There are quite a few date rules to keep in mind when using eDofE, and it can be tricky to remember them all. To make things easier, we’ve pulled together a simple summary of the key rules, covering both the programme requirements and the system restrictions. Whether you're entering activities or approving them, this guide should help keep everything on track.
For more information on the DofE programme rules, refer to the DofE Leaders' Handbook. For help using eDofE, visit the eDofE Help Centre.
Programme Based Rules
Participant Age Rules
Participants can start their Bronze DofE programme when they are in the school year in which they turn 14
Participants can start their Silver DofE programme when they are in the school year in which they turn 15.
They must already be 16 before they can start their Gold DofE programme.
Participants can be enrolled up to 8 weeks prior to this but cannot start their sections until that date.
Within the DofE rules:
For England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the school year starts on September 1st
For Scotland, the school year starts on August 1st
Section Dates and Backdating
The section in a later Award level cannot have a section start date earlier than the section end date of the same section in a previous Award.
A section cannot be started if the same section at a previous Award level is not complete.
A section start date must be the enrolment date or later (subject to backdating rules)
A section start date must allow for completion of the section before the participant’s latest completion date.
Backdating:
One activity done before a young person starts their DofE programme could count towards the achievement of an Award, if it was done during the preceding three months. All activities must have been done in accordance with DofE programme principles, conditions, and age requirements.
How do you backdate on eDofE?
Bronze/Silver- the Leader will need to change the participant’s enrolment date (as long as the new date fits with the age rules), which would allow the participant to add the backdated section start date.
Gold, one section can be backdated to three months, and the enrolment doesn't need to be changed to facilitate this – eDofE will allow one section to be backdated to three months before the enrolment date as long as the participant was 16 at the time.
Section Completion Rules
- The section earliest completion date must have been reached
- The section end date must be equal to or before today’s date
- The section end date must be equal to or before the latest completion date
- The section end date cannot be before the section earliest completion date
- The section must have a submitted or approved piece of evidence marked as an Assessor’s report
- For direct approval, all mandatory data items including an Assessor’s report must be present in the section
- All Expedition section subsections must be approved or submitted
- For direct approval, all mandatory data items must be present in the subsections as well as an Assessor’s report
- The final section of a Gold Award cannot be submitted to the Leader for approval until the participant has completed their Gold Award Celebration application.
When all other sections are submitted or complete, a section cannot be directly approved unless the GAC form is complete.
System Based Rules
Add a level – has to meet DofE age rules, they must’ve completed at least one section of their previous level, and they must not have two incomplete levels.
Delete level - This appears if the eDofE Award Status is Not started AND the Award age is <= 14 days from creation
Abandon level - This appears for all adult users once Award age > 14 days OR Award Status New (Not started)
Earliest completion date - Until a participant actually signs into their account and starts their programme, the earliest completion date will default to today’s date + six months.
Once signed in, if the participant then puts in their correct start date (which can be backdated), the earliest completion date will readjust accordingly.
Expedition set up – each step must be completed in sequential date order & not clash with any previous levels
Evidence
Assessor’s Reports are never automatically deleted
On complete Awards, Text, Photo, and File evidence is to be auto-deleted 13 months after the Award’s final verification date
On incomplete Awards, Text, Photo, Video and File evidence is to be auto-deleted 13 months after the participant’s 25th birthday, or 13 months after their age extension date, whichever is later
Messages
Non-automated messages are to be auto-deleted for participants, 10 years after their highest level is completed, or 10 years after their 25th birthday or 10 years after their age extension, whichever is greater
For adults, 10/50 years after their last sign-in
GAC
Three months after the GAC event has taken place:
GAC guests’ and carers’ names are to be replaced by “XXXXX”.
GAC guests’ and carers’ addresses and emails are to be hard deleted.
GAC guests’ and carer’s information to be deleted / anonymised with a status of Attended, Cert by post and/or Completed
Log in
The user will be asked to refresh basic information after signing in if it has been 12 months since they last confirmed their information
Account status
If a user has not signed in for 9 months, then the account becomes inactive
Adults
An adult can only be unarchived if they have signed in during the last 2 years
An adult can only be moved if they have signed in during the last 2 years
eDofE Adult roles are auto archived 2 years after last sign in or, if still new, 2 years after created
All adults, including Training, Assessors, Tutor Directors, AAPs eDofE roles including primaries will have their User record and any User Role records updated to “Deleted” 10* years after their last interaction
Participants
Data retention - LO staff will see a reduced view of the participant's award details two years after a participant completes their highest award level OR two years after the last login date where a participant has not completed an award.
Leader recorded will cease to work for participant accounts that haven't been signed into by the adult or the participant for 2 years or more.
Participants will be auto archived a year after their maximum age. The year is to allow the approval of the completed Award
Participant accounts will be auto-archived when the participant reaches their 26th birthday
Participant accounts with an age extension will be auto-archived when the participant reaches their age extension date plus 1 year.