22.11.24
Revised Standards for RTOs
Not only will the incoming revised Standards for RTOs trigger a change across from prescriptive Standards to an outcomes-based model, they will also bring in requirements to ‘self-assure’.
This means RTOs will need to “have 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” – ASQA, self-assurance model
In fact, this requirement is embedded as a quality and compliance expectation as it has been written in as Standard 4.4.
According to Standard 4.4, RTOs will be expected to continuously test whether they are meeting the Standards, and in the process, identify what adjustments are needed to systems, processes and practices to ensure ongoing compliance and continuous improvement.
Here, an RTO needs to think about each of the elements of the co-designed self-assurance model, how practices and mechanisms within these areas reflect achievement of the overarching goals of the Outcome Standards, and what method/s are in place to capture and analyse data about their performance. Importantly, the outcomes of the data analysis must be fed into a framework for continual improvement in operations.
Remember, the Outcome Standards say “The RTO demonstrates…” so this means evidence of what you’ve done, why you’ve done it, and justification for how that meets requirements, (and if not, what the corrective actions taken have been and why), will be required. This goes toward your evidence of self-assurance.