Affiliated Membership

This membership was created to support and encourage organisations delivering lower-level outdoor activities with a cost-effective pathway to qualify entry-level instructors and guides. It is specifically designed for teams operating at the NZOIA Leader level — often composed of volunteers, seasonal staff, or part-time workers who frequently transition in and out of the organisation. Affiliated Membership ensures continuity by making the organisation itself the member. As the member, the organisation is responsible for overseeing and managing their NZOIA Leader team members under their safety management plan, ensuring ongoing compliance and professional development. It enables organisations to train entry-level instructors and guides, setting them up for long-term success. It also serves as a stepping stone to NZOIA 1 qualifications as instructors gain experience and become more independent.

Affiliated Membership is for outdoor activity operators who:

• rely on a skilled pool of entry-level instructors or guides
• have instructors or guides operating unsupervised under a safety management plan
• have (or are going to have) a staff or volunteer team of 3 or more

*Note: Instructors and guides who have NZOIA 1 or 2 qualifications must maintain individual Registered Membership due to the scope of their qualification. They can still be linked to your Affiliated Membership so you can see their qualification status, however their Registered Membership needs to be paid separately.

• Outdoor activity operator registers online under one of the three pricing tiers depending on how many guides or instructors they have
• Training and Assessment needs get discussed and scheduled
• Guides and Instructors become qualified
• Every four years, guides and instructors revalidate their qualifications
• Guides and Instructors with a NZOIA 1 qualification can apply to be a NZOIA Leader Assessor

Getting Qualified

Leader Assessments can be delivered through the Free Range Assessment model or with assistance from NZOIA under the Custom Assessment model.

A Free Range Assessment is when the operators liaise directly with a NZOIA Assessor. They negotiate the fee, time and location with the assessor. To find out more about how to set up a Free Range assessment click here.

A Custom Course on the other hand is where the operator approaches NZOIA with the number of team members they would like to qualify and NZOIA will liaise with the assessor/s and organise logistics for the course. This is the preferred option for those wanting to qualify more than eight team members at once. To find out more about how to set up a Custom Assessment click here.

The Membership and Registration year runs from 1 July to 30 June.

*NEW Members who join from April expire June the following year. Jan - Mar 50% off Annual Affiliated membership fee. 

The tiered pricing structure is dependent on the number of staff who already hold current Leader qualification(s) and those who will be assessed within the membership year.

What happens when your instructors and guides change from season to season? 

Operators can manage the team members on their Affiliated Membership by adding new team members when they arrive, or taking them off when they leave. If the number of team members exceeds the limit on their Affiliated Membership, outdoor operators can upgrade to the next tier. 

What benefits do I get as an Affiliated Member?

• The NZOIA magazine ‘The Quarterly’
• The weekly newsletter ‘NZOIA 4YA’
• Access to discounts on publications and products stocked by NZOIA
• Access to discounted Training Courses
• The right to apply to be an NZOIA Assessor/Trainer
• Registered qualifications assist the audit process
• Use of the NZOIA logo

As an employer with Affiliated Membership, what do I need to ensure?

• When instructors/guides depart, you let NZOIA know, so we can remove them from your Affiliated Membership and send them information about retaining and revalidating their qualification by becoming an individual member.

When instructors/guides leave, what options do they have to retain their qualification?

They can either become registered under another outdoor operators Affiliated Membership or register as an individual member with NZOIA.

Is there any funding available that you know of for getting staff or volunteers NZOIA qualified?

Depending on what type of business/organisation you are, there are community groups who offer support for things like assessment fees. It is a matter of approaching your local groups i.e. Lions Foundation and Rotary Clubs to see how to apply for these types of grants. NZOIA is happy to write letters of support for your application.

I work for an outdoor provider that I think would benefit from Affiliated Membership. Are there ways that staff and employers can share the cost?

Yes, it is possible to share the cost of membership and assessment fees. This is something that would need to be negotiated with your employer.

Why can't NZOIA 1 & 2 Registered Members come under an organisation's Affiliated Membership?

NZOIA Affiliated Membership was created to support and encourage organisations delivering lower-level outdoor activities with a cost-effective pathway to qualify entry-level instructors and guides. It is specifically designed for teams operating at the NZOIA Leader level — often composed of volunteers, seasonal staff, or part-time workers who frequently transition in and out of the organisation. Affiliated Membership ensures continuity by making the organisation itself the member. As the member, the organisation is responsible for overseeing and managing their NZOIA Leader team members under their safety management plan, ensuring ongoing compliance and professional development. It enables organisations to train entry-level instructors and guides, setting them up for long-term success. It also serves as a stepping stone to NZOIA 1 qualifications as instructors gain experience and become more independent.

Unlike NZOIA Leader qualifications, NZOIA 1 & 2 holders can operate independently. These levels are advanced qualifications which grant instructors greater scope of practice, increased responsibility, and higher earning potential, distinguishing them from entry-level instructors and guides. NZOIA 1 & 2 holders must uphold the higher professional standards required for their qualifications through individual membership and registration, as well as ongoing professional development.

Beyond professional integrity, the registration income from individual members plays a crucial role in maintaining the NZOIA qualification scheme—ensuring it remains fit for purpose, financially viable, and aligned with industry good practice.

For organisations with experienced instructors and guides, individual registration ensures that your team remains industry-recognised and professionally qualified through an independent body, allowing them to deliver high-quality, safe outdoor experiences while upholding the standards that set NZOIA qualifications apart.