It’s a big effort to organize a testing event. Things easily may slip your mind. Here’s a checklist for organizing a successful IRO testing event.

It’s a big effort to organize a testing event. Things easily may slip your mind. Here’s a checklist for organizing a successful IRO testing event.

Planning & Organization

• Make sure to collect phone numbers and emails of participants when they apply.
• Create a social media group (Whatsapp, Telegram, Facebook etc.) and add everyone.
  • Make regular updates about the events.
  • Ensure that every update and announcement is also written in English.
  • Of course everyone can use Google Translate but as the organizer it’s a good deed to provide translated announcements.

Hosting the judge(s)

• Ask them about food allergies.
• Ask them about medical conditions, drug allergies and whether there are any medicines that they take every day or on a routine basis.
• Make sure they have contact info of people from the organization in case they need anything.
• Provide decent and clean toilet arrangement in nose work and obedience/dexterity areas.
  • Make sure there soap or hand sanitizers and paper towels.

Timetable

• If you plan to determine the order by drawing lots then prepare the papers and drawing bag.
• Create a spreadsheet (Microsoft Excel document) and share it with participants.

Educating helpers

• Make sure the translator knows the IRO testing terms and concepts.
  • It would be good if the translator reads the testing rules PDF before the testing day.
  • If that’s a lot to ask then an experienced dog handler should summarize the concepts to the translator.
• Make sure victims and testing helpers reads the related page: Responsibilities of helpers in tests