Collaborate with us

The NMAS Review Survey is the primary instrument of the review and as such is the review proper. Unlike many traditional review processes the survey is being developed in consultation with the DR community through a range of forums including reference groups, collaborative workshops and pilots. For more information on each forum see below. The findings arising out of the NMAS Review Survey will form the basis of the recommendations to the MSB. We invite you to be a reviewer by completing the NMAS Review Survey when it becomes available later in the year.

Participation in the NMAS Review Survey is open to all stakeholders and interested parties. 

The NMAS Review is designed to be a collaborative process that actively seeks input from a diverse range of stakeholders across multiple points in time and using a variety of engagement strategies. This means stakeholders will have multiple opportunities to provide input over the life of the review.  Scroll down to learn more about the various ways that you can be part of the NMAS Review 2020–21. Alternatively, find out more about the review process via the link below.

The Effectiveness Survey 

The Effectiveness Survey was conducted in March 2021. It was a secondary survey which means it was targeted to a particular stakeholder group. The purpose of the survey was to ascertain the extent to which MSB member orgs and mediators perceive the NMAS standards to be effective. 

Participation in the Effectiveness Survey was by invitation. To be eligible to participate in the survey you needed to:

1. be an NMAS accredited mediator, or
2. have previously held NMAS accreditation, or 
3. have completed mediation training with an MSB training organisation and have never sought accreditation but work primarily as a mediator

To ensure you don't miss out on future opportunities to participate, please ensure that your RMAB or training provider has your current email address. Please also check your junk-mail settings to ensure any correspondence from info@msb.org.au makes it safely into your inbox.

The purpose of the reference groups was to gather a small group of representatives (typically 6-8) from identified stakeholder groups to provide targeted expert insight into potential areas for change or modification of the standards. 

Reference groups:

1. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (*in progress)
2. Diversity and inclusion
3. Current MSB member organisations
4. Non-NMAS ADR processes
5. Institutions with an interest in mediator practice

Participation was by invitation and representatives were selected in collaboration with stakeholders. 

The workshops were held in February 2021. The purpose of the workshops was to gather expert practitioners and interested parties to collectively review selected sections of the NMAS as informed by recommendations from the reference groups. The information generated from these workshops will form the basis of the NMAS Survey. 

Participation was by invitation and representatives were selected in collaboration with stakeholders. 

Participants were asked to:

• attend a full day virtual workshop
• complete up to two hours pre-reading material
• work in groups and engage in professional and structured dialogue to generate items for the NMAS Survey. 

Please note, all current MSB members were invited to nominate two representatives to attend one of the four workshops.

Press the link below to access the videos and reading materials created for the participants to help them prepare for the workshops.

The purpose of running pilots is to invite representative stakeholders to review and complete draft surveys. Typically, they will be designed to gather commentary on ease of use, structure, language, and areas identified for change or modification.  

Participation in the NMAS Review Survey pilot was by invitation and expression of interest.