DAO policies: consolidated Defence Awarding Organisation guidance and documents

# What this page is and who maintains it

This GOV.UK page is the central repository for Defence Awarding Organisation (DAO) policies published by the Ministry of Defence. It collects the policies that govern DAO operations and assessment processes and provides downloadable PDFs for each policy.

# Policies and documents available

The page lists the following policy documents as current and downloadable:

• Appeals policy (PDF)
• Complaints policy (PDF)
• Conflict of interest policy (PDF)
• Equality and diversity policy (PDF)
• Internal quality assurance policy (PDF)
• Malpractice and maladministration policy (PDF)
• Reasonable adjustment policy (PDF)
• Recognition of prior learning (RPL) policy (PDF)
• Safeguarding policy (PDF)
• Sanctions policy (PDF)
• Special considerations policy (PDF)
• Whistleblowing policy (PDF)

Each document is presented with a file size and page count on the page, enabling quick download and local review.

# How to contact DAO

The page provides a single email contact for DAO administration: DEFAC-ManageDAO@modgovuk.onmicrosoft.com. This address replaces previously published addresses. If you need to speak with a member of the DAO team, the page instructs you to request a call by emailing this address.

# Recent updates and revision history

The page includes a visible chronological update log that records additions and updates. Notable entries include:

• 22 September 2026: Malpractice and maladministration policy updated.

• 7 April 2026: Conflict of interest policy updated.
• 11 March 2026: Multiple policies updated including complaints, conflict of interest, internal quality assurance, reasonable adjustment, safeguarding, sanctions, special considerations, and whistleblowing.
• Earlier entries (2020–2025) record additions such as the DAO qualification withdrawal policy, safeguarding policy, internal quality assurance policy, forms for appeals and reasonable adjustments, and the addition of equality and equal opportunities processes.

This history helps you track when a specific policy was last revised or added.

# Practical steps if you rely on DAO policies

• Download the specific PDFs listed on the page for the authoritative text you need (for appeals, conflicts of interest, malpractice, RPL, safeguarding, etc.).
• Note the contact email DEFAC-ManageDAO@modgovuk.onmicrosoft.com for queries, forms, or to request a call.
• Use the update log to confirm whether a policy was revised recently before acting on it.

# Related materials on GOV.UK

The page links to related DAO resources such as the DAO qualification handbooks and other Ministry of Defence policy and guidance pages. It also appears alongside other GOV.UK guidance pages on defence-related schemes and administrative processes.

# Who this is for

This page is intended for DAO centre staff, external organisations interacting with the DAO, awarding organisation personnel, and other stakeholders who need the current versions of DAO policies and forms.

# One-line summary

A maintained GOV.UK hub for downloading and checking the current suite of Defence Awarding Organisation policies with a single, updated contact email and a documented revision history.