Team Coaching Accreditation - International Coaching Federation
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Advanced Accreditation in Team Coaching 

Team coaching is one of the fastest growing disciplines in the coaching profession. In today’s complex workplace, organizations increasingly recognize the power of teams to innovate and drive their business or mission forward. Team coaching is critical to harness teams’ collective expertise, energy and experience to accelerate performance and improve results. 

To address the increasing demand for this complex discipline, coaching education providers can now apply for the ICF Advanced Accreditation in Team Coaching.  

Coaches worldwide recognize ICF as an industry leader and trust in our accreditation standards. This advanced accreditation will allow coaching education providers to demonstrate that their education aligns with the needs and requirements to prepare coaches for this complex discipline.  

Plus, this accreditation aligns with the requirements of the ICF Advanced Certification in Team Coaching (ACTC), so individual coach practitioners who seek out providers with this accreditation will have a straightforward, simple education path towards achieving their advanced certification. 

Standards

  • Team Coaching Education and Training

    All ICF Advanced Accreditations in Team Coaching must meet the following 4 requirements: 

    1. A minimum of 60 Contact Hours 

    All ICF Advanced Accreditation in Team Coaching programs are required to have at least 60 total contact hours. At least 50% of all education must be delivered in synchronous activities, while the remaining 50% can be delivered asynchronously. Of this education, 80% must be focused on the ICF Team Coaching Competencies, ICF Core Competencies, and ICF Code of Ethics, while the remaining 20% can be focused on subjects not directly related to the ICF Core Competencies and/or ICF Team Coaching Competencies.  

    Important Definitions 

    • Contact Hours: Total clock hours spent in synchronous (real-time) and asynchronous (self-study) interactions between faculty and participants. 
    • Synchronous Contact Hours: Synchronous hours would include time spent in direct instruction, real-time discussions, observation and feedback or practice coaching sessions, and mentoring participants. 
    • Asynchronous Contact Hours: Asynchronous hours would include time spent outside of real-time interaction between faculty and participants (asynchronous). These may include outside reading, writing, research, journaling, practice coaching, and various other activities that may occur outside of the synchronous setting. All asynchronous hours require some method of validating that the activity was completed by the participant. 

    2. Course List 

    The organization will be asked to document all classes that are intended to make up the full program. The following details must  be provided for each class: 

    • Title. 
    • Brief description. 
    • Hours spent teaching. 
    • ICF Core Competencies taught. 
    • Primary delivery method (synchronous or asynchronous). 

    3. Observed Team Coaching Sessions for Each Participant 

    ICF considers observed coaching sessions to be a vital component of quality coaching education. ICF Advanced Accreditation in Team Coaching  providers are required to provide a minimum of two (2) observed team coaching sessions for each participant. Written feedback must be provided for at least one (1) of the two sessions. 

    Important Definitions 

    • Observed Coaching Session: Sessions in which a participant is coaching any client (team), fellow participants, or other persons as a method for practicing their team coaching skills. 
    • Time Requirement: ICF does not have a minimum length requirement for observed team coaching sessions. Sessions should be long enough for a team coaching conversation. 
    • Structure: Observed team coaching sessions are observed by an instructor/observer who is responsible for providing written feedback to the participant, noting the participant’s use of the ICF Team Coaching Competencies, ICF Core Competencies, and ICF Code of Ethics in the team coaching session. These sessions may be observed live or through a recorded session. Observed team coaching sessions count as part of the total instructional hours of the program. 

    4. 5 Hours of Coaching Supervision 

    ICF Advanced Accreditation in Team Coaching providers are required to provide or verify each participant receives at least five (5) hours of coaching supervision with an eligible coaching supervisor or ICF mentor coach with coaching supervision training and experience. 

    Important Definitions 

    • Coaching Supervision: A collaborative learning practice to continually build the capacity of the coach through reflective dialogue for the benefit of both coaches and clients. 
    • Structure: Minimum of five (5) hours of coaching supervision. These five hours can be verified or integrated into the total contact hours and occur periodically throughout the course of the contact hours. Coaching supervision hours may be completed either one-to-one with a coaching supervisor or in a group supervision setting. Coaching supervision hours submitted to meet this requirement must focus on the participant’s team coaching practice but may also include some focus on other aspects of the participant’s professional practice (individual coaching, group coaching, etc.). All coaching supervision should be completed verbally.  
  • Teaching and Instruction

    We evolve and innovate our current global program accreditation model to maintain the highest standards for coaching education and to ensure ICF remains the standard-bearer for excellence.  

    Your organization is making a real and measurable difference in people’s lives, which is why we’re passionate about making sure our coaches and the organizations that educate them are well-equipped to do their jobs. 

    All ICF Advanced Accreditation in Team Coaching faculty must meet the following key standards areas depending on their role(s): 

    • Director of Education: Directors must hold an active PCC or MCC credential from ICF and subscribe to the ICF definition of coaching, ICF Team Coaching Competencies, ICF Core Competencies, and ICF Code of Ethics. 
    • Instructors: All instructors who are teaching content based on the ICF definition of coaching, ICF Team Coaching Competencies, ICF Core Competencies, and ICF Code of Ethics must hold one of the three ICF credentials (ACC, PCC, or MCC). Those teaching other optional content not related to the ICF definition of coaching, ICF Team Coaching Competencies, ICF Core Competencies, or ICF Code of Ethics are not required to hold an ICF credential. (This is considered Resource Development instruction). 
    • Observers: All those serving as observers of participant team coaching sessions, and those responsible for providing written feedback, must hold one of the three ICF credentials (ACC, PCC, or MCC). 
    • Coaching Supervisors: All coaching supervisors must meet at least one of the following criteria: 
      • Hold an active coaching supervision certification, credential, or accreditation by a coaching or coaching supervision professional body. 
      • Have completed a coaching supervision education program of at least 60 hours and have at least 120 hours of coaching supervision experience. 
      • Be an eligible ICF mentor coach with 60 hours of coaching supervision education and at least 120 hours of experience.
  • Requirements

    Assessment, Evaluation, and Effectiveness 

     ICF Advanced Accreditation in Team Coaching providers will establish a baseline for quality that satisfies the perspective from both the participant and the participant’s consumers. This baseline will be reported to ICF through a series of self-study surveys released annually. 

    Consent 

    Detailed statements of agreement, compliance and limitation, duty to notify, and payment agreements are included in the sample application and online application for the ICF Advanced Accreditation in Team Coaching.  Applicants must consent to these agreements as part of the application process. 

    Application Fees 

    $1,500 USD Accreditation Fee 

    Application fees are non-refundable and do not guarantee accreditation approval. The ICF Advanced Accreditation in Team Coaching  is valid for three calendar years. 

Advanced Accreditation In Team Coaching (AATC) Application Live

More on the Advanced Accreditation

  • Accreditation Start Date

    Organizations who apply for the ICF Advanced Accreditation in Team Coaching will receive an official communication from ICF upon the program’s accreditation. The organization accreditation start date will be the date the application was submitted for review. 

  • Support

    If you have questions or need support regarding your ICF Coaching Education accreditation application, please visit the ICF Support page. 

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