The International Association of Facilitators (IAF) provides assistance to facilitators throughout their careers. Since 1994, the IAF has been advancing the significance of facilitation globally by creating global standards, and aiding in the advancement and acknowledgment of facilitators’ professional growth.

The association has leveraged its members’ extensive knowledge and proficiency to determine the crucial elements of reliable and efficient facilitation. This process has led to the development of the IAF’s Statement of Values and Code of Ethics, as well as the IAF Core Competencies framework.

The IAF Professional Development Path (PDP) is a series of stages that a facilitator can progress through, with each stage requiring different levels of competency and experience. The process begins with becoming a member of the organization and continues with individual assessment at each stage. The PDP offers the flexibility for facilitators to complete one stage at a time or progress along the Pro-Path as part of their evolving career.

The following are the stages of the PDP:

IAF Member
IAF Endorsed™ Facilitator (EF)
IAF Certified™ Professional Facilitator (CPF)
IAF Certified™ Professional Facilitator | Master (CPF | M)
IAF Certified™ Professional Facilitator | Emeritus (CPF | E)