Overview & Scope
This documentation defines the shared scaffolding for all work conducted under the banner of the Institute for Adult Development. It is intended for:
- Regional hub leads and affiliated institutes.
- Accredited coaches, leaders, educators, and therapists using CDT.
- Researchers and Academic Practitioners engaged in CDT-related inquiry.
The goal is to ensure that, regardless of country or context, practice aligned with the Institute:
- Honours the developmental nature of awareness and thinking.
- Uses Constructed Development Theory responsibly and accurately.
- Maintains clear ethical standards and transparent governance.
Ethics & Professional Conduct
All practitioners operating under the Institute’s name commit to an awareness-based ethical stance. Ethics are not treated as a checklist but as an active, developmental responsibility grounded in self-reflection and Dynamic Intelligence.
2.1 Core Ethical Principles
- Respect for developmental position: honouring where clients, students, and organisations are, without coercive “stage-pushing”.
- Informed consent: clarity about methods, developmental assessments, and potential implications of CDT-based work.
- Confidentiality & data care: responsible handling of profiles, assessments, and research data.
- Non-exploitation: no use of developmental profiling to manipulate, shame, or undermine autonomy.
- Reflexive practice: maintaining an ongoing self-inquiry into one’s own Awareness Quotient and Cognitive Intentions.
2.2 Misuse of CDT & AQ/TQ
CDT provides powerful lenses for understanding cognition and awareness. Misapplication can cause harm. The following uses are explicitly discouraged or prohibited:
- Using AQ/TQ as fixed labels or as a basis for exclusion or elitism.
- Presenting developmental scores as “personality types”.
- Deploying CDT language to bypass accountability (“my CIs made me do it”).
Certification Pathways
Certification is designed to reflect developmental capacity, not just course completion. Specific programme structures may vary by region, but the following global scaffolding applies.
Demonstrates understanding of CDT basics, Awareness Quotient, and core Cognitive Intentions. Works primarily at AQ4–AQ5 contexts with appropriate supervision.
Applies CDT live in coaching, teaching, or leadership contexts, with evidence of vertical development work and AQ-informed interventions.
Capable of supervising others’ CDT practice, holding complex developmental dynamics, and contributing to local training delivery or research.
Contributes to theory-building, research, or large-scale implementation. Often involved in designing new programmes, instruments, or Institute frameworks.
3.1 Minimum Requirements (Illustrative)
Each pathway will typically specify minimum hours of practice, supervised work, and developmental reflection. For example:
- Foundational: introductory course + applied practice + reflective assignment.
- Developmental: live casework using AQ/TQ + supervision + assessment of Dynamic Intelligence.
- Senior/Master: evidence of systemic impact, research, or programme leadership.
Regional hubs may implement additional local requirements, but the global intent is to ensure that certification indicates authentic developmental capacity, not simply exposure to content.
Governance & Regional Hubs
The Institute operates a hub-and-spoke model. The global HQ maintains the core frameworks, whereas regional hubs adapt implementation to their context while remaining aligned to shared principles.
4.1 Roles & Responsibilities
- Global HQ: stewards CDT, maintains global documentation, and approves new regional hubs.
- Regional Hubs: deliver local programmes, ensure ethical conduct, and maintain quality control.
- Affiliated Practitioners: agree to use CDT language and tools in line with these standards.
4.2 Use of Brand & Naming
“Institute for Adult Development” and associated visual identities should be used in ways that:
- Clearly differentiate global HQ from local or independent activities.
- Avoid suggesting endorsement where no formal agreement exists.
- Respect local legal requirements around naming, certification, and education.
CDT Frameworks Referenced
Institute documentation assumes familiarity with core Constructed Development Theory frameworks. Where these are used in formal documentation, they should be referenced consistently.
5.1 Core Constructs
- Awareness Quotient (AQ): a measure of dynamic awareness in the moment.
- Thinking Quotient (TQ): a measure of cognitive complexity and construction.
- Cognitive Intentions (CIs): the underlying heuristics shaping how thinking is constructed.
- Dynamic Intelligence (DI): the live process of moving from Intention to Response with awareness.
5.2 Pillars & Process Models
- CAIR / IACR: Intention, Awareness, Choice, Response as a live developmental loop.
- Teaching Styles (TQᴱ): developmental profiles of Academic Practitioners.
- Next-Level Coaching: CDT-based developmental coaching methodology.
When referencing these frameworks in local materials, please include a brief note such as:
“This programme is based on Constructed Development Theory (CDT) as developed by Dr Darren Stevens and the Institute for Adult Development.”