Latest webinar: forum for regulatory approach

Thank you to those who joined our interactive webinar on 13 May 2021, which highlighted recent improvements to our regulatory practice. For those who missed it or would like to learn more, please access the recording on our website. The following provides a snapshot of some of the common questions and answers from the webinar.

Questions included:

• Will everyone be given the opportunity to enter into an agreement to rectify? Will I need to apply for it?

If a provider has demonstrated their commitment and capability towards achieving compliance, they may be offered an opportunity to develop an agreement to rectify. ASQA will offer this opportunity based on the nature and impact of the non-compliance, the conduct of the provider, their understanding of the issue, commitment to continuous improvement, and willingness to take action to ensure the solution is systemic and sustained. In cases where a provider does not demonstrate a commitment or capability to rectify the non-compliance, the provider may not be afforded an opportunity to enter into an agreement to rectify. An application is not required for this process.

• Will ASQA publish more support tools and information for providers on self-assurance?

Yes, we will be sharing enhanced self-assurance tools along with best practice examples from across the sector in the coming 12 months. We had productive engagement with the sector last year as part of our consultation on self-assurance, which continues to inform our education and guidance for the sector. We are also working with our state and territory colleagues to present clear expectations to assist providers to make any necessary changes to their practices. Our performance assessments will also identify a range of provider practices in relation to self-assurance, so we will be able to provide feedback to the sector on what we are seeing in this area.

• You have mentioned using data and insights to understand risk in the sector, where does this come from?

We draw information and insights around risk from a range of sources, including environmental scanning for key risks and issues, provider performance against standards, student feedback, engagements with the sector and industry, strategic reviews of priority areas for regulatory focus, and collaborative forums specifically established to understand risk. Importantly, the environmental scan will assist us to understand current and emerging risks. With the pace of change in the VET sector, it is important to be alert to emerging risk that may not have yet made its way into a database, which is why engagement is so important for us so that we can continue to recognise risk and respond accordingly.

• How will ASQA address the inconsistencies between auditors’ decision-making?

We see consistency as one of the core principles of best practice regulation. We have established assurance processes among our assessors that are continually assessed against the standards to ensure ongoing relevance and consistency. We are alert to the need to evaluate our own performance, and are consulting with our Provider Roundtable and SLG to design an impact evaluation framework, which will ensure accountability and provide feedback from the sector.

We will share some more questions and answers in the next ASQA Update, and in the meantime welcome you to view a recording of the webinar on our website.