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Home / Assessor Commencement Guide

Assessor Commencement Guide (ACG) The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award – Australia (National Form)

Thank you for being an assessor for the Duke of Edinburghs International Award.

This document outlines your role and expectations, please give it a read to gain an understanding of what you are signing up to. 

Thank you again for being an assessor to our Duke of Ed Participants.

Overview Infomation

Assessors – Assessors are Volunteers who assist young people with their Duke of Edinburgh’sInternational Award (Duke of Ed). A Participant will need at least one Assessor for each Section of their Duke of Ed to help guide them through that Section.

Award Leaders – Adults appointed by an Award Unit (organisation delivering The Duke of Ed) who are responsible for running The Duke of Ed in that organisation.

Participants – Young people registered to participate in the Bronze, Silver or Gold level of The Duke of Ed

REMEMBER: Participants can ONLY commence a Duke of Ed Section activity AFTER their Award Leader has approved their Assessor for that Section. 

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SECTION 1- Student/Participant Information

Please provide us with details about the student/participant you are helping – whom you are assessing?
Student Name*

SECTION 2 – Assessor Information

Information for Assessors

Thank you for your consideration in becoming an Assessor for The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award (the Duke of Ed). Award Assessors play a crucial role in the success of the program.

The information below will assist you to understand the Duke of Ed Assessor role.

Note: Assessors cannot be immediate family members (ie parent or sibling)’.

Participants cannot commence a Duke of Ed Section activity until their Award Leader has confirmed the appointment of an appropriately skilled, experienced and/or qualified Assessor for that Section.

What is the Duke of Ed?

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is an individual challenge that encourages young people between the ages of 14 and 25 years, to become involved in a balanced, non-competitive program of voluntary activities, which assists personal discovery and growth.

There are three levels of the Award (Bronze, Silver and Gold) and there are four Sections that must be completed for a young person to qualify for an Award:

  • Skill

  • Service

  • Physical Recreation

  • Adventurous Journeys

  • Residential Project (an additional Section at Gold level)

The activities for Skill, Service and Physical Recreation need to be undertaken by the Participant on a regular basis. Regular commitment is at least one (1) hour per week, two (2) hours per two week period or four (4) hours per four week period. This participation is over a minimum period of 3, 6, 12 or 18 months depending on the Participant’s level and choice of “major” Section, and the Participant should clarify this requirement with you.

Who is an Award Assessor?

Assessors are suitably skilled, experienced and/or qualified volunteers who assist with, and assess, an activity being undertaken for a Section of a Participant’s Duke of Ed Award. An Assessor can assess more than one Participant, and they may also be qualified to assess across multiple activities and/or Sections. An Assessor may be required to meet certification or qualification requirements if their activity is bound by a State/Territory or National accreditation requirement. Please note that an Award Leader can also be an Assessor.

What are the Roles and Responsibilities of an Assessor?

Assessor Roles and Responsibilities are listed below. If you are willing to act as an Assessor you will be asked to agree to these below.

  1. Be suitably experienced and/or qualified in the activity in which you are assessing.

  2. Meet the Child Protection Legislation requirements in your State/Territory.

  3. Agree to the Duke of Ed Volunteer Code of Conduct before undertaking any assessment (this can be found at www.dukeofed.com.au under Assessor resources).

  4. Be approved by the Duke of Ed Award Leader and therefore the Award Unit prior to the Participant commencing the activity with you as their Assessor.

  5. Understand the relevant Duke of Ed requirements for the Section you are assessing.

  6. Assist the Participant to identify and set achievable goals for the Section you are assessing and to develop a program to reach their goals.

  7. Help the Participant to stay focused on the goals they have set.

  8. Ensure the Participant undertakes Section activity substantially in their own time.

  9. Encourage and recognise improvements in the Participant and record positive comments about the Participant’s progress.

  10. Write a report at the completion of the Section activity, and sign off the Participant’s records to verify they have achieved the requirements of the Duke of Ed.

  11. Undertake your role as an Assessor in a safe work environment. This includes: taking reasonable care for your own health and safety; that your conduct does not adversely affect the health and safety of others; that you comply with any reasonable instructions relating to health and safety; and that you cooperate with any reasonable policy or procedure relating to health and safety that applies to you, your colleagues, people you are supervising or who are considered to be in your care.

These Assessor Roles and Responsibilities can also be found in part 2.2.2 of The Duke of Edinburgh’s InternationalAward – Australia Handbook [The Handbook] (see: dukeofed.com.au/resource/handbook) and can also be viewed at:dukeofed.com.au/resource/assessor-roles-and-responsibilites.

Is there Award insurance?

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award – Australia provides secondary public liability and personal injury insurance covering almost all Duke of Ed activities. As a bona fide Volunteer you may have some coverage under this insurance. Claims can be made against this insurance for any amounts not covered or only partially covered under the Award Units policy.

If you’d like more information regarding this insurance please refer to: dukeofed.com.au/resources/insurance.

How can I provide a safe environment for children?

Providing opportunities for young people to complete their Duke of Ed is very rewarding. Participants require a safe and non-threatening environment.

You need to ensure that all Volunteers/staff involved with the Participant are aware that they must conduct themselves appropriately with young people at all times.

Assessors are required to report any allegations of incidents concerning a young person to the Award Leader at the earliest convenience. Award Participants are expected to comply with the organisation’s safety requirements and procedures and not to act in a any way to jeopardise the safety of themselves or others within the activity environment.

How can I meet my State or Territory’s Child Protection requirements?

Child Protection requirements and processes differ from organisation and state to state. Please check relevant State/Territory/Organisation’s current Child Protection procedures.


The Participant’s Award Leader must ensure that all the Participant’s Assessors have met the appropriate requirements for Child Protection before Assessors undertake Duke of Ed activities with them.

How do I complete my Assessor’s Report?

The Participant will provide you with a Section summary to enable you to complete your Assessors Report/Signoff after they have met the time requirements for their Section.

What are the next steps?
Please read the Volunteer Code of Conduct (section 3 below), then complete the Volunteer Details and Agreements

Ensure you meet the relevant Working with Children documentation in your State/Territory.

Many thanks in anticipation of your assistance

Please upload the signed version of the assessor commencement guide that the participant will have emailed you.

SECTION 3(A) – Volunteer Code of Conduct

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award – Australia (‘the Award’), deems a Volunteer to be anyone over 18 years old, who assists with the Award, whether in a paid or unpaid capacity. This includes all Award Leaders, Assessors and supervisors.

The Volunteer Code of Conduct outlines the standard of behaviour and obligations agreed to by the Volunteer. Signing and adhering to the code is a requirement of all Volunteers.

In consideration of the Award Unit, YouthAdvance, approving me as an Award Leader/Assessor/supervisor/volunteer in relation to The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, I undertake that I will:

  1. Comply with and exercise due care in carrying out my Roles and Responsibilities (as outlined in Section 2 of the Award Handbook, available at dukeofed.com.au/Handbook).
  2. Comply at all times with the requirements of the Award and with all applicable laws relevant to fulfilling my obligations to the Award.
  3. Comply with the Key Principles of the Award (as outlined in the Award Handbook).
  4. Undertake training and meet accreditation requirements, as appropriate.
  5. Undertake to provide assessment for the Award only in areas where I am suitably qualified and/or experienced.

    6. Safeguarding Young People

  6. Meet all applicable Child Protection Legislation requirements in my State/Territory, and follow any supervisory ratios stipulated by my own organisation (and those responsible for any specific Award activity).
  7. Take any allegations or concerns of abuse seriously and immediately follow the reporting process in use within the organization. Never trivalise abuse, or let allegations, suspicions, or concerns about abuse go unreported.
  8. Provide a safe environment by not harming youth or adults in any way, whether through discrimination, favouritism, sexual harassment, physical force, verbal or mental abuse, neglect, or other harmful actions.
  9. Ensure young people and adults are aware of my organisation’s safeguarding arrangements to keep people from harm and abuse.
  10. Recognise and personally acknowledge the position of power or influence I may have when working with young people and other adults, and never abuse this position by forming an inappropriate relationship with a child, young person or vulnerable adult.
  11. Promote an environment where young people are valued and encouraged to talk about any concerns they may have, and challenge attitudes or behaviours they do not like.

    12. People and Culture

  12. Respect the privacy of persons served by the Award and hold, in confidence, sensitive, private and personal information collected in relation to the Award in accordance with the Privacy Policy of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award – Australia [ACN 114 269 195] (National Award Authority) and the law (reports of child abuse or neglect will be handled under the relevant State/Territory legislation).
  13. Undertake my role in a safe work environment. This includes: taking reasonable care for my own health and safety; ensuring that my conduct does not adversely affect the health and safety of others; compliance with any reasonable instructions relating to health and safety; and cooperation with any reasonable policy or procedure relating to health and safety that applies to me, my colleagues, people I am supervising or who are considered to be in my care.
  14. Follow through and complete agreed tasks and commitments.
  15. Conduct myself in a respectful manner, exhibit good conduct and be a positive role model by setting an example for all to follow. This includes displaying respect and courtesy for Participants of the Award, other volunteers, staff, contractors and property.
  16. Work cooperatively as a team member with employees of the Award and other volunteers.

    17. Representations and Media

  17. Represent the Award with professionalism, dignity and pride, and be responsible for conducting myself with courtesy and appropriate behaviour.
  18. Immediately advise the aforementioned Award Centre of any matter of which I am involved that has or could lead to criminal conviction. Advise the Award Unit of any officer or employee of the Award Unit; or any Award Leader/Assessor/supervisor/volunteer involved in the management and/or delivery of the Award, who I believe has acted in a way which may be detrimental to the good name of the Award.
  19. Copy and distribute Award materials only for the purposes of the Award and immediately stop use of all materials once my involvement with the Award ends.
  20. Not use those materials in any way which would bring the Award, Award Centre, Award Operating Authority or the National Award Authority into disrepute.
  21. Ensure that any improvements, developments, or new versions of the materials, including new materials I create based on or incorporating them, belong to the National Award Authority and I assign all rights, including intellectual property rights in them, to the National Award
  22. Ensure that any documents, collateral, website pages or other items that utilise the international logo meet all requirements of the NAO Australia Branding Guidelines, and is compliant with the requirements of the International Brand and Style Guidelines (available from the National Award Authority).
  23. Ensure that all new materials utilising the Award logo which contain interpretive content** regarding the Award has been approved by the National Award Operator prior to being circulated. A copy of all such materials will be retained by the National Award Operator for reference purposes.
Please fill in the following questions about YOU – the assessor:
Assessor Name*
I agree to the following:*
DD slash MM slash YYYY
Information for Queensland only: Privacy Statement: Your personal information will not be used for any other purpose or disclosed to any other party unless we have your consent or it is required by law. Your personal information is collected and managed in accordance with the Privacy Principles described in the Schedule 3 of the Information Privacy Act 2009 and, if applicable, in accordance with section 426 of the Education (General Provisions) Act 2006. You can access your own personal information by contacting the Queensland Award Operating Authority. By completing this form, I give my consent for the Department of Education to collect and store my personal information which may be used for the purposes outlined above. Blue Card: Under the Working with Children (Risk Management and Screening) Act 2000 people working with children under 18 years of age in certain categories of business or employment must undergo the Working with Children Check. The Working with Children Check (blue card system) applies to employees or volunteers associated with The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award program. Employers and businesses providing regulated child-related services are also required to have a child and youth risk management strategy in place to protect children and young people from harm. For more information on whether you are required to hold a blue card or develop and implement a child and youth risk management strategy, please visit the Blue Card Services website at www.qld.gov.au/bluecard or call Blue Card Services on 1800 113 611 (free call). You can also read the fact sheet for The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award at https://www.publications.qld.gov.au/dataset/blue-card-system-changes/resource/5963ee66-8a39-4aac-aa1c-2e9368da0f6f. Note: If you have applied for your blue/exemption card through another organisation you are required to link to the Award Centre. To find out how to do this, visit the Blue Card Services website: www.bluecard.qld.gov/au.

SECTION 3(B) – Working With Children Information

Assessors Name*
Working With Children Information
Please provide us with your Working With Children Check information relevant to your State or Territory;
As it appears on your Working with Children Document
DD slash MM slash YYYY
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.