Frequently asked questions - information for referees

You have been approached because either:

• Someone nominating someone for recognition in the Order of Australia has named you as a referee; or
• A case officer undertaking research on a nomination has identified you as someone qualified to comment on the person and/or their service.

Referees are a vital part of the Order of Australia research process. Their views help provide valuable information about the impact of someone’s contributions, their roles and suitability for recognition.  Referees could range from peers, industry experts and people that know the person, to representatives of organisations where the person has worked or volunteered.

In most cases you will receive an email that includes a link to a webform, which will guide you through the process of submitting your comments. If you have difficulty registering for the portal or logging on, please refer to this guide for assistance. 

In addition to confirming your details, you will be asked the following:

• Do you know the nominee?
• Are you able to comment on this nomination?

You will then be asked to comment on the nominee’s contributions. When preparing your response, it is helpful to address the following questions:

• In what capacity do you know the nominee?
• What is your position/association with the nominee?
• Do you support the nomination?
• Do you have additional comments? (specific details of their service and achievements, dates, etc.)

Please answer these to the best of your ability. We understand that you may not be aware of every detail - please share what you know.  It is not necessary to state what level of award you believe the nomination should result in, as this is determined by the Council.

You can also contact us at any time if you have any questions about the process.

Most commonly you will be emailed a request for comment with a link and information to the Australian Honours system online secure portal. If you have difficulty logging on and registering for the portal, please refer to this guide for assistance.

Your name and comments are accessible to members of the Australian Honours and Awards Secretariat and the Council for the Order of Australia.

Comments are used by the Council to help decide whether a nomination should result in an award and, if so, at what level.

Neither the identity of referees from whom comment was sought nor the content of any comments are shared with either the nominator or the nominee.

If the person you have been asked to be a referee for is not an Australian citizen or permanent resident, the nomination will be forwarded to the Honours and Symbols Section of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) for consideration as an honorary appointment or award in the Order of Australia.  For privacy reasons, your comments will not be provided to PM&C, however your name and contact details will be, as they may wish to contact you to confirm your support, or otherwise, for the nomination.

If you have any concerns about confidentiality or privacy of the information you wish to provide, please contact us and we may be able to provide an alternative method of sharing your information with the Council.  Please also refer to our privacy statement.

Even if you only know the individual by reputation or professional association, your knowledge, no matter how limited, can still be valuable to the research process.

If you don’t know the person or their work at all, there is an option to indicate this in the webform.

If you intend gathering information on the nominee before providing a response, please ensure they are not made aware of their nomination.

There are fields in the webform where you can provide the details of someone who you feel might be better placed to be a referee. For example, we will often write to the CEO or Chair of an organisation, but there may be a department or unit head who would be better placed to provide a comment. If you provide this advice, the better-placed individual will then be contacted directly if necessary.

The email includes timelines and deadlines for the submission of referee comments. These deadlines enable us to prepare documentation for the Council for the Order of Australia.

If you are unable to meet the deadline, please contact us.

Yes. If the deadline for comment we provide is not feasible, just contact us and we’ll work with you to confirm another date.

The Secretariat follows up on referee requests. This can be through email or over the phone. It is preferred that you provide a response (even if it is to say you’re unable or unwilling to provide a comment).

A response can be as detailed or as brief as you like as long as it fits within the 5000 character limit set in the webform.

Comments which are to the point and make it clear whether and why you support the nomination (or not) are best. It is helpful to provide comment on what you know about the nominee and their service and achievements in preference to more anecdotal feedback.

No.

The nomination you have been asked to comment on will not necessarily be considered for the next honours list.  Referee comments are one aspect of the research process and are often sought months in advance of a nomination’s consideration date.

While we respect the decision not to provide comment, it is as important for the Council for the Order of Australia to know why a person should not be recognised as it is for them to know why they should be. If you do not support the nomination, we encourage you to say so, and a simple clarification or explanation of why. For example, you might feel that a person’s contributions aren’t worthy of recognition. You may also know something about the person that could bring disrepute to the Order of Australia should an award be granted.

Whether you support the nomination or not, any information you can share is useful.

Privacy is respected in all circumstances.

Referee comments are still required for nominees who have passed away.  Deceased persons cannot be nominated for recognition through the Order of Australia. However, if they died after the nomination was received by the Secretariat they are still eligible to receive recognition.