DIRECTOR ACCREDITATION - a summary of the BFACT Guidelines
[see below]
by Rebecca Plush

Have you ever wondered how directors become directors? What the different levels of director mean? Well this article aims to answer these questions and more.

Director Levels

There are many levels of director and they can vary between states/territories. In the ACT the levels are:

BFACT is authorised to accredit everything up to and including State Director (Grade B). The ABF looks after the accreditation of the National Directors.

Accreditation

Different levels have different requirements as follows:

Maintaining Accreditation

Like everything, without practise we get rusty. BFACT will withdraw accreditation to directors if they do not direct any event for which they are qualified for a period of 10 years for Club, Congress and Championship directors or five years for a State director.

How Do I Begin?

The best and easiest way to start is to attend the annual Club Level Directors’ Course in May (or thereabouts) run by BFACT. The Congress Level course is also run annually, usually in September/October. BFACT subsidises these courses. After the course, you can take home the appropriate exam, complete it and return it to the course. The director will mark the exam and will let you know how you went and inform BFACT of those who pass.

For the Championship and State levels, I suggest you talk to your senior club director and/or club management about gaining the appropriate experience.

Certification of Bridge Directors in the ACT Region

Accreditation of Bridge Directors in the ACT Region

BFACT Guidelines

1. Objective of paper

To define the process whereby Bridge Directors in the ACT and Region are properly accredited to an appropriate level of qualification.

2. Management of Accreditation Process.

The BFACT Tournament Committee shall be the body responsible for organizing, delegating or coordinating any tasks required to update, maintain and record the accreditation status of all Bridge directors for the ACT and region.

The BFACT Tournament Committee submits recommended accreditation decisions to the BFACT council for official ratification.

3. Duties

The duties of the Tournament Committee regarding director accreditation shall include:

• Maintaining a register of certified directors in the ACT and region (This register to be lodged when updated with the BFACT Secretary);

• Organising the training and accreditation of new directors;

• Organising the training and accreditation of existing directors to higher levels of accreditation, and

• Reviewing the accreditation of existing directors.

3. Levels of Accreditation

BFACT is authorized to accredit persons as bridge directors to 4 levels:

• Club Level director (Grade D).

Competent to run any single session at club level.

• Congress director (Grade C1).

Minimum Requirement for directing Congress events.

• Championship director (Grade C2)

Normally senior directors at club level. Capable of running all major club events, and in a position to advise and assist less experienced directors in their club.

• State Director (Grade B)

Highest State level ranking, required to run events of a rating of B3 (Super Congress) or higher.

Other higher levels of accreditation are the responsibility of the ABF.

The requirements for new appointments to these levels are as follows:

• Club Level directors. Must have passed the NSW Grade D director exam.
• Congress directors. Must have passed the NSW Grade C exam, and must have evidence of having conducted (without assistance) at least 20 bridge sessions.
• Championship directors. Must meet all Congress Director requirements, and also be able to provide evidence of having assisted in or being tutored in the directing of an appropriate number of senior congress events.

As a guide, this will usually mean:


• 2 years as a Congress Director;
• Has directed a minimum of 25 Red Point Congress Events of 2 Sessions, or equivalent;
• Has directed sessions for at least 1 gold point Congress with favourable comments from the chief director of that Congress.

or

Attainment of qualifications outside the ACT which are assessed by the Tournament Committee as being equivalent to those specified above

or

Significant bridge directing experience which pre-dates the introduction of the accreditation process as assessed by the Tournament Committee, provided this was approved prior to 30 September 2005.

5. Withdrawal of Accreditation

The accreditation of a director will be withdrawn if:

The director does not direct any event for which the director is accredited for any continuous period as follows:

Club level directors - 10 years

Congress level directors - 10 years

Championship directors - 10 years; or

State level directors – 5 years

The Tournament Committee receives formal advice from an affiliated bridge club, the ABF or a State and Territory Association that the director has been the subject of disciplinary proceedings which found the person guilty of an offence relevant to his or her performance as a bridge director.

The Tournament Committee in withdrawing the accreditation of a director may specify conditions applying to the restoration of the accreditation.

Recommended Yearly Program

The standard work program for a year for the Tournament Committee is as follows:

• Include in BFACT/CBC Calendar the date(s) for Director’s course(s) on a weekend in following year
• Prepare for the BFACT Council a recommendation of a Bridge Director who is qualified to prepare and run these director’s courses, prepare and mark exams and report on results. Details below.
• Based on reports from the Director’s Courses (and any other submissions), recommend to the BFACT Council who should be accredited as Bridge Directors in the current year.
• On endorsement by the BFACT Council, update the BFACT register of accredited directors and circulate to all member clubs. Issue an appropriate certificate to all newly accredited directors.

6.  Director’s Course

Each year, BFACT will commission a senior Bridge Director to deliver an appropriate number of Director’s Courses (usually 1 per year), in accordance with an agreement specifying how these courses should be organized and what they should deliver. This agreement at a minimum should cover the following points for each course:

PUBLICITY

The Tournament Committee or their nominees will normally organize the publicity for the Director’s course. This involves (as a minimum) organizing flyers to each BFACT member club, a notice in the BFACT and CBC bulletins, and a notice on the notice board of the Deakin clubrooms, announcing the forthcoming course.

FEES

The BFACT Treasurer is to be involved in negotiating the fees to be included in the agreement with the proposed Director.

The agreement should define

• Fees the director is to earn for delivering this course and marking exam papers;
• Fees (if any) for providing the venue, and how any other expenses will be billed
• The fees attendees will be charged, for each part of the course
• The subsidy BFACT will provide per head, and
• What happens to any surplus/deficit of income over costs

COURSE CONTENT

There will be two courses provided, based on the NSW Grade D and Grade C exam requirements.

EXAMS

Examination papers will be provided to all participants, based on the 2 NSW exams, at the close of each course. All papers to be submitted to the Course Director, within 2 months of the course. All will be marked by the Course Director and the applicant informed of the result (and given appropriate feedback) within 1 month of the closing date for submission of papers.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

All participants to be informed of any other information they will be expected to know as formal directors above the basic course and rule book. To include, at least, Australian Bridge Directors Association contacts, ABF alerting regulations and ABF Systems regulations.

REPORTS/PAYMENTS

Payments to the Course Director may be, by agreement, in stages. For example one payment after each course is completed, and another after marking of papers is completed.

No payment is to be made to the commissioned director until a report is delivered listing details for each stage. The combined reports should eventually list all the following:

• All attendees (at each level)
• All who submitted an exam paper
• All who passed at the various levels.
• A statement that all those submitting exam papers were informed of their results, in writing, and given the opportunity to get appropriate feedback.

August 2007

Next course SUNDAY 26 OCTOBER 2008