ASQA has released a report on the outcomes of the third phase of research to co-design with the VET sector, a working model for self-assurance.
The co-designed working model
The co-designed working model for self-assurance (see Figure 1) provides a framework for providers to identify systems and practices to monitor quality and compliance. Providers can then use these to support continuous improvement against the Standards.
The model has four elements:
- leadership and governance
- student engagement and support
- industry and community engagement
- staff capability and development.
Monitoring quality and compliance against these four elements supports:
- effective training and assessment delivery
- quality outcomes and achievement.
These elements and outcomes, the diagram of the working model, and the definition of self-assurance below were all developed with and for the sector, through a co-design process supported by our partners ORIMA Research.
A working definition of self-assurance
Self-assurance refers to how providers manage their operations to ensure a focus on quality, continuous improvement and ongoing compliance with the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 (the Standards).
Under a self-assurance model, quality and continuous improvement are shared responsibilities through the different roles of individual providers, sector leaders and the national regulator.
It involves providers having systems in place to critically examine their performance against the Standards and training outcomes, on an ongoing basis, to meet obligations and to identify ways to continuously improve outcomes.
We are grateful to the many providers and VET stakeholders who contributed to the co-design process. This will help to promote and support the development of sector capability in self-assurance of the Standards and help to ensure quality VET outcomes.
Next steps
While an important milestone the release of the working model for self-assurance is not an endpoint. We continue to gather information on the practices that providers use to assure their compliance with the Standards and to develop regulatory tools and practices to support them in this.
Our first quarterly insights report will be published shortly, sharing information on provider self-assurance practices that were captured through ASQA's Provider and Course Owner Survey. Later this year we will also be publishing our first annual report on ASQA's approach to self-assurance.
There will also be opportunities for further sector engagement and input into co-design as we develop regulatory approaches that promote provider self-assurance of Standards. These will include co-designed self-assessment tools and piloting new approaches to the annual declaration on compliance.
