2010 Ongoing Professional Development

Future Ongoing Professional Development

As most marriage celebrants would be aware, the Department has been consulting marriage celebrant representative bodies, Ongoing Professional Development (OPD) providers and others about how OPD might best be managed in the future.  The preferred option discussed during the consultations was for a small panel of providers to provide OPD to all Commonwealth‑registered marriage celebrants.  The Department is pleased to advise of the following outcome to this process:

• Registered Training Organisations with Certificate IV in Celebrancy within their scope of registration will be invited to submit an Expression of Interest to develop and deliver OPD for all Commonwealth marriage celebrants
• OPD activities provided through this arrangement will fit within the framework of the Certificate IV in Celebrancy.  Click here to see information about the Attorney‑General’s approval of Certificate IV in Celebrancy as the mandatory minimum training requirement to become a marriage celebrant from February 2010
• this new OPD arrangement will take effect from 1 January 2010
• from 1 January 2010, the registration year will change so that it will then start on 1 January and finish on 31 December each year
• this website will publish information about your OPD obligations from now until 1 January 2010 and beyond.  It will also publish information about how to contact the panel of OPD providers once this is finalised. 

FAQs

Q1.  Will I still have to do five hours of Ongoing Professional Development each year?

A1.  Yes, you will still be obliged to do at least five hours of Ongoing Professional Development each registration year.  After 31 August 2009 the ‘registration year’ we refer to will become 1 January to 31 December. 

Q2.  How will I find out what Ongoing Professional Development I have to do each year?

A2.  You will find information on this website in the same way you have done over recent years. 

Q3.  How much will OPD cost?

A3.  The costs will be set by the OPD providers themselves.  You will be free to contact all the providers on the panel to discuss their fees.

Q4.  Will there still be compulsory activities and non-compulsory activities?

A4.  Yes.  For each of the next three years there will be a one‑hour compulsory activity.  The Department will arrange with the selected providers to deliver this activity.

Q5.  Will there be anything relevant to me if I conduct religious marriage ceremonies for non‑aligned religious organisations? 

A5.  Yes.  The Department and the selected OPD providers will work together to ensure there are appropriate activities available for all Commonwealth‑registered marriage celebrants, both those who conduct religious marriage ceremonies and those who conduct civil marriage ceremonies.

Q6.  I live in a regional area, not a city.  Will I still be able to do my OPD by distance education?

A6.  Yes.  The Department and the selected OPD providers will work together to ensure there are appropriate activities available to do face to face or via some form of distance education. 

Q7.  Will my Association still be able to organise a five-hour, face-to-face OPD session for me and other Association members?

A7.  If your Association’s office bearers wish to do this, they will need to contact the selected OPD providers and discuss their wishes with them. 

Q8.  Will I still have to put in an Annual Return at the end of this year advising what OPD I’ve done?  If so, when will this be due?

A8.  Yes, 31 October 2009.

Q9. Will I still have to put in an Annual Return after 1 January 2010?

A9.  No, after January 2010 you will no longer be obliged to submit an Annual Return to the Department each year.  The new arrangements mean the selected OPD providers will be advising the Department about OPD activities completed by celebrants. 

Q10.  What about the marriage statistics that I used to include on my Annual Return form?  Won’t the Department still need those?

A10.  The Department will make other arrangements if those are needed.  

Q11.  What if I’ve been a registered celebrant for some time but am planning on upgrading my skills by doing the Certificate IV in Celebrancy.  Can I have that count for my OPD?

A11.  Yes.  Working towards completing the Certificate IV in Celebrancy will count for a registered celebrant’s OPD.  Further information about this will be posted on this website shortly. 

Q12.  Will I still be able to apply for approval of an individual activity, as has been the case in the past?

A12.  No, this will not be possible under the new arrangements.  The Department and the selected OPD providers will work together to ensure there are interesting activities available for all Commonwealth‑registered marriage celebrants. 

Q13.  How can I provide feedback about these new OPD arrangements? 

A13.  The consultation period has now ended.  You will be able to provide feedback to the providers about the OPD you receive through a normal activity evaluation process.