New ToP diploma recognised in Australia

By Karen Newkirk and Mark Butz

After much hard work and learning along the way, ToP Global Institute of Facilitative Leadership (ToP GIFL) has won an accreditation for a new diploma and renewed a graduate diploma. (ToP, Technology of Participation)

ToP GIFL was established by ICA Australia in 2010 as a training entity to deliver the Facilitative Leadership Program. The program, developed by the Australasian ToP Network, has been providing an organising and unifying framework for ToP training modules for nearly a decade.

ToP GIFL applied to the Australian Skills Quality Authority to become a Registered Training Organisation and was granted that status after some arduous audits of its capability.

It gained accreditation for a Vocational Graduate Diploma in Facilitative Leadership in 2010. The award, granted in the state of Western Australia, is recognised across the nation and overseas. It was due for reaccreditation last December. ToP GIFL, which sees the need for a lower level qualification as well, sought reaccreditation of the graduate diploma and also submitted an application for a new diploma.

Following some intense developmental work, ToP GIFL was told in March that its 10444NAT Graduate Diploma of Facilitative Leadership had been reaccredited and that a new 10443NAT Diploma of Facilitative Management had been accredited. The new diploma is based on attendance at Modules 1 to 5 of the Facilitative Leadership Program and completion of four units of competency. The graduate diploma, which requires more project work at a higher level, is based on attendance at Modules 1 to 7 and assessment for six different units of competency.

The accreditations are a strong validation of the value of training developed by ICA and ToP networks over several decades and will bring recognition from the academic field and workplaces in the government, community and business sectors. These developments will spark widespread interest in both gaining a qualification and becoming an authorised provider.

ToP GIFL will continue to offer the seven face-to-face modules as public or “in-house” events. They are essentially the same as those taken by those pursuing a qualification. The subsequent processes for assessment make the difference. Those who have completed these modules in the past can opt for a Recognition of Prior Learning for the purposes of gaining assessment. The training and assessment are available across Australia and overseas.

For more information about ToP GIFL’s programs, the people involved and how it all works, please visit its website at www.top-gifl.com.

Karen Newkirk and Mark Butz are members of ICA Australia.