Member Protection Information Officer (MPIO)

What is a Member Protection Information Officer?

A Member Protection Information Officer (MPIO) is responsible for providing information about a person’s rights, responsibilities and options to an individual making a complaint or raising a concern. MPIOs are generally impartial; they do not mediate or investigate complaints. They may reside in a club, the state association or a National Sporting Organisation (NSO). They can also be freelance (not linked directly to sport). Some states, such as South Australia and Victoria, require you to be nominated by your state sporting body prior to gaining certification.

What is the value of an MPIO to sport?

The MPIO can play a key role in ensuring your sport is safe, fair and inclusive. MPIOs do this through ensuring club people and administrators know their rights and responsibilities and ensuring policies that focus on member protection are being implemented. Such policies may include but are not limited to the complaints policy and procedures, child protection policies, harassment and discrimination policies.

“These courses will not only assist sport to manage and resolve member issues and concerns, its greatest value will be in the development of expertise that can promote and create a positive club/sport culture for current and future members” – Helen Szoke and Craig Martin, Play By the Rules co-chairs.

How to become a MPIO?

You can become a certified MPIO by taking the following steps:

Complete online course at any time. The course will take approximately four hours and you can pause and resume the course at any time.
Once the course is completed you will receive a completion certificate that includes your online certification number (you need to keep this).
Complete the face to face workshop and access the next course via the Play by the Rules website.
On completion of the face to face workshop you will receive your certification number. You will need both this number and your online certificate number to finally register as a MPIO and receive your certificate of recognition.