Standing Conference of Mediation Advocates
The SCMA, its website and education programme, and its member fraternity are aimed at lawyers, accountants, surveyors, construction, property and H.R. professionals, trade union representatives, local government officers and others who represent clients in mediation in all its forms, including negotiation, dispute avoidance, non-Court-based Dispute Resolution schemes and collaborative bargaining.
It is not only for “first-timers” needing to learn about the basics of mediation very quickly, particularly as to their role, what they should expect and how they should prepare, but also for those more seasoned advocates wishing to specialise independently in mediation advocacy and who want to develop the particular skills that it requires.
In the present landscape it is essential for all those who appear at mediation, be they lawyers or other professionals, to have a good understanding of the process. The SCMA is aimed at helping all those involved, and who may wish then to become SCMA members accredited to the SCMA as registered mediation advocates and utilise the SCMA Standards and Competencies in Mediation Advocacy quality mark as a device by which they, their clients and others measure the proficiency of their practice in this field.
About Us
Purpose
The SCMA is a multi disciplinary cross-professional initiative of practitioners established to promote and deliver best practice, standards, competencies and professional excellence in mediation advocacy through individual and corporate training consultancy services and commercial activities.
Founded in 2007 the SCMA has over its history been variously a Civil Mediation Council registered civil/commercial mediation training provider, an accredited International Mediation Institute (IMI) and Association of Mediation Assessors, Trainers and Instructors (AMATI) training provider, and a Bar Standards Board advocacy CPD provider. Training is now offered in conjunction with ADR Group, the UK’s longest established civil/commercial mediation provider.
The practical objectives of SCMA are:
To provide a forum for discourse among mediation practitioners
To deliver reasonably priced certificated and accredited skills training for those representing parties to mediation and licence approved training by others
To advise governments, judiciaries, Bars, private enterprises and academic institutions on establishing systems and courses to promote, teach and research mediation advocacy and its uses
To promote actively the expertise and experience of its members and registered users in the marketplace
To monitor and validate registered users training and CPD records
To engage with mediation service providers, clients of the process and academics researching in mediation and associated fields to create minimum practice standards and competencies for the benefit of mediation users
To create a recognisable brand and mark among consumers which will identify registered users practices with the SCMA quality threshold for mediation representation
Structure
The SCMA operates through a Convenor, Secretariat and an invited Advisory Board.
Activities
SCMA provides open and in-house skills training through the use of senior practitioners and experienced authors and trainers in the field, and bespoke corporate training accredited with the Civil Mediation Council, the International Mediation Institute, Bar Council, Law Society, CILEx, and participates in the RICS Life Long Learning programme, and with other professional bodies. It promotes and seeks discounts for other commercial and mediation organisations’ products; it offers books and journals, discounted to members where possible.
SCMA hosts open meetings, seminars and other activities intended to culminate in an annual convention. It has international outlets and membership in France, Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, Ghana, Nigeria, Egypt, the UAE, Nepal, Chile, Palestine, Turkey, India, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Far East. Since 2009 the SCMA has held events in Hong Kong, Dubai, Istanbul, Ankara, Kathmandu, Brussels, Paris, Amsterdam, Delhi, Goa, Lagos, Krakow, Cape Town, Bangkok, Singapore, Dublin, Berlin’ and also advised governments and judicaries in the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong SAR, India, Belgium, Nepal, Croatia, Nigeria, Turkey, Thailand, South Africa and Canada.
SCMA provides an e-newsletter and hopes to commission a full practice and academic journal in due course. It operates a specialist online bookstore and commissions new titles in ADR for its associated imprint Mediation Publishing.
SCMA promotes its identity with a logo which has become established in the marketplace as a quality mark for Mediation Advocates. Registered users are licensed to use the SCMA logo on their letterhead.
Please note that SCMA registered users belong to other professional bodies and are the subject of regulation carried out by the member’s ‘home’ profession i.e. lawyers, surveyors, accountants, engineers, governing among other things conduct, ethics and professional indemnity insurance.