Early Neutral Evaluation Certificate Programme

This intensive two-day certification programme equips you with the practical skills to conduct credible, effective ENEs across commercial, workplace, and legal settings. You'll learn how to break negotiation deadlock, inform strategic decision-making, and help parties avoid costly litigation.

Resolve

Programme Outcomes

Early Neutral Evaluation is a flexible, non-binding process where an impartial expert assesses the facts, legal merits, or procedural aspects of a dispute early in its lifecycle.

  • Differentiate your practice
    Stand out with formal certification from the organisation that has trained over 10,000 neutrals worldwide in 70+ countries. 
  • Expand your professional services
    Add a valuable evaluative process to complement your mediation, arbitration, or legal advisory work. ENE fills a critical gap between facilitative mediation and binding arbitration.
  • Break deadlock with confidence
    Learn proven techniques for conducting evaluations that help disputing parties move forward when negotiations have stalled. Your assessment can be the catalyst that unlocks settlement.
  • Reduce time and costs for clients
    Master how to provide realistic outcome assessments early in disputes, helping clients make informed decisions before litigation costs escalate.
  • Gain practical, not just theoretical, skills
    This isn't a lecture-based course. You'll conduct evaluations, receive expert feedback, and leave with immediately applicable skills tested in realistic scenarios.

What skills will I learn?

  • The different investigative and evaluative processes and when to use them
  • The evaluator's various roles and how to maintain impartiality
  • A practical framework for structuring your ENE process
  • How to prepare effectively for evaluations
  • Running processes with and without hearings
  • Techniques for assessing evidence, legal arguments, and procedural issues
  • Drafting clear, credible evaluations that inform decision-making
  • Ethical considerations and maintaining neutrality

Who should attend this training?

You're an ideal candidate if you:

  • Already conduct informal case evaluations and want to formalise your approach with certification
  • Have mediation or arbitration experience and want to add ENE to your service portfolio
  • Work in sectors where early evaluation is becoming standard practice (healthcare disputes, financial services complaints, construction adjudication, family business succession)
  • Advise clients on litigation strategy and want enhanced skills for providing early case assessments
  • Want to distinguish your CV with internationally recognised certification from CEDR

This programme particularly appeals to:

  • Mediators and arbitrators seeking additional training in evaluative dispute resolution processes
  • Lawyers currently providing informal evaluations who want certification to enhance their professional profile
  • Sector specialists in healthcare, financial services, or family businesses where ENE is increasingly used as a preliminary resolution step
  • In-house counsel and dispute resolution managers who oversee conflict management within organisations

The training works best for professionals with existing knowledge of dispute resolution principles, though formal qualifications in mediation or arbitration are not required.

What is Early Neutral Evaluation?

Early Neutral Evaluation is a flexible, non-binding process where an impartial expert assesses the facts, legal merits, or procedural aspects of a dispute early in its lifecycle. It can:

  • Break deadlock in litigation or negotiation, enabling settlement
  • Provide a realistic view of outcomes, including addressing the wishes of the parties
  • Inform strategy and reduce time/costs
  • Support better decision-making

Course Programme:

Pre-course Preparation

You'll be sent pre-course reading in advance of the course taking place. 

1

Day 1: Foundations | 08:30-18:00

  • An overview of different investigative and evaluative processes and how these differ from other forms of dispute resolution
  • The different roles of a Neutral in ENE
  • A framework for ENE and the variety of process options
  • How to prepare for an ENE
  • Understand running a process (with and without hearings)
  • Practice using different skills in this context
2

Day 2: Putting into practice | 08:30-18:00

  • Learn how to assess/evaluate in a commercial dispute
  • Practice assessing (as a neutral) using a detailed case
  • Experience being a participant in ENE through roleplaying

Post-Course

As part of the certification process you will be required to draft an evaluation and demonstrate the development of your self-reflection.

Meet The People Behind Our Services

At CEDR, our trainers and facilitators aren't academics teaching theory from textbooks - they're seasoned practitioners who apply these skills in high-stakes environments every single day. From resolving multi-billion pound commercial disputes to defusing hostage crises, our team of over 50 expert mediators across 20 countries represent the pinnacle of real-world conflict expertise. 

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CEDR Trainers

99% of attendees rate the faculty's teaching style as excellent.

The difference between CEDR training and other programmes comes down to one principle: our trainers teach what they practice every day. As the most experienced body of mediation trainers globally, CEDR has refined adult learning techniques over 35 years to ensure engaging, practical training throughout.

Every member of CEDR's training faculty maintains an active professional practice. They're not teaching from outdated case studies or textbook theories - they're sharing techniques they used last week, challenges they navigated last month, and emerging trends they're seeing right now.

Your Progress After CEDR's Training

Trainers

Deliver Effective Evaluations with Proven Methodology

You will have built the confidence to conduct ENE in diverse disputes - from straightforward cases to complex, multi-party evaluations. Plus, have gained hands-on experience with the full range of process options and developed your own methodology for delivering assessments that achieve early resolution and prevent costly litigation.

Trusted by individuals and global brands

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After Certification: Continued Support and Connection to CEDR

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MyCEDR Membership

  • Exclusive access to six masterclasses per year and various in-person events
  • Observe an actual CEDR mediation*
  • Access to MyCEDR resources, including exclusive articles
  • Discounts and priority booking for CEDR advanced training seminars and events

Everything You Need to Know Before You Book

Can I attend this training if I have no mediation experience?

The training works best for professionals with existing knowledge of dispute resolution principles, though formal qualifications in mediation or arbitration are not required.

What's included in the course fee?

Expert instruction and feedback
Two full days of intensive training led by experienced practitioners who regularly conduct ENEs across commercial and workplace disputes. You'll receive personalised feedback on your evaluation technique, with trainers observing your practice sessions and providing actionable guidance.

Comprehensive course materials
Pre-course preparation materials to ensure you arrive ready to engage fully with practical exercises, plus all training materials and case studies used throughout the programme.

Do I pay VAT if I'm an international participant?

Do I need to pay VAT on my course booking?

The VAT treatment of your booking depends on a number of factors, including whether you are attending on behalf of a business or as an individual, the type of course selected and where the course is delivered.

Business attendees

If you are attending as part of your current work, profession or business activities, please select the business attendee option when booking.

You may be asked to provide basic business information, such as your organisation's name and business contact details, so that we can apply the correct VAT treatment to your booking.

Individual attendees

If you are attending for personal interest, personal development or future employment opportunities, please select the individual attendee option when booking. For most courses supplied by CEDR Services Ltd, UK VAT will apply to individual attendees.

How do I ensure my booking reflects the correct VAT treatment?

Please ensure that all information provided during the booking process is accurate and complete, including your country, organisation details (where applicable) and attendee status.

Where additional review is required, your booking request may be referred to our team before it is finalised. We will contact you if we need any further information.

Will I receive a VAT invoice?

Yes. All participants will receive an invoice. The invoice will reflect the VAT treatment applicable to your booking.

Need help?

If you are unsure which option applies to you, please contact us at training@cedr.com before completing your booking and a member of the team will be happy to assist.