Frequently Asked Questions about the Expedition Assessment Voucher Process
Target audience: DofE Staff, DofE Managers, Centre Co-ordinators and Leaders as they administer the tool. This approach has been taken from the perspective of a Leader
Q) Why have Expedition Assessment Vouchers been introduced?
A) The Vouchers have been introduced to meet the growing cost of reimbursing the out of pocket expenses incurred by our volunteer Assessors, such as travel and car parking. The charges will also go some way to supporting the costs incurred by the Charity of administering the Expedition Assessor Networks
Q) What are Expedition Assessment Vouchers?
A) Expedition teams who want to use an accredited Assessor from one of the DofE Assessor networks for their wild country qualifying expedition (www.dofe.org/go/expeditionareas) must purchase an ‘Expedition
Assessment Voucher’. The voucher comes with an ID code which confirms that the payment is registered and valid. There are vouchers for each level: Bronze, Silver and Gold. This process exists manually today; we are simply automating the process and including the Gold level. Note: Vouchers have an expiry limit of two years from the date of purchase and refunds are not available after this time limit has been exceeded.
Q) We are using our own Assessor – do we need to pay for a voucher?
A) Expedition teams that are using their own Assessor (not requesting an Assessor from the Assessor network) do not pay for an Expedition Assessment Voucher.
Q) Who orders Expedition Assessment Vouchers?
A) Anyone can purchase vouchers from the online DofE shop (www.dofeshop.org) if they have a DofE shop account or a eDofE account. You can also order the vouchers directly from ASL Tel: 0131 553 5280 Fax: 0131 553 5776.
Q) How much do the vouchers cost?
A) Bronze: £30 per expedition team
Silver: £45 per expedition team
Gold: £60 per expedition team
Q) How do I receive the ‘ID code’ for a purchased voucher?
A) When you purchase a voucher from the online DofE shop, you will receive an order email confirmation to your main email address (located within your DofE shop account or in your eDofE account) and a separate e-mail which contains the ID code for each voucher purchased. If you contact ASL to purchase the vouchers then they will forward the voucher codes to your declared email address.
Q) What do I do if I do not receive the voucher ID code email?
A) Please check your e-mail address is saved and ticked as the main contact in your eDofE account, and then check the email has not been sent to another one of your addresses. If you cannot find the e-mail then contact your DofE Regional/Country Office.
Q) How do I use the Expedition Assessor Vouchers?
A) When you complete the Green Expedition Notification form and tick the box to request an accredited Assessor from the network, you provide the ID code in the relevant box which is sent to the Expedition Co-ordinator. The Expedition Co-ordinator will check the ID code is registered and valid. They will get back to you if they have questions and/or confirm that they have an Assessor ready for your expedition. DofE staff should keep a record of which expedition teams are using which Expedition Assessment Voucher ID code in a safe place.
Q) What happens if the Expedition is cancelled before it starts and I have already provided the ID code?
A) If the expedition is cancelled by yourself (for example: if the team size is below four people, or the travel arrangements to the wild country have fallen through) up to 48 hours before the start of the expedition you can apply to reuse the voucher. To do this, contact the Expedition Co-ordinator and request they release the voucher. This means you can reuse the voucher for an alternative expedition within the two year time period. Note: You must notify the Expedition Co-ordinator at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled start date.