360˚ DIAGNOSTIC TOOL FOR MASTER TRAINERS

Core Skills and Competencies:

To be completed and uploaded to the Hub at least 1 week before the Master Training
validation event
All applicants (alongside their Sponsor/Referee) must complete this form as part of the
process of validation to be an accredited Master Trainer for the British Council ‘Core Skills
and Competencies’ professional development programme.

Prior to completing the ‘Orientation Stage 360˚ Diagnostic’ task, it will be necessary for each applicant
and their sponsor to read the ‘Guidance sheet’. Sponsors/Referee should be a line manager or
someone who has a detailed overview of the Trainers competencies as a facilitator. The
sponsor/referee must provide a summary of the trainer’s suitability to attend the event. If
insufficient information is provided, this can have a negative impact of the validation process.
It is important that the sponsor/referee spends time to provide good quality information.

Applicants are expected to provide firm evidence within each of the 4 ‘Facilitation
Competency Groupings’, reflecting all 24 validation criteria. Although each of the
competencies is important, it is not necessary from the outset to demonstrate a strength
against each one to be successful, and in some cases strong evidence of potential will be
sufficient.

The applicant and Sponsor will need to consider some key questions such as:

 How is the Master Trainer currently performing against the competencies?

 What are the Master Trainer’s strengths and how can they continue to demonstrate
them?
 What are the Master Trainer’s current areas for development?
 What competencies does the Master Trainer need to work on to help them succeed
as a ‘British Council Core Skills Master Trainer?

This form is to help the Master Trainer and the validators identify existing strengths and
areas where they would particularly value additional professional development and support.

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SECTION A –Personal Details
Name:

Country:

Email:

Name of Referee:

Email address of Referee:

Nature of your relationship with the

referee:

SECTION A: FACILITATION COMPETENCIES – ‘360˚ DIAGNOSTIC’

TOOL
The 360˚ diagnostic tool is based around a range of 24 facilitation competencies. The
competencies are grouped into 4 groups: ‘Facilitation Competency groupings’:
 Management of facilitation course materials;
 Delivering of facilitation course materials;
 Providing objective assessment;
 Personal and professional conduct.

Each competency has four levels and you need to decide for each competency which level
you are working at. It is expected that you will have a range of competencies at different
levels.

Overall, levels are summarised as follows:

Level 1 Indicates that you are beginning to apply the competency.

Level 2 Indicates that you are applying the competency but have areas which require
improvement.

Level 3 Indicates that you are applying the competency with confidence.

Level 4 Indicates that you are applying the competency at a level with strength.

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 MASTER TRAINER COMPETENCY GROUPING
‘A’: MANAGEMENT OF FACILITATION COURSE MATERIALS

LEVEL LEVEL DESCRIPTOR PARTICIPANT IS

CURRENTLY
WORKING AT
THIS LEVEL

1 Indicates that you are beginning to apply the competency.

2 Indicates that you are applying the competency but have

areas which require improvement.

3 Indicates that you are applying the competency with

confidence.

4 Indicates that you are applying the competency at a level

with strength.

Relevant ‘Validation Competencies’:

 Demonstrate a good understanding of the core skills content
 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of effective teaching and learning strategies;
 Leadership and mentoring capacities to train and support others to deliver the core skills
professional development offer;
 Contribution to the design and provision of engaging and effective teaching and learning
material;
 Ability to organise and deliver well-structured activities related to course learning outcomes
and local context;

Evidence of working at prescribed level:

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 MASTER TRAINER COMPETENCY GROUPING
‘B’: DELIVERY OF FACILITATION COURSE MATERIALS

LEVEL LEVEL DESCRIPTOR PARTICIPANT IS

CURRENTLY
WORKING AT
THIS LEVEL

1 Indicates that you are beginning to apply the

competency.

2 Indicates that you are applying the competency but have

areas which require improvement.

3 Indicates that you are applying the competency with

confidence.

4 Indicates that you are applying the competency at a level

with strength.

Relevant ‘Validation Competencies’:

 Set high expectations which inspire, motivate and challenge participants;
 Be accountable for meeting the set learning outcomes;
 Demonstrate ability to impart knowledge and develop understanding;
 Know when and how to differentiate appropriately, using approaches which enable
participants to learn effectively;
 Make accurate and productive use of ‘Formative Assessment’ (Assessment for Learning) to
inform and secure participants progress against specified objectives;
 Guide participants to reflect on the progress they have made and their emerging needs;
 Adapt facilitation style to respond to the strengths and needs of all participants.

Evidence of working at prescribed level:

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 MASTER TRAINER COMPETENCY GROUPING
‘C’: PROVIDING OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT

LEVEL LEVEL DESCRIPTOR PARTICIPANT IS

CURRENTLY
WORKING AT
THIS LEVEL

1 Indicates that you are beginning to apply the

competency.

2 Indicates that you are applying the competency but have

areas which require improvement.

3 Indicates that you are applying the competency with

confidence.

4 Indicates that you are applying the competency at a level

with strength.

Relevant ‘Validation Competencies’:

 Able to provide verbal feedback which is clear, specific and based on observed
competencies
 Able to provide a clear set of development points if necessary to meet a standard
 Able to assess an individual’s level of competence in meeting the required standard
necessary to deliver British Council’s Core Skills training through a structured validation
process
 Able to provide an honest and objective assessment of a trainer’s competency by providing
a well-structured high quality report

Evidence of working at prescribed level:

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 MASTER TRAINER COMPETENCY GROUPING
‘D’: PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

LEVEL LEVEL DESCRIPTOR PARTICIPANT IS

CURRENTLY
WORKING AT
THIS LEVEL

1 Indicates that you are beginning to apply the

competency.

2 Indicates that you are applying the competency but have

areas which require improvement.

3 Indicates that you are applying the competency with

confidence.

4 Indicates that you are applying the competency at a level

with strength.

Relevant ‘Validation Competencies’:

 To consistently uphold high professional values and standards that reflect those of the
British Council;
 Treat participants with dignity, recognising the importance of cultural awareness and
sensitivity;
 Ability to recognise the different experiences, views and approaches that course
participants can bring;
 Encourage participants to take a responsible and conscientious attitude to their learning
and development;
 Willingness to learn from and actively support others;
 Ability to create a safe learning environment within which participants feel they can raise
issues and share experiences;
 Capacity to create and nurture an enabling learning environment;
 Work effectively as part of a ‘facilitation team’.

Evidence of working at prescribed level:

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Current familiarity and competence in each ‘Core Skill and
Competency’ module:
Please reflect on your current skills, knowledge and any previous professional experience of
managing the facilitation of each of the ‘Core Skill and Competency’ modules, indicating this
on the table below.
It is not envisaged that everyone will score highly in each of the 6 modules (put one tick on
each row).

No previous Limited Limited Experienced /

Core Skill and experience / previous previous Secure
Competency Insecure experience / experience /
Module Insecure Secure

Critical Thinking
and Problem
Solving

Digital Literacy

Citizenship

Creativity and
Imagination

Collaboration
and
Communication

Student
Leadership and
Personal
Development

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Working to your strengths
We all have areas of strength which help us to support others effectively. Please provide your
level of experience as a trainer of others, or if you have already been involved in the
validation of trainers (tick one box in each row).

Level of experience in training trainers and/or

validation of trainers related to core skills (within
the last 5 years)
No previous Limited Limited Experienced
experience / previous previous / Secure
Insecure experience / experience /
Insecure Secure

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Digital Literacy

Citizenship

Creativity and Imagination

Collaboration and Communication

Student Leadership and Personal

Development
Please provide any information about experience outside core skills in training or validation
of other trainers.

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Referee/Sponsor’s Comments:

OVERALL PEER - ASSESSMENT OF THE APPLICANTS SKILLS AND

EXPERIENCE TO BE A BRITISH COUNCIL FACILITATOR
(Please summarise in no more than 200 words- how you see the applicant as a Master Trainer
- what are their strengths and areas of development and how would you describe their
approach; Please indicate any experience they might have as a trainer of other trainers and in
validating other trainers)

Name of applicant

Signature of applicant

Date:

Name of Referee/sponsor

Signature of Referee/sponsor

Date:

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