There are numerous schools of thought relative to identifying the 'competence' of a mediator. Where mediators are retained by parties to provide an evaluation of the relative strengths and weaknesses of the parties, subject matter expertise of the issues in dispute is a primary aspect in determining 'competence'.
Where mediators are expected to be process experts only (i.e., having been employed to use their skills to work through the mediation process without offering evaluations as to the parties' claims) competence is usually demonstrated by the ability to remain neutral and to move parties though various impasse points in a dispute. International professional organizations continue to debate what 'competency' means. Current information can be obtained from professional associations such as the Association for Conflict Resolution.
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