ASQA will soon be sending electronic correspondence to the person legally responsible for the registration of the RTO i.e. the Chief Executive Officer reminding them of their obligation to comply with ASQA requirements by submitting a declaration on compliance before 31 March. The email is typically distributed a month prior to CEO’s containing a unique URL to the RTOs survey. Another reminder email is also usually sent by ASQA to CEO’s in March before the due date. Here is some advice to help you prepare your response appropriately so you can ensure you comply with the requirements and meet your regulatory obligations.

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Check your records for accuracy:

RTOs are required to adhere to Clauses 2.1; 8.1; and 8.4 in the SRTOs 2015 in relation to compliance obligations and reporting. These requirements include ensuring any changes to RTO ownership or governance arrangements are reported to ASQA within 90 days of events happening. RTOs should ensure details in ASQAnet have been checked and any errors with contact details corrected prior to ASQA sending their email next month. Remember that not receiving the email is not an excuse to fail to submit your RTO’s declaration as it is a requirement of the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (SRTOs) 2015. If you haven’t updated your RTO’s information in a timely fashion you are ultimately accountable if you don’t comply with your reporting obligation. Failure to report full and accurate data to ASQA could result in them taking regulatory action against your RTO.

Data and your self-assurance system:

In order to adhere with the requirement to be compliant with the SRTOs 2015 at all times, RTOs must have self-assurance systems in place for monitoring obligations including internal audits, quality reviews, complaints and appeals processes, validation processes and feedback mechanisms. If your organisation has adhered to Clause 2.1 by ensuring it is compliant with the SRTOs 2015 at all times you should have been ‘systematically’ monitoring the RTO’s systems and processes and have analysed the data obtained from your self-assurance activities. CEO’s need to ensure that their responses in the declaration are honest and accurate, whether you complete the declaration on your own or in collaboration with RTO compliance staff. Reliable sources of data must be referred to when responding to each question asked in the annual declaration as they are critical indicators of your RTOs past and current compliance status. If your RTO does not have current and reliable data on its compliance status such as internal audit findings, validation outcomes or quality reviews you should follow ASQA’s advice and utilise their Self-Assessment Tool to assist in preparation of the annual declaration. If your RTO does not have the capability or resources to undertake the self-assessment or preparation of the annual declaration then seek assistance from EDministrate to ensure you fully comply with ASQA’s requirements.

How to prepare your response:

Before you complete the CEO declaration, you should have conducted your analysis of your RTOs self-assurance activities and the outcomes to determine your past and current compliance status. Additionally, you should have checked your RTO’s details in ASQAnet and TGA to ensure the information is accurate and indicative of your current arrangements.

Once you have confirmed that information you can use it to respond to the questions in the survey that ASQA sends. You do not need to attach any data reports or provide comprehensive information however, you should ensure your responses are succinct and reflect a concise summary of your RTO’s compliance.