Coaching services
Coaching is increasing in prevalence as a service provided between supplier and customer. The purpose of the standards is to strengthen the level of competency of Norwegian coaches and contribute to a more professionally oriented industry.
Several standards
There are a group of four standards which include requirements regarding competency, certification, delivery and training of coaches.
The standards bring together content from various directions and subject areas within coaching.
Norwegian Standard NS 11251 Coaching services – Requirements regarding competence sets out the competence a client shall be able to expect from a coach.
The standard can serve as an aid for users of coaching services, coaches and schools that educate coaches. It describes basic competency areas for coaching, such as relational competence, communication, self-awareness, psychology and ethics. The standard also describes delimitation with respect to other subject areas. NS 11251 is available in English.
Norwegian Standard NS 11252 Coaching services – Requirements regarding the certification of coaches.
This standard contains requirements for certification organisations that will certify coaches. The certification is based on NS 11251. The purpose is to establish a certification scheme for coaches that ensures a level of quality for coaching buyers through an external and independent certification of coaches' competence.
The certification scheme will help provide buyers of coaching services with a solid basis for assessing the quality and content from their providers.
Norwegian Standard NS 11253 Coaching services – Requirements regarding delivery sets requirements for providers of coaching as a service. The requirements are intended to contribute to providing good quality in the service and to inform potential buyers about the delivery. NS 11253 is available in English.
Norwegian Standard NS 11254 Coaching services – Requirements regarding the training of coaches The standard sets requirements for schools offering coach training that meets the criteria established in NS 11251:2023 and NS 11253:2023. The competence of a coach can be achieved by completing a training program at a school.
Central to this are the academic content and the delivery of instruction for the various areas of competence. There are specific requirements for the different methods used in teaching, with a strong emphasis on practical training and guidance.
The committee
The standard has been developed by Standards Norway’s committee SN/K 258 Coaching with members from the following organisations: Den Norske Coachforening, DNV, EMCC Global/Norge, Erickson Coaching Nordic, Gestaltpraktiserende i organisasjoner (GPO), International Coaching Federation Norway (ICF Norge), Leveraas AS, Nocna AS, Norsk Forening for Coaching & NLP, Norsk Senter for Coaching, Optivis Life and Business Academy, Potensialbygger, Teambyggerne and Løwe Coaching.