CoCA has attempted to highlight problems with its role in “monitoring” the OPD program previously with the Department. CoCA has had no part in the selection of OPD providers nor activities, nor in gaining access to any of the feedback and evaluation information that the OPD providers themselves have. This makes it difficult for CoCA to play any meaningful role, even though as the peak body CoCA is in a key position to play a much more active role in approval and monitoring of OPD. CoCA’s position is that:

• The current OPD system is neither cost effective, nor efficient
• 10,000 adults have 10,000 different adult learners needs, and as such 10,000 OPD plans are needed. 
• Australia has a very competent tertiary education system that has lots of resources that celebrants can access.
• There will always be complaints about an OPD system that does not provide the widest possible range of choice for celebrants
• As adults, professional celebrants should be able to choose OPD to meet their individual needs, providing the approved OPD activities  meet the Knowledge, Skills, Values Clarification and Support required to be a modern Professional Civil Marriage Celebrant.

The CoCA’s February Submission argued a phase in of a new Approval and Monitoring System by 2016, but believe that such a new system could be phased in much sooner than that. CoCA has provided the Department with more details on such a system recently.

See Appendix 3.

Such a change to a more flexible system would mean all current OPD activities would be automatically approved, and as such the existing OPD providers would be able to deliver those OPD options without further work on the MLCS’s part.

It is also believed that the new Celebrant Website Portal will provide an independent feedback loop to access the suitability of the OPD sessions approved under a new system.

RECOMMENDATION 5:

CoCA strongly recommends

1. The establishment of AGD_CoCA Joint Standing Committee for OPD Approval and Monitoring
2. A simple and clear set of Guidelines for Approvals of OPD activities
3. An Application and Monitoring Process that requires minimal support and supervision from the MLCS, and allows the MLCS to concentrate on ensuring all marriage celebrants are up-to-date with their OPD obligations.

Later in 2012, CoCA presented a more detailed response to proposal -for opd from 2014.