RNCP or ICF Accreditation?

 

The RNCP is a decision by the French government to include coaching in the National Directory of Professional Certifications, allowing organizations in this field to position their training programs as equivalent to a university degree.

Anything that contributes to the professionalization of this field is a positive development that the entire profession welcomes. The problem is that this initiative is sometimes misrepresented—its true meaning and scope distorted—by certain organizations that turn it into a pure marketing ploy, used on every page to suggest that this is the only viable option and that, with this certification, a coach’s career and success are guaranteed—which is not the case.

Three points are often highlighted in a misleading manner:

1. The RNCP qualification is presented by some organizations—which make it their main selling point—as providing an equivalence to a master’s degree. (Known as Category I in the French administrative classification system).
This is no longer true.
The first wave of RNCP accreditation did indeed allow organizations to claim an equivalence to a five-year post-secondary degree. However, the government subsequently downgraded this equivalence to that of a three-year post-secondary degree (referred to as Level II in this context); see the official text below.
Organizations that cite the “bac + 5” equivalence are well-positioned to know this, even if the information provided by some on this specific point is not always very clear.

CNCP website reference on coaching:
http://www.cncp.gouv.fr/actualites/information-sur-les-certifications-concernant-les-activites-de-coaching

Information on certifications related to coaching activities

In recent years, the Commission has seen growing demand for the registration of professional coach certifications, as evidenced by the number of certifications currently registered that focus on the skills required to practice this profession.
As soon as the first applications were submitted in 2015, the Commission commissioned an initial assessment aimed at establishing indicators and criteria to analyze these applications consistently, with an emphasis on employment data that most often corresponds to emerging job categories.

As part of its mission to improve the clarity of information, the Commission adopted the principle of harmonizing the title “Professional Coach” and, based on the description of the profession’s activities, recommended registration at Level II for applications that met all of the Commission’s standard criteria.

The first certifications registered prior to this in-depth analysis—some of which were initially registered at Level I—will, of course, be reclassified to Level II.

2. This equivalency is supposed to ensure the success of the coaches in question.
In reality, there are two possible scenarios:

  • Either you already have a bachelor’s degree or higher, in which case being granted an equivalency for a university-level degree you already hold won’t give you anything extra.
  • Or that is not the case, and highlighting this equivalency won’t be what makes your future clients choose you. That’s not what they’re looking for, anyway.

What makes a coach successful depends primarily on their practical ability to professionally demonstrate their expertise, as well as on the effectiveness of their market positioning.
This equivalency does not guarantee your success any more than a state-issued fine arts degree guarantees that a painter will find clients to buy their paintings upon graduation.

3. This accreditation is sometimes presented as the only one worth considering, even though there are other high-quality options as well
This way of presenting things is often accompanied by intimidating sales talk that suggests it’s the only possible choice and that any other option would be a mistake.

In reality, there are other high-quality accreditations in the world of coaching that you should be aware of in order to make an informed choice. This is particularly true of the International Coach Federation (ICF), the best-known professional organization in the coaching world.

The International Coach Federation (ICF) is the world’s first and largest coaching federation, with approximately 30,000 members worldwide: It was founded in 1995 in the United States and is credited with pioneering the recognition and professionalization of the coaching profession in the United States, Europe, Asia, and in more than 120 countries today.

To address the rapid growth of the coaching profession, which requires specific professional skills, the ICF has made it its mission “to build and support the coaching profession and preserve its integrity” through:

  • A code of ethics and professional conduct and a competency framework that serve as the global standard in the coaching world.
  • A rigorous international certification process for coaches. Accreditation of coaching schools based on clear and demanding quality criteria.
  • Research on the evolution of coaching professions.
  • A powerful international network.

We chose the ICF pathway

Why?
Because the Institute has been an international organization since its inception, which naturally led us to prioritize ICF recognition—which is also international—in addition to our own degree.

ICF accreditation is considered THE gold standard for competence, universally recognized in every country where coaching is practiced, and it provides you with indisputable international and national recognition.

As for interventions in the corporate world, all major organizations have an Anglo-Saxon management culture, regardless of their origin. They prefer to opt for an international certification once and for all, rather than local certifications that require them to readjust their selection criteria each time.
You will therefore be immediately ready to work in this field as well, as evidenced by the many coaches trained at the Institute.

The ICI Professional Coach training program is accredited by the ICF.

 

The competency framework on which the MasterCoach program is based is that of the ICF. The majority of the instructors in this program are ICF-accredited. The criteria regarding the number of hours and supervision are also those established by the ICF.

If, upon completing your training program, you want more than just the Institute’s diploma, you’ll be well-positioned to receive support through the additional steps required to obtain ICF certification—as we’ve been doing for years—with a 100% success rate to date.

There is therefore no reason to pit these two approaches against each other or to disparage the ICF approach, especially since it is embraced by the majority of coaching professionals.

What we remain vigilant about, however—in collaboration with most of our colleagues— we remain vigilant against the temptation to impose self-proclaimed “single truths” that, depending on the era, would have it that coaching can only be understood in one way, or that it has a place in only one field, or that it can only be taught in one way, or that it can only be the subject of a single certification, and so on…

…whereas in reality, there is a wide variety of high-quality practices and approaches, and ultimately, the best training is the one that best aligns with your goals, your needs, and your personality.