Ongoing professional development for Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrantsApplication for celebrant association conference to count towards Ongoing Professional Development

This form should be used by marriage celebrant associations to apply for their association conference to count towards the elective OPD requirements for Commonwealthregistered marriage celebrants.

An application must be received at least three months before the conference is scheduled to take place. You will be notified of the outcome of your application within 28 days of receipt of the completed application. If approved, the conference will be added to the list of approved activities on the department’s website and the associationcan indicate in advertising that its conference is an approved OPD activity in that OPD year.

A conference must be a face to face activity where participants are physically present at one specific location.

This form can be completed and submitted in hardcopy or scanned and emailed, together with the relevant attachments. Please attach additional pages if there is insufficient space in this form.

Send completed applications to:

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OPD Conference Applications

Marriage Law and Celebrants Section

Attorney-General’s Department

Robert Garran Offices

3 – 5 National Circuit

BARTON ACT 2600

Or

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Section 1 – Applicant details

Association Name
Contact Person
Position
Phone Number
Email
Alternative Contact Person
Position
Phone Number
Email

Section 2 – Conference details

2.1 – Conference details

Proposed time and date of conference
Proposed location of conference (include venue address)
Hours of OPD credit sought
(up to three hours)

2.2 – Proposed agenda

Attach the proposed agenda for the conference. Include details about the topics covered by any presentations or guest speakers at your conference.

Adult learning principles have been identified by celebrants and the department as an important feature of OPD. The department recommends that celebrant associations consider these principles when developing their conference agendas and programs.

2.3 – Presenters and guest speakers

Provide information about the qualifications and experience of presenters and guest speakers (for example, are the presenters marriage celebrants, subject matter experts, training providers or government officials? Do they have qualifications or relevant work experience in the subject area they will be presenting on?). Limit your response one page per presenter/guest speaker.

Name of presenter / Qualifications and experience

2.4 – Record keeping

Celebrant associations whose conferences are approved to count as elective OPD will be required to report to the department on which marriage celebrants attended the conference to obtain OPD credit. The organising celebrant association will be responsible for ensuring that participating celebrants only receive OPD credit if they have attended the duration of the relevant conference session.

How will you ensure that you keep an accurate record, for the purposes of OPD, of which celebrants attended the conference? (For example, will the record be created at the time of the conference? Will the record be backed-up? Where will the record be kept?) Please note that if your associationconference is approved as an elective OPD activity, we will send you a template for recording attendance for the purposes of OPD reporting.

Section 3 – Meeting OPD objectives and principles

In assessing your application the department will consider how your association conference will fulfil the objectives and principles of OPD.

3.1How will your association conference assist celebrants to keep up to date and informed about changes and issues relevant to their role as a marriage celebrant?

3.2 How will your association conferenceassist 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?

3.3 How will your association conferencebuild and strengthen celebrant networks to support and mentor each other and share ideas and experiences as a marriage celebrant?

3.4 How will your associationconferenceassist celebrants to be professional and reflect the important role marriage celebrants have in the community?

3.5 How will your association ensure that marriage celebrants receive value for money at your conference? Include information on how you will evaluate your conference and incorporate feedback to continually improve the services provided to celebrants at future conferences.

3.6 How will the delivery of your association conference use adult learning principles? For example, how will it be practical, relevant and draw on the life experiences and knowledge of participants?

Section 4 – Declaration

This declaration must be completed by the head of the celebrant association, however described. This declaration is made as a formal undertaking to the Australian Government AttorneyGeneral’s Department (the department).

Please print and complete by hand.Once signed, this may be scanned and submitted electronically.

I,

(name)

Of,

(organisation name)

certifythat the information provided in and with this application form is complete, true and accurate.

I agree that the celebrant association applying for approval in this application will, if successful in this application:

  • advise thedepartment of material changes to the details contained in this form
  • abide by the statements made in this form, and
  • provide the department with a report indicating which Commonwealthregistered marriage celebrants attend the conference to gain up to three hours of OPD credit.

Signature

Position / Title

Date

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