Sociocracy Certification
Welcome to the Sociocracy Certification page, where you can learn about Sociocracy For All’s (SoFA) system for structured, competency-based learning journeys. We want to ensure that every learner not only understands the theory behind sociocracy but also acquires the practical skills necessary to apply sociocracy methods effectively in various settings.
A Journey Through Experiential Learning
SoFA is committed to an experiential learning approach, emphasizing the importance of hands-on practice and reflective learning.
That’s why our certification system is designed to measure your competency in sociocracy, focusing on the practical application and thoughtful consideration of core sociocracy methods. This approach ensures that learners can effectively integrate sociocracy into their groups and organizations, as well as their offerings as professionals.
Levels of Sociocracy Certification
Our certification system is structured into four ascending levels of proficiency: Practitioner, Facilitator, Trainer, and Consultant. This progression allows learners to develop their skills systematically, from understanding the basics of sociocracy to becoming capable of training others and consulting on sociocratic implementations.
At each level, learners have real-life practice by working on badges, which are micro-credentials symbolizing the learner’s competency in specific sociocracy methods or practices, and provide a tangible measure of their progress and expertise. Learners are then certified after a performance review.
1. SoFA Certified Practitioner
Learning objective: Participating as a member of a sociocratic circle.
Content (badges):
- Vision, mission, aims
- Circle structure
- Leader and delegate
- Facilitator and secretary
- Operational roles
- Consent decision making
- Connection and listening
- Interpersonal feedback
2. SoFA Certified Facilitator
Learning objective: Facilitating sociocratic meetings and processes.
Content (badges):
- Meeting structure
- Minutes and backlog
- Proposal co-creation
- Integrating objections
- Policy review
- Selections
- Performance review
- Equity and inclusion
3. SoFA Certified Trainer
Learning objective: Running sociocracy training workshops.
Content (badges):
- Flow of information
- Logbook
- Workflow
- Power
- 1-hour introduction
- Half-day workshop
- One-day workshop
- Two-day workshop
4. ISCB Certified Consultant
Learning objective: Leading or supporting sociocracy implementations in organizations. (Read more below.)
Content (badges):
- Case study
- Assisting an implementation
- Implementation process
- Implementation #1
- Implementation #2
- Legal considerations
Full list of badges by certification
Expand to watch the full list
Sociocracy Practitioner level badges
Vision, Mission, Aims
Practice distinguishing and crafting vision, mission, and aims for different organizations.
Circle Structure
Learn and design multi-layered organizational structures using sociocratic principles, including domains and linking.
Leader and Delegate
Take on the leader or delegate role in a circle for multiple meetings and reflect on your responsibilities and communication between circles.
Facilitator and Secretary
Practice facilitating or documenting meetings as facilitator or secretary and reflect on your contribution to meeting flow and clarity.
Operational Roles
Define and document operational roles, and distinguish operational from policy decisions in practice.
Consent Decision Making
Facilitate a full consent decision-making process, reflect on feedback, and assess your ability to ensure inclusive participation.
Connection and Listening
Apply and reflect on techniques that foster authentic connection, safety, and active listening in group settings.
Interpersonal Feedback
Practice giving feedback after a triggering incident using needs-based communication and emotional awareness.
SoFAN Certified Practitioner
Apply all core sociocratic practices in a circle and reflect on your understanding and personal challenges with sociocracy.
Sociocracy Facilitator level badges
Meeting Structure
Plan and facilitate structured meetings using sociocratic formats, ensuring participation and flow.
Minutes and Backlog
Manage accurate meeting minutes and a live backlog to support continuity, planning, and transparency in your circle.
Proposal Co-Creation
Facilitate a collaborative process for proposal generation, ensuring shared understanding and idea synthesis.
Integrating Objections
Guide a group through understanding and integrating objections during decision-making, maintaining clarity and respect.
Policy Review
Lead a review of existing policies using a learning-based cycle to improve clarity, effectiveness, and alignment.
Selections
Facilitate fair and transparent selection processes for roles or decisions, adapting to different contexts.
Performance Review
Facilitate or participate in a feedback process to support personal or team improvement and accountability.
Equity and Inclusion
Reflect on power dynamics and inclusion, commit to anti-oppression practices, and explore how sociocracy can deepen equity.
SoFAN Certified Facilitator
Demonstrate facilitation competency across key sociocratic practices, receive feedback in a performance review, and commit to ongoing development.
Sociocracy Trainer level badges
Logbook & Flow of Information
Understand and assess how transparency and power relate to logbooks and information flow in sociocratic organizations.
Complex Circle Structures
Design multi-layered sociocratic circle structures with nested aims, domains, and effective linking between circles.
Workflows
Create and document sociocratic workflows that support clarity and alignment through structured activity design.
Power
Analyze formal and informal power dynamics in a team or organization, and offer strategies for balance and transparency.
1-hour Introduction
Design and deliver a one-hour introduction to sociocracy tailored to a specific audience, and reflect on participant feedback.
Half-day Workshop
Run a half-day (3+ hour) sociocracy workshop for a group, adapting content to audience needs and evaluating outcomes.
One-day Workshop
Facilitate a full-day (6+ hour) sociocracy training, addressing key concepts while managing time, accessibility, and engagement.
Two-day Workshop
Deliver an in-depth two-day (12+ hour) sociocracy training, ensuring inclusion of core topics and responding to diverse learning needs.
SoFAN Certified Trainer
Demonstrate training competence across sociocracy topics, receive feedback in a performance review, and commit to ongoing development.
Sociocracy Consultant level badges
Implementation Process
Design a full implementation workflow from client engagement through to evaluating outcomes, based on real-world consulting models.
Learn About an Implementation
Study or assist a sociocracy implementation to understand the steps, challenges, and outcomes of real-world organizational transitions.
Implementation #1
Lead the implementation of sociocracy in a 9+ person, 3+ circle organization, documenting the process, outcomes, and client feedback.
Implementation #2
Complete a second full implementation, reflecting on patterns, adaptations, and long-term sustainability of sociocratic governance.
Legal Considerations
Analyze how sociocratic organizations navigate legal constraints and embed decentralized governance into formal documentation.
ISCB Certified Consultant
Lead or support sociocracy implementations, demonstrate consulting competency, and complete a certification review by the ISCB.
How to get certified
Currently, SoFA offers an advanced training program that offers a certification called Academy.
The Sociocracy Academy is an educational program designed for individuals interested in learning about sociocracy and other decentralized governance forms. It offers a structured, two-level curriculum aimed at developing knowledge and skills necessary for practicing and facilitating sociocracy within groups or organizations. Level 1 focuses on fundamental sociocracy tools for practical application and facilitation, while Level 2 targets experienced practitioners and facilitators looking to teach sociocracy or use it in consultancy work. The academy emphasizes real-life practice, offering certifications for those who complete the programs and successfully apply their learning.
You can read more about Academy (in English) and Academia (in Spanish) in the respective pages.
SoFA is also working to support certified trainers and consultants to organise new and diverse training programs that include certification. If you are certified through SoFA and wish to organize a certification-accredited program, write to badges@sociocracyforall.org.
Equivalence assessment (Competency Equivalence Review)
If you haven’t been trained by someone who is licensed to issue SoFA certifications for facilitator or trainer, you can go through a process of affirming equivalence (for example to become a Professional Partner).
The process for that has the same standards as our certification reviews in a combination of written and verbal report. This can be done for a fee of $250. Inquire under badges@sociocracyforall.org.
Process for Consultant Certification
The International Sociocracy Certification Board
SoFA is a founding member of the International Sociocracy Certification Board (ISCB). The ISCB seeks to standardize the meaning of certifications offered by participating agencies. At this point, ISCB is only recognizing the consultant level of certification. Agencies participating in the ISCB are free to determine the labels and qualifications for any other certifications that they offer. Other organizations that are not part of the ISCB may also offer similar or different badges and/or certifications.
Consultants certified by the ISCB will be publicly acknowledged on the ISCB website. In 2019, the ISCB recognized the first three internationally certified consultants who also serve as the ISCBโs founding Board of Directors: Jerry Koch-Gonzalez (co-founder of SoFA), John Buck (founder of Governance Alive LLC and member of SoFAโs Mission Circle) and Barbara Strauch (co-founder of the Soziokratie Zentrum in Austria). The ISCB also recognizes โcertifying agencies.โ These agencies commit to having a program to prepare individuals for the consultant level of certification according to standards set by the ISCB. Policies of the ISCB regarding how to become a certified consultant and how an agency can become a certifying agency are posted on the ISCB website. In 2020, the ISCB recognized the first three certifying agencies: Sociocracy For All, Governance Alive, and the Soziokratie Zentrum.
ISCB has been growing since and certified dozens of active sociocracy consultants.
