AAA Voting Results May 08

Opinions on the IMI Mediator Competency Scheme Results of electronic voting on questions posed to the delegates at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Arbitration Association following presentations on mediator competency certification by: Wolf von Kumberg (Northrop Grumman Corp) Nancy Lesser (PAX ADR LLC) Christopher Honeyman (Convenor Conflict Management) Michael Leathes (International Mediation Institute - IMI) Washington DC, May 9th 2008 1. Which group most often fits your actual/potential involvement in mediation? User 16% Mediator 41% Provider 31% Educator 9% Other 3% 2. In principle, do you agree that mediators’ competencies need to be established? Yes - 66% No - let the market decide 20% Not sure - 14% 3. Which of the following most closely reflects your views on who should set mediation standards? Not needed - 9% Professional bodies - 15% Providers - 6% Regulators - 9% International initiative eg IMI 61% 4. How do you rate the value of mediator feedback digests? Indicator of competency - 3% Indicator of User satisfaction - 19% Both - 72% Neither - 6% 5. How do you rate the value of testing by qualified assessors Vital - 6% Useful 79% No value - 15% 6. Which method of establishing mediator competency do you favor most? Recommendation and gut feel 32% Feedback from prior Users - 29% Certification following testing - 38% 7. Would you be willing to pay a modest amount to use the IMI scheme? Yes - 61% No - 11% Maybe - 28% 8. Do you think the IMI scheme as currently envisaged could work internationally? Yes - 31% Yes, with some qualifications 56% No, but maybe on local level - 8% Not at all - 6% 9. Should Mediators be bound by their own clear & strict Code of Ethical Conduct? Yes - 71% Yes - but it should vary from place to place 20% No - 0% Undecided - 9% 10. Is the IMI competency certification scheme most likely to…? Raise standards 6% Reduce risk in selecting mediators - 10% Be credible marketing - 13% Be all of the above - 58% Be none of the above - 13% 11. What impact could IMI’s scheme have on the likelihood of Government regulation assuming it is widely supported by mediators? Likely to provoke regualtion - 21% Lessen the need for regulation 36% No likely impact 42% 12. Could the IMI scheme make it easier for parties to engage in mediation (especially those unfamiliar with it) and for good mediators to get more work more quickly? Yes - 58% No - 13% Not sure - 29%