Portfolio Criteria

In order to have your Diploma Portfolio assessed, the following criteria have to be met:

  1. You have completed at least one approved PDC-course and are registered as a Diploma Apprentice with the NPA. Your PDC-certificate does not have to be from the Nordic countries, but it needs to be verified by the Nordic Permaculture Academy.
  1. You have designed your Diploma Pathway You are able to show your path from your aims and objectives for getting the diploma, to how you have accomplished it.
  1. You have produced 10 designs (your Design portfolio), and demonstrated design skills which are up to required standard. And you are able to
    • Use permaculture ethics, principles and theory as appropriate to the situation.
    • Make accurate and appropriate use of intentional design processes and tools.
    • Show that you can produce designs that include land and social/economical aspects.
    • Create designs that are intelligible, coherent and effective.
    • Choose and produce appropriate presentation and documentation methods for your portfolio.
    • Demonstrate how your work relates to your personal diploma pathway.
    • Show 10 designs that are uniquely yours.
  1. You can show a list of Relevant Activities which demonstrate
    • how you have implemented permaculture in your life and work, since taking the PDC.
    • how changes you have made during the Diploma process, brings you closer to a regenerative lifestyle, in line with permaculture’s ethical framework.

    • how you have gained the appropriate experience in facilitating and teaching permaculture courses. After completing an approved PDC it is therefore advisable that you:
      • attend a Training of Trainers or course
      • shadow other permaculture teachers on their courses
      • try to facilitate PDC courses with other teachers.

If you plan on working as a permaculture design consultant it is advisable that you try to gain appropriate experience within this field of work. This can be done by

  • helping to design other people’s properties such as farms and gardens, or apply permaculture design to businesses or organizations.
  • apprenticing with an experienced designer.

Other relevant activities can be listed such as:

  • courses taken & courses taught
  • events attended/organized
  • LAND certification
  • articles, papers and books written, podcasts and films made.

All your training can be done within the Nordic countries but it is also possible to gain this experience outside the Nordic countries. To make it easier to assess your Diploma portfolio, we want a list of all appropriate Relevant Activities (training/experience) in chronological order.

  1. You are able to reflect on your permaculture practice and learn from it. You will be able to
    • Show how you evaluate the effectiveness of your design work.
    • Reflect on your use of permaculture theory and practice, including design processes, design tools and practical skills.
    • Show how your skills and understanding have developed since completing the PDC.
    • Document your reflexive process, describing your learning development through your 10 designs. 
    • Show a clear summary of how you meet all Permaculture Diploma Criteria as well as your own personal aims and objectives from your Diploma Pathway.

Last update: 16-05-2022