PD for Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrants – Paper June 2013 [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED] UNCLASSIFIED

Dear all

Ongoing professional development for Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrants

This e-mail is being sent on behalf of Peter Arnaudo, Assistant Secretary, Marriage and Intercountry Adoption Branch

Thank you to all who attended the OPD meeting in February this year. Your valuable input is greatly appreciated and has assisted us to develop a proposal for the future of OPD.

Please find enclosed a paper outlining a proposal for OPD content, design and delivery from 2014.

If you have any comments on the proposal, please let us know by 5 July 2013.

In addition to the OPD meeting participants, the paper is being provided to all celebrant associations.

Peter Arnaudo
Assistant Secretary | Marriage and Intercountry Adoption Branch
Access to Justice Division | Attorney General’s Department
T:  (02) 6141 3111 | F:  (02) 6141 3246

11/29938-02

Ongoing professional development for Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrants

This paper was developed following an OPD meeting held on 21 February 2013. The meeting comprised representatives of the Coalition of Celebrant Associations (CoCA), the panel of OPD providers (Gordon TAFE, AssentTECS and Australian Celebrations Training) and the department and was facilitated by an independent facilitator.

1.     Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to outline a proposal for OPD content, design and delivery from 2014 that will meet the key principles of OPD design and delivery identified during the meeting.

The department will put in place arrangements for the 2014 OPD year, including:

• seeking expressions of interest for potential providers of OPD to provide OPD in 2014 (expected from August 2014)
• establish new arrangements to assess association conferences and new OPD activities (expected from September 2014), and
• continue to consider other options to improve OPD from beyond 2014 (including options set out at Part 5 of this paper).

2. OPD Objectives (Why do OPD?)

The meeting participants identified the following objectives of OPD for Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrants:

• To assist celebrants to keep up to date and informed with developments and/or about changes and issues relevant to their role as a marriage celebrant.
• To assist celebrants to broaden their skills, improve their practices, enhance and refine their work as a practitioner and improve their confidence and personal fulfilment as a marriage celebrant.
• To assist celebrants to build and strengthen networks to support and mentor each other and share ideas/experiences as a marriage celebrant.
• To demonstrate a commitment to being professional and reflecting the important role marriage celebrants have in the Australian community.

3.     How will OPD be delivered?

The meeting participants also identified the following principles for OPD design, development and delivery:

• high quality, variety and relevant subject matter for activities providing flexibility for the diverse celebrant population
• choice for participants · adult learning principles · continuous improvement, including consultation with celebrants, and
• value for money. OPD activities must be accessible and delivered flexibly to meet the needs and circumstances of celebrants as a whole (including in classroom settings, by online or distance education).

OPD activities must also cater for the needs of Commonwealth-registered celebrants delivering religious marriage ceremonies on behalf of independent religious organisations.

4.     OPD in 2014

The Marriage Regulations 1963 state that marriage celebrants must complete five hours of OPD each year, with the Registrar able to determine compulsory activities.

For 2014, it is proposed that OPD requirements be made up of:

• A 2 hour compulsory activity written by AGD and delivered by approved providers, and
• At least 3 hours of elective activities from:
  • An elective activity approved by the AGD and delivered by an approved provider, and/or
  • Attending an association conference approved by the AGD.

Attachment A sets out the proposed process for approving OPD providers and activities.

5.     OPD beyond 2014

Other ideas on approaches to OPD have been raised but have not at this stage been implemented or considered in great detail by the department. These include:

• Association office bearers receive an exemption from elective OPD requirements
• Conference paper developers / authors / presenters receive an exemption from elective OPD requirements
• OPD trainers / activity developers receive an exemption from elective OPD requirements
• Units of the Certificate IV in Celebrancy count as OPD
• Removing the distinction between compulsory and elective OPD activities, and
• Review of requirements for trainers delivering OPD.

The department proposes to continue to monitor and review OPD with a view to ensure that OPD continues to meet OPD principles and objectives, be relevant for marriage celebrants and provide choice recognising the diversity of interests of marriage celebrants while remaining a simple system for celebrants to use.

These ideas (and any others that may be put forward) will be considered by the department during 2014.

Ongoing professional development for Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrants June 2013.