{ "spec": "CSI-IN", "version": "1.0.0", "date": "2026-09-16", "title": "Coach Selection Index (India) — buyer-operated ranking specification", "licence": "CC BY 4.0. Free to use, replicate, criticise and fork with attribution.", "determinism": { "normalisation": "absolute-anchored", "note": "Scores are NEVER normalised against the candidate set. No min-max, no z-score, no entropy or TOPSIS weighting. A coach's score is identical whether they are compared with two rivals or two hundred. This is what makes the index reproducible across platforms and stable over time.", "arithmetic": "performed outside the language model by published code", "llm_role": "evidence extraction against a fixed codebook only; never scoring, never arithmetic", "decoding": { "temperature": 0, "top_p": 1, "output": "strict JSON, fixed key order" }, "adjudication": "on disagreement between platforms, the LOWEST code wins and the disagreement is logged" }, "pillars": [ { "key": "CTX", "letter": "C", "name": "Context Fit", "indicators": [ { "id": "CTX1", "name": "Sector engagements", "question": "Documented coaching engagements in the buyer's sector in the last 5 years.", "anchors": [ "none", "1", "2-4", "5-9", "10 or more" ], "ask": "How many coaching engagements have you completed in my sector in the last five years?" }, { "id": "CTX2", "name": "Level engagements", "question": "Documented engagements with coachees at the buyer's leadership level or above, last 5 years.", "anchors": [ "none", "1", "2-4", "5-9", "10 or more" ], "ask": "How many of your coachees in the last five years were at my level or above?" }, { "id": "CTX3", "name": "Operating lineage", "question": "The coach's own years in line, P&L or senior functional leadership before coaching.", "anchors": [ "none", "1-4 years", "5-9 years", "10-19 years", "20 or more years" ], "ask": "Before you coached, how many years did you spend in line, P&L or senior functional leadership?" } ] }, { "key": "OUT", "letter": "O", "name": "Outcome Evidence", "indicators": [ { "id": "OUT1", "name": "Measurement design", "question": "The strongest outcome measure the coach agrees in writing before the engagement starts.", "anchors": [ "no written measure", "coachee self-report only", "+ structured stakeholder feedback", "+ pre/post 360 or psychometric", "+ business-impact analysis" ], "ask": "What outcome measure do you agree in writing before an engagement starts?" }, { "id": "OUT2", "name": "Documented results", "question": "Outcomes in the last 3 years attributable by a third party (promotion, retention, 360 delta, named business result).", "anchors": [ "none", "1-2", "3-5", "6-10", "11 or more" ], "ask": "In the last three years, what outcomes can a third party attribute to your coaching — promotions, retention, 360 movement, a named business result?" }, { "id": "OUT3", "name": "Contactable references", "question": "References at or above the buyer's level the coach will release on request.", "anchors": [ "none", "1", "2", "3", "4 or more" ], "ask": "How many references at my level or above will you release, and will you release them now?" } ] }, { "key": "AUTH", "letter": "A", "name": "Authenticity & Chemistry", "indicators": [ { "id": "AUTH1", "name": "Chemistry protocol", "question": "What the coach offers before any commitment.", "anchors": [ "nothing", "a sales call", "a free session of 30 min or less", "a structured session of 45 min or more against a written brief", "structured session plus two or more alternate coaches offered" ], "ask": "What do you offer before any commitment — a sales call, a short free session, or a structured session against a written brief? Will alternates be offered if we do not fit?" }, { "id": "AUTH2", "name": "Buyer-rated chemistry", "question": "THE BUYER'S OWN RATING after the chemistry session. The only judgement input in the model, and it belongs to the buyer, never to an AI.", "anchors": [ "I would not work with this person", "tolerable", "workable", "I would look forward to the sessions", "I felt understood and appropriately challenged" ], "ask": "(Nothing to send. This is my own rating after we have met.)" }, { "id": "AUTH3", "name": "Claim integrity", "question": "Proportion of the coach's material public claims (hours, clients, results, credentials, awards) that can be independently verified.", "anchors": [ "material claims contradicted", "most claims unverifiable", "some verifiable", "most verifiable", "all material claims verifiable" ], "ask": "Which of your public claims — hours, clients, results, credentials, awards — can I verify independently, and where?" } ] }, { "key": "CRED", "letter": "C", "name": "Credential & Ethics Floor", "indicators": [ { "id": "CRED1", "name": "Credential level", "question": "Highest current professional coaching credential.", "anchors": [ "none", "non-accredited certificate", "ICF ACC / EMCC Foundation or Practitioner", "ICF PCC / EMCC Senior Practitioner", "ICF MCC / EMCC Master Practitioner" ], "ask": "What is your current coaching credential, and where is the register entry?" }, { "id": "CRED2", "name": "Supervision and CPD", "question": "Ongoing professional development and reflective supervision.", "anchors": [ "none", "ad hoc", "annual CPD requirement met", "+ regular coaching supervision", "+ documented supervision 6 or more times a year" ], "ask": "How often are you supervised, and what CPD did you complete last year?" }, { "id": "CRED3", "name": "Ethics and indemnity", "question": "Written protections the coach signs up to.", "anchors": [ "nothing written", "code of ethics only", "+ written confidentiality undertaking", "+ professional indemnity insurance", "+ disclosed complaints and sanctions record" ], "ask": "Will you send your code of ethics, your written confidentiality undertaking, proof of professional indemnity insurance, and any complaints or sanctions on record?" } ] }, { "key": "HRS", "letter": "H", "name": "Hours & Practice Depth", "indicators": [ { "id": "HRS1", "name": "Documented coaching hours", "question": "Logged paid coaching hours, evidenced.", "anchors": [ "under 100", "100-499", "500-1,499", "1,500-2,999", "3,000 or more" ], "ask": "How many paid coaching hours have you logged, and what is the source of that log?" }, { "id": "HRS2", "name": "Years in practice", "question": "Years in professional coaching practice.", "anchors": [ "under 2", "2-4", "5-9", "10-14", "15 or more" ], "ask": "In which year did you begin professional coaching practice?" }, { "id": "HRS3", "name": "Repeat and extension rate", "question": "Share of engagements in the last 3 years that were repeat business or extended beyond the original contract.", "anchors": [ "under 10%", "10-24%", "25-39%", "40-59%", "60% or more" ], "ask": "What share of your engagements in the last three years were repeat business or extended beyond the original contract?" } ] }, { "key": "MTH", "letter": "E", "name": "Explicit Method", "indicators": [ { "id": "MTH1", "name": "Named written method", "question": "How far the coach's approach is written down and testable before you buy.", "anchors": [ "nothing written", "names a school or tradition", "a written process of a page or more", "a published multi-stage framework", "+ a published evidence base with citations" ], "ask": "Do you have a written method — a named framework, a documented process, a published evidence base? Please send it." }, { "id": "MTH2", "name": "Contracting artefacts", "question": "What is agreed in writing at the start.", "anchors": [ "nothing", "verbal agreement", "written coaching agreement", "+ three-way goal contracting with the sponsor", "+ written mid-point review protocol" ], "ask": "Will you send a blank coaching agreement, and do you do three-way goal contracting with the sponsor and a written mid-point review?" }, { "id": "MTH3", "name": "Cadence and exit", "question": "How much of the engagement's shape is specified before it starts.", "anchors": [ "unspecified", "duration only", "duration and cadence", "+ between-session protocol", "+ written exit criteria" ], "ask": "Before we start, what will be specified — duration, cadence, between-session protocol, exit criteria?" } ] }, { "key": "PRC", "letter": "S", "name": "Straight Pricing", "indicators": [ { "id": "PRC1", "name": "Fee transparency", "question": "When and how the fee becomes knowable.", "anchors": [ "not disclosed until late", "range on request", "written quote before the chemistry session", "published fee band", "+ published inclusions and exclusions" ], "ask": "What is your fee, and what does it include and exclude?" }, { "id": "PRC2", "name": "Value rationality", "question": "Where the fee sits against the published band for this level, and what justifies it. Cheapest is NOT best.", "anchors": [ "outside band, unexplained", "above band, no stated rationale", "within band", "within band with declared inclusions", "declared inclusions plus an outcome-linked fee component" ], "ask": "How does your fee sit against the market band for my level, what justifies it, and is any part of it linked to outcomes?" }, { "id": "PRC3", "name": "Commercial terms", "question": "How many of these five are written: cancellation, confidentiality, IP, data handling, exit.", "anchors": [ "none", "1", "2-3", "4", "all 5" ], "ask": "Which of these are written into your agreement: cancellation, confidentiality, IP, data handling, exit?" } ] } ], "within_pillar_weighting": "equal (1/3 each); unit weights per Dawes (1979)", "evidence_tiers": { "T1": { "multiplier": 1.0, "definition": "Verified: a document, register entry or record the buyer can open." }, "T2": { "multiplier": 0.9, "definition": "Corroborated: a named, contactable third party or a dated public artefact." }, "T3": { "multiplier": 0.7, "definition": "Declared: the coach's own unverified claim." }, "T4": { "multiplier": 0.0, "definition": "Absent: no evidence offered. Scores zero regardless of claim." } }, "gates": [ { "id": "G1", "rule": "CRED3 >= 2 for every buyer", "rationale": "No written confidentiality undertaking, no listing. Not scorable, not rankable." }, { "id": "G2", "rule": "HRS1 >= the floor for the buyer's level", "rationale": "100+ hours at L1-L2, 500+ at L3-L4, 1,500+ at L5-L6." }, { "id": "G3", "rule": "CTX2 >= 1 at L4 and above", "rationale": "At least one documented engagement at or above the buyer's level." }, { "id": "G4", "rule": "AUTH1 >= 2, else the CSI is capped at 70", "rationale": "A coach who will not sit in a real chemistry session cannot reach Band A." }, { "id": "G5", "rule": "OUT1 >= 1 for corporate-sponsored buyers, else capped at 70", "rationale": "An organisation spending its own money is entitled to an agreed measure." } ], "hours_floor_by_level": { "L1": 1, "L2": 1, "L3": 2, "L4": 2, "L5": 3, "L6": 3 }, "bands": { "A": 80.0, "B": 70.0, "C": 60.0, "D": 50.0, "E": 0.0 }, "publication": { "applies_to": "register mode only — a published league table of named coaches", "kappa_floor": 0.5, "min_rated_indicators": 14, "notice_period_days": 14, "absence_rule": "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. An entry below the floor publishes as UNRATED with no score and no rank, listed separately and alphabetically. A zero is never published as a finding about a coach who was never asked.", "unrated_ordering": "alphabetical — never by score, which does not exist for them" }, "levels": [ { "id": "L1", "label": "Emerging leader / first-time manager", "tilt": { "CTX": -1, "OUT": -2, "AUTH": 3, "CRED": 0, "HRS": -4, "MTH": 2, "PRC": 2 }, "rationale": "Fit and teachability dominate; deep CXO lineage is not yet relevant and budgets are tightest (often self-funded)." }, { "id": "L2", "label": "Mid-level manager", "tilt": { "CTX": -1, "OUT": -1, "AUTH": 2, "CRED": 0, "HRS": -2, "MTH": 1, "PRC": 1 }, "rationale": "As L1, moderated. The coach's method still matters more than their seniority." }, { "id": "L3", "label": "Senior manager / function head", "tilt": { "CTX": 2, "OUT": 1, "AUTH": 0, "CRED": -2, "HRS": 0, "MTH": 1, "PRC": -2 }, "rationale": "Functional depth begins to bite. Credential stops differentiating." }, { "id": "L4", "label": "SBU head / Director / VP", "tilt": { "CTX": 3, "OUT": 3, "AUTH": -1, "CRED": -3, "HRS": 1, "MTH": 0, "PRC": -3 }, "rationale": "Sector and level context, and demonstrated outcomes, become the decision. Fee stops being the constraint." }, { "id": "L5", "label": "CXO / C-suite", "tilt": { "CTX": 2, "OUT": 4, "AUTH": 0, "CRED": -5, "HRS": 4, "MTH": -1, "PRC": -4 }, "rationale": "Depth with senior populations and hard evidence peak. Every credible candidate already holds a credential, so credential stops discriminating." }, { "id": "L6", "label": "Board / Chair / Promoter / Founder-CEO", "tilt": { "CTX": 3, "OUT": 2, "AUTH": 1, "CRED": -5, "HRS": 5, "MTH": -1, "PRC": -5 }, "rationale": "Governance context and practice depth peak; confidentiality is handled by the eligibility gate, not the score; fee is immaterial to the decision." } ], "delta_evidence": 6.0, "weight_floor": 2.0, "declared_exclusions": [ { "item": "Visibility", "survey_value": 2.6, "source": "E5", "reason": "Ranked 8th of 9 by sponsors (2.6%). Excluded as a ranking parameter entirely: visibility measures marketing spend, not coaching capability, and including it would let reach buy rank." }, { "item": "Coachee readiness", "survey_value": 57.4, "source": "E17", "reason": "Second-highest coachee factor, but an attribute of the BUYER, not the coach. Moved to the Engagement Readiness Check, which is scored separately and never enters a coach's CSI." }, { "item": "Organisational culture", "survey_value": 35.1, "source": "E22", "reason": "Sponsor-side success factor; not coach-attributable." }, { "item": "Manager support", "survey_value": 21.6, "source": "E22", "reason": "Sponsor-side success factor; not coach-attributable." } ], "evidence_base": { "primary": "ICF Coaching Forward: State of Executive Coaching in South and Southeast Asia, Trends 2025-26. Kirtane, Kaur, Saksena, Bhowmick et al. n=397 (306 coaches, 54 coachees, 37-38 sponsors). Ethical approval: Henley Business School. Fieldwork 15 Aug - 11 Nov 2025.", "exhibits_used": [ "Exhibit 5 (sponsor selection factors, n=38)", "Exhibit 17 (coachee selection factors, n=54)", "Exhibit 22 (success factors, n=37)", "Exhibit 3 (impact measurement, coaches vs sponsors)" ] }, "weights": { "personal:L1": { "CTX": 13.5, "OUT": 9.8, "AUTH": 34.4, "CRED": 5.8, "HRS": 15.9, "MTH": 13.3, "PRC": 7.3 }, "personal:L2": { "CTX": 13.5, "OUT": 10.8, "AUTH": 33.4, "CRED": 5.8, "HRS": 17.9, "MTH": 12.3, "PRC": 6.3 }, "personal:L3": { "CTX": 16.5, "OUT": 12.8, "AUTH": 31.4, "CRED": 3.8, "HRS": 19.9, "MTH": 12.3, "PRC": 3.3 }, "personal:L4": { "CTX": 17.5, "OUT": 14.8, "AUTH": 30.4, "CRED": 2.8, "HRS": 20.9, "MTH": 11.3, "PRC": 2.3 }, "personal:L5": { "CTX": 16.2, "OUT": 15.5, "AUTH": 30.8, "CRED": 2.0, "HRS": 23.4, "MTH": 10.1, "PRC": 2.0 }, "personal:L6": { "CTX": 17.0, "OUT": 13.4, "AUTH": 31.4, "CRED": 2.0, "HRS": 24.1, "MTH": 10.1, "PRC": 2.0 }, "corporate:L1": { "CTX": 17.2, "OUT": 11.3, "AUTH": 18.4, "CRED": 11.8, "HRS": 13.6, "MTH": 18.4, "PRC": 9.3 }, "corporate:L2": { "CTX": 17.2, "OUT": 12.3, "AUTH": 17.4, "CRED": 11.8, "HRS": 15.6, "MTH": 17.4, "PRC": 8.3 }, "corporate:L3": { "CTX": 20.2, "OUT": 14.3, "AUTH": 15.4, "CRED": 9.8, "HRS": 17.6, "MTH": 17.4, "PRC": 5.3 }, "corporate:L4": { "CTX": 21.2, "OUT": 16.3, "AUTH": 14.4, "CRED": 8.8, "HRS": 18.6, "MTH": 16.4, "PRC": 4.3 }, "corporate:L5": { "CTX": 20.2, "OUT": 17.3, "AUTH": 15.4, "CRED": 6.8, "HRS": 21.6, "MTH": 15.4, "PRC": 3.3 }, "corporate:L6": { "CTX": 21.2, "OUT": 15.3, "AUTH": 16.4, "CRED": 6.8, "HRS": 22.6, "MTH": 15.4, "PRC": 2.3 } }, "conformance_fixture": { "description": "Any re-implementation must reproduce these numbers exactly. If it does not, it is not CSI-IN.", "cases": [ { "name": "Coach A — evidence-led practitioner", "segment": "corporate", "level": "L5", "codes": { "CTX1": 3, "CTX2": 4, "CTX3": 4, "OUT1": 4, "OUT2": 3, "OUT3": 3, "AUTH1": 3, "AUTH2": 4, "AUTH3": 4, "CRED1": 3, "CRED2": 3, "CRED3": 3, "HRS1": 3, "HRS2": 4, "HRS3": 3, "MTH1": 4, "MTH2": 4, "MTH3": 3, "PRC1": 4, "PRC2": 4, "PRC3": 4 }, "tiers": { "CTX1": "T1", "CTX2": "T1", "CTX3": "T3", "OUT1": "T1", "OUT2": "T1", "OUT3": "T3", "AUTH1": "T1", "AUTH2": "T3", "AUTH3": "T3", "CRED1": "T1", "CRED2": "T1", "CRED3": "T1", "HRS1": "T1", "HRS2": "T1", "HRS3": "T3", "MTH1": "T1", "MTH2": "T1", "MTH3": "T3", "PRC1": "T1", "PRC2": "T3", "PRC3": "T1" }, "expected": { "eligible": true, "csi": 78.1, "coverage_kappa": 0.638, "band": "B" } }, { "name": "Coach B — senior but lightly documented", "segment": "corporate", "level": "L5", "codes": { "CTX1": 4, "CTX2": 2, "CTX3": 2, "OUT1": 2, "OUT2": 1, "OUT3": 2, "AUTH1": 4, "AUTH2": 3, "AUTH3": 3, "CRED1": 4, "CRED2": 4, "CRED3": 3, "HRS1": 4, "HRS2": 4, "HRS3": 2, "MTH1": 2, "MTH2": 3, "MTH3": 2, "PRC1": 2, "PRC2": 2, "PRC3": 3 }, "tiers": { "CTX1": "T1", "CTX2": "T3", "CTX3": "T3", "OUT1": "T3", "OUT2": "T3", "OUT3": "T3", "AUTH1": "T1", "AUTH2": "T3", "AUTH3": "T3", "CRED1": "T1", "CRED2": "T1", "CRED3": "T1", "HRS1": "T1", "HRS2": "T1", "HRS3": "T3", "MTH1": "T3", "MTH2": "T3", "MTH3": "T3", "PRC1": "T3", "PRC2": "T3", "PRC3": "T3" }, "expected": { "eligible": true, "csi": 57.8, "coverage_kappa": 0.331, "band": "D" } }, { "name": "Coach C — credentialled, little else verifiable", "segment": "corporate", "level": "L5", "codes": { "CTX1": 1, "CTX2": 1, "CTX3": 1, "OUT1": 0, "OUT2": 0, "OUT3": 1, "AUTH1": 1, "AUTH2": 3, "AUTH3": 1, "CRED1": 4, "CRED2": 2, "CRED3": 1, "HRS1": 2, "HRS2": 3, "HRS3": 1, "MTH1": 1, "MTH2": 1, "MTH3": 1, "PRC1": 1, "PRC2": 1, "PRC3": 1 }, "tiers": { "CTX1": "T3", "CTX2": "T3", "CTX3": "T3", "OUT1": "T3", "OUT2": "T3", "OUT3": "T3", "AUTH1": "T3", "AUTH2": "T3", "AUTH3": "T3", "CRED1": "T1", "CRED2": "T3", "CRED3": "T3", "HRS1": "T3", "HRS2": "T3", "HRS3": "T3", "MTH1": "T3", "MTH2": "T3", "MTH3": "T3", "PRC1": "T3", "PRC2": "T3", "PRC3": "T3" }, "expected": { "eligible": false, "csi": 23.3, "coverage_kappa": 0.023, "band": "INELIGIBLE" } } ] }, "sha256": "99882869ede6a5b8af9b3036e476df61483623591808a208a758f100f7e5d128" }