PRESS RELEASE: NEW CERTIFICATION TOOL BRINGS BENCHMARKING RIGOR TO ENGAGEMENT PRACTICE

Australia and New Zealand | 10 October 2025 – A new certification tool launched today by the Engagement Institute is set to transform how government agencies and industry partners assess, improve and demonstrate the quality of their engagement.

EngageMark, the first certification and maturity assessment tool for the engagement sector developed by the sector, will allow organisations to benchmark their engagement capability and maturity against contemporary best practice – and receive independent recognition for their efforts.

The tool is designed for use across government, infrastructure, consulting and corporate sectors – particularly those working on complex or high-impact public initiatives. It is expected to become a powerful marker of credibility in bids for public contracts, regulatory settings, and funding applications.

Marion Short, CEO of the Engagement Institute, has been a driving force behind EngageMark’s development and launch.
“Engagement has never been more important – or more scrutinised. EngageMark is about lifting the floor and the ceiling. We’re providing a structured way for organisations to move from transactional consultation to transformational engagement – and show they’re doing it well,” Short says.

“EngageMark brings the same rigour to engagement that tools like the IS Rating or B Corp certification bring to sustainability and social impact. It allows organisations to see where they’re excelling, where the gaps are, and how to move forward with purpose.

“The certification process is designed to be accessible for organisations at all levels of maturity, with a clear pathway for improvement even for those not yet ready for formal certification,” she says.
The assessment considers engagement maturity across nine key elements: Culture, Governance, Leadership, Capability, Resourcing, Practice, Relationships, Impact, and First Nations. These are grounded in principles of Respect, Influence, Impact, Cohesion and Inclusion.

In practical terms, EngageMark is an online, three-level process:
1. Free quiz – a quick pulse check of the first 2 practice areas, Culture and Governance.
2. Organisation self-assessment – a deep dive across all 9 practice areas.
3. Certification – apply for a formal review requiring documented evidence from the applicant. Assessment is conducted by a licensed assessor who awards a Bronze, Silver or Gold rating – or a Did Not Meet.

Organisations that meet certification thresholds are added to a public register of certified engagement organisations, with results valid for three years.
Developed in Australia by the Engagement Institute, the tool was co-designed with a panel of expert practitioners and sector Fellows, alongside strategic IT partner Sharpen Advisory.
For more information about the tool, visit www.engagementinstitute.org.au/engagemark

Media contact:
Marion Short
Chief Executive Officer
Engagement Institute
0420 427 497 | [email protected]