The Judges Certification and Education system was developed by Florint and its partner organizations in a Leonardo da Vinci partnership program from 2011 till 2013. The system aims at improving professionalism of judging resp. judges at competitions in floral design as well as assessors in floristry exams. It is actually being put in place in the 5 countries involved and disseminated to many others.

1. Florint’s Judges
Certification System
JudgCert was made possible by a
grant of the European Commission

2. Why JudgCert?
• Florint organises international competitions
since 1958
• Increased its influence on the quality of
execution (by national members)
– (Draft) Regulations
– TC (Technical Committee)
• Started education of Judges
– So far insufficient to guarantee quality

3. JudgCert’s aim’s
• To further the professionalism of judging in floral
design;
• To stimulate the development of knowledge and
competences relevant for judging in a
professional way;
• To create more transparency and comparability
of judging on various levels;
 By means of an acknowledged system for the
accreditation of (inter)national Judges in floristry
(+ dedicated training);

4. Competence profile
• Competence is: the capability to perform a
certain task within a specific context;
• Competence is based on Knowledge,
Skills and Attitudes;
• JudgCert competence profile was
developed, based on input of a group of
renowned judges;

5. Project events
• July 2010: Application for a Partnership
„Judges Certification and Education“,
granted by the Leonardo da Vinci Fund;
• September 2010 till April 2011:
– 4 Taskforce meetings, preparing proposals;
– 2 Plenary meetings, working out the system;
• June 2011 till June 2012:
– 5 Pilot assessments in the partner countries
(UK, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany)
• June 2012: conclusive & evaluation meeting in England;
• July / August 2012: finalising documents & writing the final
report for Leonardo da Vinci;

8. Competence profile
a competent assessor in colleges or
national exams resp. (inter)national
professional judge floral design is:
a practising florist who develops him/herself
continuously, possesses specific competences
related to judging and from this background is
able to analyse, value and commentate flower
arrangements in competition and educational
settings.

9. Competence profile
A professional judge / assessor is:
• A practising florist *
(* can also be a floristry teacher with the right background and
still sufficiently involved in floristry practice).
• With the right Attitudes*
* readiness (conscious / subconscious) to act or react in a
certain way” (definition: Jung)
• With the capability/ competences to:
– Analyse
– Value
– Commentate

10. Attitudes 1
• is reliable
• can concentrate
• can work under stressful situations
• can agree with the purpose of the competition
• is willing to put efforts in preparing himself for
a judgment
• can carefully read assignments
• can carefully take decisions
• is independent

11. Attitudes 2
• is able to show empathy for stress of
participants in competition / exam situations
• is open for innovations
• is critical
• is open minded in discussions and willing to
consider different opinions
• is able to stand for his judgment
• has integrity concerning confidential
information
• is loyal to other judges

12. Analysing competences
• acting
– can analyse the
assignment(s)
– can analyse the
arrangement(s)
• tools
– has enough reference on
the cultural field
– has enough reference on
the professional field

14. Valuing competences
• acting
– can compare the
arrangement with the
cultural and professional
reference
– can decide
– is able to use different
floral design evaluation
systems (Florint 100
points system)
– Is able to interpret
assignments
– is able to judge according
to the requirements
• tools
– has enough reference on the
cultural and professional field
– is aware of the different
levels in floral design
– is aware of the process of
deciding: logical / emotional
– understands the Florint 100
point (and/or other)
evaluation systems
– has knowledge and full
understanding of the
competition regulations

16. Commenting competences
• acting
– uses the official flowers
and plants nomenclature
– uses professional
terminology and terms of
composition in general
– expresses him/herself
orally in a clear way
– writes down a comment in
clear language if required
– listens carefully to :
• chairman
• colleagues of the jury
• candidates
• tools
– has enough knowledge of
the (official) nomenclature
(also in Latin)
– has sufficient knowledge
and command of
professional terms
– has sufficient knowledge
and command of the
language
– has sufficient empathy and
is able to listen carefully

18. National Assessment
A. The pre-fase (+/- half year):
1. Dedicated training-courses / shadow-judging
2. Filling in the applying portfolio;
B. The assessment:
1. Written analysis of 1 work
2. 2 Judging tests;
competition + education pieces
authentic context, as much as possible
3. Discussions within candidates group
Observed by the Assessment Committee
4. Candidates perform student’s interview
5. Candidates’ interview with the AC
Focus on not yet „proven“ competences
Valuing / commentating specific works

19. Applying Portfolio
• Backbone of the assessment system!
 For candidate: document to collect relevant proof for
attitudes and competences;
 For the AC: search and check-tool for evidence as well as
missing proof / points to look at;
• The structure of the applying portfolio has 3 main sections:
– Curriculum vitae of the candidate
– Statement of the candidate
– Competences possessed by the candidate
( this integrates attributes, analysing, valuing and commenting)
• Candidates often underestimate the time to fill in
the applying portfolio!! The filling in is not the
problem; the finding relevant evidence is!!!

20. Introduction meeting

21. Judging test

22. Candidates
discussion

23. Students’ interview

24. Interview with AC

25. AC assessment
Competences complete
ness
relevancy quality Yes Not
yet
The candidate possesses
the right attitudes for a
national certified judge in
floristry design
The candidate possesses
sufficient analysing tools
The candidate possesses
sufficient valuing tools
The candidate possesses
sufficient commenting
tools

26. Follow-up steps
• 2013: taskforce meeting for the development and
the set-up of an international assessment;
• First “pilot” in Brussels with an integrated national
/ international assessment.
• Continuation with the implementation in the 5
start-up countries.
• Transferring knowledge and skills regards the
national assessment to other countries, with
engagement of delegates of the actual partners
• Transferring the competences to execute such an
assessment to people in other countries

27. International Assessment
National Assessment
• Preferably in the English Language
Applying portfolio
Additional international parts
Assessing in authentic educational context
Document of proof to be added to applying portfolio
Judging in authentic competition context
Document of proof to be added to applying portfolio
Interview with Assessment Committee
• Preferably in connection to the competition judging part
• Focus on the international dimension & missing proof
• Unanimous decision by the Assessment Committee

28. The Brussels pilot
Intro meeting

29. The Brussels pilot
Intro meeting

30. The Brussels pilot
Judging test

31. The Brussels pilot
Students’ interview

32. The Brussels pilot
Candidates’ discussion

33. The Brussels pilot
Candidates’ interview

34. The Brussels pilot
Candidates’ interview

35. The Brussels pilot
The Graduates!

36. Roles and tasks
• Process (& candidates) coach(& team):
– Pre-fase coach: portfolio and all questions
– Assessment co-ordinator
– Facilities / lodging / catering etc.
• Official observer (auditor):
– Quality assessment and reporting to Florint
• Assessment committee members:
– 3 to 5: need to be certified AC-members
• AC candidate members:
– Assessed “on the job” by AC + auditor
• Guests and observers:
– For publicity and dissemination reasons

37. JudgCert status quo
• A detailed blueprint / format for an acknowledged system
for the assessment and certification of judges in floristry /
assessors in exams on (inter)national level.
• All necessary backing documents / instruments like
applying portfolio, checklists, analysing forms etc.
• 5 countries being busy to officially implement this system
in their country.
• Several countries shown their interest in implementing the
system
• a group of people having the capability / competences to
execute such an assessment, who are also able and willing
to assist and coach organisations in other countries with
the set-up and implementation of the system in their
country.

38. Status quo 5 countries
• Finland: 1st national assessment in 2013, 2nd one during
this weekend. Specific elements embedded in own
judges education.
• Germany: 1st national assessment March 2014; follow up
being in consideration.
• Norway: Specific elements embedded in own judges
education. 1st national assessment in preparation.
• UK: working on 1st national assessment as well as 2nd
international assessment in 2015.
• The Netherlands: 1st national assessment in preparation:
– January 20 / 21: training analysing
– April 8 / 9: training valuing
– April 22 / 23: training commentating
– July 8 tot 10: national assessment

39. Thanks!!
For listening!!