Suitable timeframes for preparing (Part 2)
Part 1 covered the process for re-registration. You can read more about that in the previous post.
This article focuses on suitable timeframes for starting your preparations and what to think about in relation to when to get started. When considering the timeframe for preparing your RTO for re-registration use the following areas to guide you in factoring into your overall plan:
Scope of registration
Review the scope of registration. Ask yourself if you need to remove any items? If you have an audit, ASQA can audit you against any of the items on your scope. If you are no longer delivering qualifications, consider removing them – if you don’t have plans of delivery – otherwise – need up to date resources, facilities, equipment, trainers and so on.
Have a look at:
- Courses – review the arrangements that are in place for each course. We recommend reviewing each course one by one carefully.
- Student files – review a sample of student files across a range of courses
- Policies, systems and procedures – review related documentation
Create a plan
Based on outcomes of internal audit, create a plan for preparing for your (potential) audit. Include timelines, rectifications. This plan should also detail what to do for rectifications and improvements.
Communicate effectively with staff
Communicate with staff about what they need to do – are there any jobs that are sitting left undone? Make sure any of those rainy day jobs that relate to demonstrating compliance have been ticked off the list.
Internal audit
Conduct a full internal audit against the Standards – preferably external. This will identify anything that may have been missed. Conduct a full internal audit against the Standards. – preferably external. Getting your internal compliance person to do this may be risky – often too close and its hard for them to see things objectively. An external consultant / internal auditor are often regularly working with a range of RTOs and will have current/recent experience in ASQA audits so they will often be able to advise on current expectations that they can feed back to you – to your benefit
When considering the timeframe for preparing ensure you:
- Give yourself enough time to prepare!
- Leaving your preparations to a month before, or even three months before is likely not enough time.
- You should really start preparing at least a year before your registration expires.
- This gives you enough time, to rectify and improve things if you find any areas of concern.
- Give yourself enough time so that you can be confident on the day of the audit that everything is where it needs to be.
Don’t miss the three-month deadline to lodge your application. Make sure your application is lodged with ASQA at least three months prior to your registration expiry on training.gov.au.
If you don’t know where to start with your preparations, get in touch with us so we can assist you with managing your timeframes.
Part 3 will look at some of the key items to review in further detail.