Introduction
The revised Standards for Registered Training Organisations (the Standards) provide a foundation for quality training. They describe key factors that contribute to improving outcomes for students. The Standards support training that meet student needs and reflect industry practice. A key component of the Standards is to provide Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) with flexibility around how they interpret the Standards within the context of their operations. This provides scope for RTOs to be creative yet ensure the integrity of the VET system is upheld.
Why Prioritise Continuous Improvement in the revised Standards
While the 2015 Standards encouraged quality assurance, the revised Standards prioritise continuous improvement. By prioritising systematic monitoring and evaluation, RTOs can directly enhance learner outcomes and overall operational efficiency.
Where Does Continuous Improvement Fit Within the revised Standards
Within the revised Standards, there are 4 quality areas as follows:
Each Quality Area contains an outcome:
Quality Area 1: Training and Assessment
- Outcome: Quality training and assessment engages VET students and enables them to attain nationally recognized, industry-relevant competencies.
Quality Area 2: Student Support
- Outcome: VET students are treated fairly and are properly informed, protected, and supported.
Quality Area 3: The VET Workforce
- Outcome: VET students are trained, assessed, and supported by people who are qualified, skilled, and committed to professional development.
Quality Area 4: Governance
- Outcome: Effective governance and a commitment to continuous improvement support the quality and integrity of VET delivery.
It is within Quality Area 4 that Continuous Improvement sits. Continuous Improvement allows RTOs to monitor and evaluate their performance, ensuring they operate to a high standard both in terms of ethical decision-making and outputs for learners.
A Closer Look at Quality Area 4: Governance
A good governance framework provides a structure for accountability, collaboration and decision-making. It involves teams of people using their skills and knowledge to achieve positive outcomes. With this in mind, Quality Area 4 includes three key focus areas: Leadership and Accountability, Risk Management and Continuous Improvement.
Standard 4.4 outlines the Standard for Continuous Improvement:
The RTO undertakes systematic monitoring and evaluation to support the delivery of quality services and continuous improvement.
There are three Performance Indicators that an RTO must achieve to meet compliance requirements. These are:
- a system for monitoring and evaluating its performance against the Standards
- mechanisms for collecting and analysing data and feedback, including from VET students, staff, industry, employers and regulators
- how it uses the outcomes of monitoring and evaluations to inform continuous improvement
The Benefits of Continuous Improvement
Regardless of the size and scale of a RTO, there will always be benefits to reviewing current practices and thinking ‘how can I improve outcomes for students?’. Systematically monitoring and evaluating services can have a positive impact on students, staff, employers, the regulator and the broader community. Some of those benefits include:
For Students:
- Streamlined practices that reduce stress
- Improved learning outcomes and experiences based on data driven feedback
- Application of modern, engaging teaching approaches
- Increased satisfaction through positive engagement
- Greater connection between the RTO and student
For Staff:
- A positive culture that promotes critical reflection
- Increased engagement by empowering staff to improve practices
- Increased efficiency through collaborative problem-solving
- Robust governance frameworks based on data
- Adaptability to change external influences
For Employers:
- RTO practices aligned with industry practice
- Increased confidence in the education system
- Opportunities for ongoing dialogue with RTOs
For Regulators and the Broader Community:
- Improved compliance outcomes benefiting students
- Increased trust between RTOs and stakeholders
- Strengthened confidence in the education system
Triggers for continuous improvement
The need for improvement arises from a discrepancy between the RTOs current outcomes and the desired outcomes outlined in the Standards and community, industry, employers, learner’s expectations.
An RTO dedicated to improvement fulfils these expectations through auditing compliance, engaging with industry, gathering employer and learner feedback, and monitoring its community impact.
Inputs to continuous improvement
There is a diverse range of sources from which data for continuous improvement can be obtained which reflects the varied interests of different parties, and also serves as a resource for finding additional information on those sources. These could include:
Students - through day-to-day questionnaires and end of course surveys.
Quality Indicators Surveys:
Trainers and assessors - through in-house reviews of resources, RTO policies and procedures, and observation of student response.
- TAC Fact Sheet: Assessment Validation
Complaints and appeals - indicating incorrect student expectations, errors by the RTO, errors of judgement, or ineffective codes of conduct.
- TAC Fact Sheet: RTO Complaints and Appeals
- Webinar: Managing RTO complaints and appeals
Employers - feedback from work placements (including traineeships and apprenticeships) and from graduates.
- TAC Fact Sheet: Assessing in the Workplace
- Webinar: Assessing in the Workplace
Assessment validation - reflecting upon both the design and delivery of assessment tools and judgment processes.
- TAC Fact Sheet: Assessment Validation
- Webinar: Assessment Validation
Industry engagement - seeking reassurance about the relevance of RTO resources through the observation of industry practices and through industry feedback.
TAC Fact Sheets:
Webinars:
Community feedback - from community engagement, press, and social media.
- Webinar: Continuous Improvement
Internal audits - providing evidence of compliance and advice for improvement.
- TAC Fact Sheet: Internal Audit
- Webinar: Internal Audit Series
External audits - providing evidence of compliance and response to improvement.
Total VET activity reporting - RTO completion data
- TAC Fact Sheet: RTO Reporting Requirements
While some of these data sources are mandated by the Standards, others are considered good practice, but all of them collectively contribute to an RTO’s awareness of the necessity for improvement or provide assurance that the RTO is operating effectively to meet the needs and expectations of stakeholders.
Outputs from continuous improvement
Improvement requires change, driven by a clear understanding of desired outcomes and supported by evidence of actual results. These changes can range from minor adjustments to substantial overhauls, often requiring the RTO to revise, rewrite or replace:
- RTO policies and procedures: Is there a problem in the way the RTO has set up its operations?
- Training strategies and content: Have the requirements of the training product been fully understood? Have they been expressed validly in the learning resources? Are they a faithful reflection of current industry practice?
- Assessment strategies and content: Have the requirements of the training product been fully understood? Have they been expressed validly in the assessment tools? Are they a faithful reflection of current industry practice?
- Marketing and RTO information: Has the RTO accurately described its services? Does the student have accessible information about the RTOs expectations and their rights and responsibilities?
They may also require the RTO to rethink how it manages and records:
- Industry engagement: Are the strategies used to engage with industry building effective working relationships that inform the RTO’s strategies and resources?
- Certification: Has the RTO adequately explained the AQF levels to students and employers?
- RTO resources: Are in-house and community resources accessed and managed effectively?
- Trainers and assessors: How effective are the RTO’s strategies for recruitment, performance management and professional development?
- Quality assurance: How effective are the RTO’s strategies to monitor and improve its own outcomes?
Finally, the RTO might need to consider changes to how it delivers:
- Learner support: Can the RTO improve the strategies used to identify learner needs and to deliver appropriate support services?
- Training and assessment: Can the RTO improved the experience of being a learner and the opportunity to achieve?
These inputs and outputs are parts of a cycle of continuous improvement.
Systematic Monitoring and Evaluation – A Simple Model for Continuous Improvement
We have identified potential inputs and outputs of continuous improvement, but how is this integrated into an RTOs systems?
There are several different formal continuous improvement models that RTOs could implement e.g. the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve and Control) model or PDCA (Plan-Do-Check- Act) model. However, there are no set ways an RTO must demonstrate continuous improvement and RTOs should choose a system that fits within their business context.
One method is through the use of internal audits to measure the effectiveness of the RTO’s systems and processes in assuring the quality of outcomes for learners and industry. More information on this method is available:
- TAC Fact Sheet: Internal Audit
- Webinar: Using Internal Audits for Continuous Improvement
- Webinar: Internal Audit Series
In its simplest format, all continuous improvement models include ‘systemically monitoring and evaluating’ services.
These processes may include an examination of current practices including some of the considerations detailed below:
| Consideration of the outcomes to be measured and the indicators used to track progress and measure outcomes | Outcome measures may include:
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| The data collection methods and tools, including how data and feedback will be collected from relevant stakeholders, including staff, students, employers and industry | Data collection methods may include:
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| The program of monitoring, including whether it will be continuous or periodic as relevant to the activities, outputs or outcomes being tracked | Things to consider:
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| How data and feedback will be reviewed and evaluate the effectiveness of systems, processes and practices to identify opportunities for improvement | Things to consider:
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| How relevant stakeholders will be involved in the design and implementation of monitoring and evaluation activities | This may include:
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| How the outcomes of monitoring and evaluation will be reported and communicated to different stakeholders (including governing bodies) and how they will be able to provide feedback | Things to consider:
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| How the findings of monitoring and evaluation will be used to inform decision-making, adjust systems and improve services (i.e. how it will inform continuous improvement) | When you understand the quality of information you receive you can construct more convincing arguments for change!! |
Continuous Improvement Case Study
There are many ways RTOs can implement and demonstrate compliance with the Standards.
One example (if the RTO delivers training to students under the age of 18), is through a deeper examination of the requirements of Standard 4.3(d)…
‘where the RTO offers training or assessment to VET students aged under 18, risks to their safety and wellbeing are identified and managed consistent with principles for child safe organisations, having regard to the training content and mode(s) of delivery.’
Standard 4.3(d) requires a RTO to demonstrate compliance through a risk management process that ensures the safety and wellbeing of young students with respect to the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. Within the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations, the 5th Principle focusses on Human Resource Management. Consider the following example where a RTO is seeking to appoint a new trainer/assessor. It will generally involve 3 key steps: (1) advertising (2) interviewing and (3) induction.
Advertising – when thinking about placing an advert on SEEK for a trainer/assessor, an RTO will usually include some generic information such as, the job location, the salary, the job responsibilities and information about the RTO. At present that information probably doesn’t include any information that demonstrates a commitment to adherence to the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. The RTO could include a ‘commitment statement’ in the advert that seeks to act as a deterrent to someone who may present as having a propensity to offend against children.
Interviewing – whenever an RTO is looking to employ a new staff member, there will always be an interview – either formal or informal. Most RTOs probably ask standard interview questions about previous job roles or asks the candidate to provide an example of when they have worked effectively as a team member etc. An RTO might improve this process (as a continuous improvement initiative) by introducing a case study on how the potential candidate feels working with students under the age of 18. The response (from the candidate) that the RTO receives could tell them something about the person they are about to employ that may be a potential barrier to their employment e.g. the candidate may demonstrate an attitude or value that doesn’t fit with the RTO’s commitment to child safety and wellbeing.
- Induction – RTOs will usually undertake some form of induction with all new employees. This will usually consist of a tour of the premises, meet and greet staff, overview of policies and procedures. This could be an ideal opportunity to introduce the new staff member to the National Principles of Child Safe Organisations through the Australian Human Rights Commission FREE short webinars.
Continuous Improvement and Its Relationship to Other Standards
Continuous Improvement also sits within Quality Area 2 (Student Support) specifically, Standard 2.7 and Standard 2.8. Within these two Standards, RTOs are encouraged to ensure any complaints and appeals are analysed as part of a continuous improvement process.
In addition, Continuous Improvement also forms part of the intent of Standard 2.5 (Diversity and Inclusion) and Standard 2.6 (Wellbeing). RTOs will need to demonstrate how these elements are measured and reviewed and from this process how improvements are implemented for the benefit of students.
Further References and Resources
- TAC Webinar: Continuous Improvement Standard 4.4
- TAC Fact Sheet: Internal Audit
- TAC Webinar: Using Internal Audit for Continuous Improvement
By prioritising continuous improvement, RTOs can enhance the quality of their services, improve student outcomes, and strengthen their reputation within the VET sector.
