basic Communication Skills

There are home cooks that can barely boil water, some that are adequate at preparing a meal but are more reliant on recipes, and others that are quite talented in the kitchen. This is the same with communication and mediation skills.

The home cooks that are more talented in the kitchen have had a lot more practice, often having a mentor (like learning from a family member), and may have even taken some classes.  It’s part of their everyday life and they take pride in improving their skills. But are they skilled in all areas (e.g. appetizers, main dishes, and desserts)? Are they good enough to charge for their services? A few maybe, but the majority are not.

Line Chefs – Q.Med Supervised Mock Mediation

Being successful in your Q.Med Supervised Mock Mediation means you are more than a talented home cook. You would be more like a Line Chef.

Line Chefs have integrated skills in food preparation and safety. They are consistent and can manage the complexities of working in a professional kitchen. While they may not excel in all areas of the kitchen they can jump in wherever they are needed.

An effective way to achieve those integrated skills in mediation is with Mediation Role-Play Practice Sessions.

Executive Chef – C.Med Assessment

An Executive Chef is comparable to what is needed for the C.Med Assessment.

They can look at a list of 10 ingredients and can create 50 different recipes. They can work with the most obscure ingredients. They know instinctively when something is not quite right. They know what’s missing (salt, fat, acid, heat) and when to use them to get the desired results.

Where Are You in Your Skill Development?

Are you a home cook, a Line Chef, or an Executive Chef? Get full details on the Designation process.

Home Cook, Line Chef, or Executive Chef: Are You Ready for Your Designation Assessment?Read More

Frequently Asked Question About How to Apply for a ADR Designation

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This is the time of year members are considering applying for a professional designation, so we have summarized the application process in simple terms.

The designations – Chartered Mediator (C.Med), Chartered Arbitrator (C.Arb), Qualified Mediator (Q.Med), Qualified Mediator Family (Q.Med(Fam)), and Qualified Arbitrator (Q.Arb) – are awarded by the ADR Institute of Canada (ADRIC). These designations allow members to convey their level of experience and skill in a way that is recognized internationally. You can find out more on our Designations page.

ADRIA administers the first part of the application process for our members and sends the applications and recommendations to ADRIC for final approval. Applications are accepted in February, June, and October each year.

Criteria for Arbitration Designations

To apply for a Qualified Arbitrator (Q.Arb) designation you need to have completed a 40-hour approved arbitration course and passed the exam. 

ADRIA runs the National Introductory Arbitration course online, in Calgary and in Edmonton. On the last day of the course, you will view an arbitration hearing video and are provided with written evidence. You have 30-days from the last day of this course to write an Award on this case. The exam is pass/fail. A pass fulfills the requirements to apply for a Q.Arb designation. 

No practical experience is needed to apply for a Q.Arb designation however you still need to go through the application process – a designation is not automatically issued simply by completing the course.

To apply for a Chartered Arbitrator (C.Arb) designation you need to have completed and passed an approved Arbitration course as described above, plus you must have practical experience in arbitration. Specifically, you must have chaired at least 10 fee-paid arbitrations and provide at least 2 awards that you have written for review by the Designation Committee.    

Criteria for Mediation Designations

To apply for a Qualified Mediator (Q.Med) designation you need education, practical experience, and reference letters. 

The educational requirement is 40 hours of mediation training which must be a single, pre-approved course; an additional 40 hours of ADR training which can be a combination of courses, but must be in ADR and must be training; and 6 hours of ADR ethics training.

ADRIA runs the National Introductory Mediation course online, in Calgary and in Edmonton. Other institutes also have pre-approved mediation courses. If you are unsure if a course would qualify for your designation, please contact the ADRIA office. 

For the practical experience requirement, you need three mediations, one must be a real (actual) mediation (paid or unpaid), one must be a supervised mock mediation, and the third can be either a real mediation or a supervised mock mediation.

For the real mediations, you are required to provide a summary of each mediation following the guidelines in the Q.Med application form. 

Supervised mock mediations can be arranged through ADRIA for a fee of $450 (plus GST) for in-person demonstrations and $400 (plus GST) for online demonstrations. Candidates can also arrange and record their own demonstration and submit that recording to the office to be reviewed for a fee of $250 (plus GST). Please contact education@adralberta.com for guidelines on recording your own demonstration.  

For the requirement of the reference letters, you need two professional letters of recommendation and one personal letter of recommendation. 

To apply for a Chartered Mediator (C.Med) designation you need education, practical experience, reference letters, and a skills assessment.

The educational requirement is 180 hours of ADR training, including the same 40-hour pre-approved mediation course requirement as for the Q.Med. The other 140 hours can be a combination of ADR courses. 

For the practical experience requirement, you need 15 solo, fee-paid mediations. 

For the requirement of the reference letter, you need two professional letters of recommendation and one personal letter of recommendation. 

The skills assessment is a one-hour role-play observed by three assessors approved by the designations committee. Two of the assessors will act as the role-players and one assessor will observe and take notes. Approval by at least two assessors is required to pass the skills assessment. This assessment is conducted separately and apart from any classroom evaluation occurring as part of the students’ mediation training and must be booked through ADRIA. It is recommended that you schedule your assessment after you have met all of the other requirements for a C.Med designation as the assessment must be completed within two years of applying for your designation. The fee for this assessment is $495 plus GST.

Additional information for all designations

The designation application fee is $200 plus GST. 

After you have been granted a designation, there is an annual fee to maintain your designation. The fee is payable to ADR Institute of Canada (ADRIC) due annually on January 1st. 

You must remain a full member in good standing with the ADR Institute of Alberta (ADRIA) to retain your designation. Your membership renewal with ADRIA is due yearly from the time you obtained membership.

In order to be granted a designation, you are required to have professional liability insurance also known as Errors and Omissions insurance. ADRIC has negotiated a special rate with Marsh Insurance for ADR professionals. Rates start at $235 per year for Arbitrators and $145 per year for other ADR practitioners, including mediators. 

You are also required to demonstrate Continuing Education and Engagement (CCE) in your field. Information on the Continuing Education and Engagement Program requirements can be found in your ADRIC member portal.

Full details of the application process and the necessary forms are on our Designations page. 

Frequently Asked Question About How to Apply for a ADR DesignationRead More

October is Designations Month: Book Your Assessment or Mock Mediation

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The Designation application window opens October 1-31, 2021. 

Applications are accepted until October 31, 2021 for the following ADRIC credentials:  Qualified Mediator (Q.Med), Chartered Mediator (C.Med), Qualified Arbitrator (Q.Arb), Chartered Arbitrator (C.Arb), Chartered Med/Arb (C.Med/Arb), AND the new ADR Canada Family Q.Med qualification. Check the website for updates this month, and make sure to include reference letters, transcripts, supervised mock mediation forms, etc.  

Temporary Fee Reductions

Remember that ADRIA has introduced a fee holiday for any Chartered applications received in October 2021. The $200 application fee will be waived.

Q.Med application fees have been temporarily cut by 50% and Q.Med applications will be accepted until the end of November. 

Book Your Assessment or Mock Mediation

We require three weeks notice to schedule your C.Med Skills Assessment or Q.Med Supervised Mock Mediation so contact education@adralberta.com to book your spot. 
  
For more information:

If you have any questions, please email Carrie at membership@adralberta.com.

The next application window is in February 2022.

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How to Book a Supervised Mock Mediation

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Are you applying for a Qualified Mediator (Q.Med) designation?

A Supervised Mock Mediation is required for you to meet one of the experience requirements for the application.

There are two ways to arrange for a Supervised Mock Mediation:

Option 1

You can have ADRIA arrange your Supervised Mock Mediation (SMM).

  1. Email education@adralberta.com that you wish to proceed with booking.
  2. Provide ADRIA with a minimum of two options of date with time. Bookings are scheduled a minimum of two weeks in advance.
  3. Indicate whether you would like to have the mediation in-person (Edmonton or Calgary) or online (Zoom).
  4. ADRIA will invoice you $450 + GST for an in-person SMM and $400 + GST for an online SMM. Once paid ADRIA will book a Supervisor and two role-players.
  5. ADRIA will confirm via email once location/Zoom, supervisor, and role-players have been booked. The role-play will be assigned.
  6. On the scheduled date and time, complete your Supervised Mock Mediation. Candidates have the option of completing a self-reflection (max 1 page). This needs to be emailed to education@adralberta.com by the end of the day.
  7. After the demonstration, the Supervisor will complete a Supervised Mock Mediation Review Form and submit this to ADRIA.
  8. ADRIA will inform you of the results of your SMM and forward you a copy of the Supervised Mock Mediation Review Form.

By having ADRIA arrange the SMM, the candidate can be assured that the role-players will be providing sufficient depth for the demonstration and will not trip them up in a particular area (e.g. they are not going to be overly positional with a discussion around confidentiality taking up a good chunk of role-play time.) In addition, all the logistics, role-play assignments, recording, etc. are taken care of.

Option 2

You can arrange and record your own demonstration and submit the recording to the office to be reviewed.

  1. Contact education@adralberta.com indicating your interest in arranging your own mock mediation demonstration.
  2. You will be sent a document outlining guidelines for the demonstration.
  3. You will arrange your own role-players, role-play scenario, meeting space, and recording. Coaches/Supervisors are not required or present. Demonstration can be in-person or online.
  4. Send in your recording to education@adralberta.com. Candidates also have the option of completing a self-reflection (max 1 page). This needs to be submitted with your recording.
  5. ADRIA will invoice you $250 + GST. Once paid, ADRIA will start the review process and your recording will be sent to a Supervisor to review.
  6. The Supervisor will review your recording, ensure it meets the requirements that were provided and complete a Supervised Mock Mediation review form.
  7. ADRIA will inform you of the results of your SMM and forward you a copy of the Supervised Mock Mediation Review Form.

This option requires that the candidate follow the requirements as provided. Refunds are not provided if the candidate does not follow/meet the requirements.

For more information on applying for designations:

How to Book a Supervised Mock MediationRead More