ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the syllabus and knowledge base of different coaching programmes. As coaching has gained momentum, a number of tensions have emerged with respect to the underpinning knowledge base and competencies of coaching practitioners and the legitimacy of the institutions and associations that accredit the growing number of coaching qualifications. A similar critique of the use of competency-based frameworks is present in a conceptual paper by Bachkirova and Lawton Smith that discusses a number of issues with competency-based approaches for assessing and accrediting coaches by Coaching Associations. The thinking behind these early coaching initiatives was to assist behavioural change and community cohesion. Coaching has become a global phenomenon more strategic governance issues are surfacing, providing this disparate and highly segmented service with fresh challenges and the need for higher order thinking.
