Requirements
- Ability to explain sociocracy concepts and underlying values
- The candidate is able to explain concepts and how those concepts relate to the underlying value that everyone’s voice matters.
- “Sociocracy concepts” means decision making by consent, circular organizational structures with double-linking, continuous evolution through feedback, and the common extensions of those basic concepts, as articulated by Gerard Endenburg and subsequent writers.
- Experience with implementation with positive feedback
- The candidate has the ability to bring an organization from initial contact to use the sociocratic circle-organization method. If the candidate’s experience is with a team of consultants, the candidate must have an active role in the implementation, not just assisting.
- The candidate must have led or co-led the establishment of a circle structure in at least two organizations, one of which must have at least three double-linked circles. If the candidate feels that double-linking was not appropriate because of the nature of the organization (e.g., network), then there must be an equivalent alternative form of feedback loop mechanism or process.
- The candidate must provide documentation of predominantly positive evaluations of at least the two implementations identified in 2b above.
- The candidate’s certification review should include lessons learned from both successes and failures.
- Capacity to adapt sociocratic patterns.
- The candidate is able to creatively adapt basic sociocratic patterns to unique client systems in ways that maintain the values of equivalence and effectiveness.
- The candidate’s report can describe any adaptations made in usual sociocracy patterns.
- Participate in a sociocratic organization
- The candidate must participate in a sociocratic organization of at least one circle (that provides feedback to its members) to be and stay certified in order to continually experience themselves as members of a sociocratic environment.
- If this is not the case, the candidate must document past experience in a sociocratic organization and identify other means of getting the feedback and perspective typically available to circle members.
- Be willing to serve on the certification review panels of new and recertifying candidates.
Steps
- The certifying agency notifies International Sociocracy Certification Board (ISCB) that they have approved an individual for certification according to the standards of the International Board. Note: If an individual applies for certification without the support of a certifying agency, then a designated member of the individual’s certification review Circle performs this notification (see policy on Process for Individuals Applying for Certification or Recertification without the support of a certifying agency).
- The notification includes the following documentation about the certification candidate:
- Name, photo and bio, including writings, services, products, client list, and website links they wish to share, within a limit of 200 words.
- Their sociocratic organizational memberships
- Date of certification meeting and names of those in attendance, specifically identifying those individuals who are already certified
- The certification candidate pays a fee of 50€ to the International Sociocracy Certification Board (ISCB).
- The International Sociocracy Certification Board (ISCB) issues a dated certificate of expertise as a Sociocratic consultant to the individual and posts the documentation about the individual on the ICB’s website within 30 days of receiving the documentation and payment.
- Certification is valid for three years from the date on the certificate.