Applying for assessor accreditation

Accredited assessor application process

To be eligible to become an accredited assessor there are specific requirements that need to be met. These are:

• relevant academic qualifications
• demonstrated relevant work experience
• demonstrated detailed flora technical skills
• complete accredited assessor training and assessments.

Further details regarding these specific requirements are below.

Academic qualifications

To become an accredited assessor, you require:

• relevant tertiary education in the natural sciences, including subjects relating to the observation and description of terrestrial biodiversity and landforms
• any other qualifications that the department’s Environment Agency Head deems relevant to exercising the role’s functions.

Relevant work experience

You must be able to demonstrate recent relevant work experience in environmental science, management or impacts assessment, or preparation of conservation management plans.

Your relevant work experience must include:

• conducting plant and animal surveys
• identifying plant community types
• identifying ecological communities.

You must have:

• at least 3 years of experience within the last 7 years if you hold relevant academic qualifications, or
• in any other case, at least 5 years of experience, of which 2 were gained within the last 7 years.

Demonstration of detailed flora technical skills

The Biodiversity Assessment Method requires an assessor to have a strong focus on botanical skills involving plots, quadrats and transects to sample species composition. This sampling is used to identify plant community types and ecological communities.

Assessor applicants should be aiming to demonstrate a reasonable level of recent relevant field work experience with a focus on detailed flora tasks.

As a guide, approximately 50 days (cumulatively) over the last 3 years of plant-based field work, involving plots, quadrats and transects to sample species composition, are considered reasonable. This is a guide only, and each application is considered individually and on its merits against the criteria. The figure is based on experience of previous assessors.

Applying for assessor accreditation

To apply for Biodiversity Assessment Method accreditation, you must:

• be able to demonstrate the necessary knowledge, skills, experience, academic qualifications and relevant work experience
• successfully complete the accredited assessor training course.

More Information about training can be found on the initial training to become accredited page.

When to apply for assessor accreditation

On successful completion of the training, you will receive an email outlining the process of how to apply for accreditation.

Your application must be submitted within 6 months of training completion via the Biodiversity Assessor Accreditation System.

How to apply for accreditation

Download the application form and complete all 6 parts:

1. Applicant details
2. Fit and proper person declaration
3. Biodiversity Assessment Method Assessor Code of Conduct
4. Biodiversity Assessment Method Assessor Experience and Qualification Report
5. Certified copies of academic transcripts
6. Two recent Biodiversity Assessment Method assessor referee reports

Download the application form (DOCX 137.23KB)

Fees

• An accreditation application fee must be paid when you submit your application.
• An accreditation term fee will be payable after your application has been assessed and approved.
• All fees can be paid via the Biodiversity Assessor Accreditation System portal.
• Access the current list of fees.

Continuing professional development

• In order to renew your accreditation at the end of your term, you will need to completed continuing professional development.
• Continuing professional development requirements are to carry out a similar level of field work to maintain your botanical skills after accreditation.
• You will also need to engage in all Biodiversity Assessment Method tasks including BAM-C calculations, writing biodiversity assessment report s, and attending Biodiversity Assessment Method-related events.

Please refer to the continuing professional development page and the Accredited Assessor Continuing Professional Development Log guideline.

Accreditation can be varied, cancelled or suspended

The accreditation scheme also allows the department to audit Biodiversity Assessment Reports and review application of the Biodiversity Assessment Method by accredited assessors.

For example, we may cancel or suspend accreditation where an audit establishes a failure to comply with the requirements of the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (NSW), the Biodiversity Conservation Regulation 2017 or the Biodiversity Assessment Method.