Coaching services

Coaching is increasing in prevalence as a service provided between supplier and customer.

Several people in a meeting room
Photo: Standard Norway/Nicolas Tourrenc

The purpose of the standards is to strengthen the level of competency of Norwegian coaches. The standards are intended to 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.

Norwegian Standard NS 11251 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.

Norwegian Standard NS 11253 (not yet translated to English) 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 11252 (certification) and NS 11254 (training/education) are work in progress planned for release later in 2024.

The standards bring together content from various directions and subject areas within coaching. 

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.

Relevant standards

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