Understanding ASQA Performance Assessment: What You Need to Know

Introduction: The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) is the National regulator for vocational education and training. ASQA is responsible for assessing and accrediting vocational education and training (VET) providers in Australia. One of the key ways they do this is through performance assessments, also known as audits. In this blog post, we will discuss what you need to know about ASQA performance assessments and how to prepare for Performance Assessment.

What is ASQA Performance Assessment? ASQA performance assessment is a tool used to understand RTO performance. Performance assessment is conducted to evaluate the quality and compliance of training providers. ASQA assesses the RTO based on the performance against the Standards and Legislation. If a training provider is found to be compliant (i.e. meeting the Standards and relevant legislation) after a performance assessment, this aims to give learners assurances that their education investment has value and purpose.

ASQA generally conducts performance assessment under below circumstances:

• as part of ASQA’s monitoring process to sample random
• if an application has been made to be a new provider,
• Existing RTO changes their scope or renew their registration,
• Or if ASQA has data or information that indicates RTO may be at risk of not meeting their each of regulatory

What is included in an ASQA Performance Assessment?

ASQA decides the scope of Audit by reviewing RTO’s training data, complaints history and upon making an application for addition to scope or any change of scope. During the assessment, ASQA will review a variety of documents and evidence, as well as may conduct on-site visits to the provider’s premises. They may also interview staff and students to gather additional information.

Performance assessments cover a wide range of areas, including the provider’s:

• Compliance with Standards and legislations
  Standards – SRTOs 2015 – https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2019C00503National Code 2018 – https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2017L01182 (for CRICOS providers)ELICOS Standards 2018 https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2017L01349 (for CRICOS and ELICOS providers)
  Legislations – NVETR Act 2011 – https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2021C00430ESOS Act 2000 – https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A00757
• Governance and management systems
• Delivery of training and assessment
• Student support and outcomes

We encourage you to go through this recorded webinar link below about performance assessment

https://youtu.be/3a2nepMrfVI

By understanding the process and what is included in the assessment, VET providers can take steps to prepare and ensure they are meeting the necessary standards. Below are some of the recommended strategies which can help you prepare for performance assessment.

1. You need to make sure that your RTO is compliant with critical clauses related to student work, learning and assessment resources, validation, training, and assessment strategies. Start internal audit for these documents or clauses first.
2. Check your student management system and generate data quality reports to ensure that all the date being reported is accurate and there is no information missing which can lead to non-compliance.
3. It is advised to check the learning management system if the assessments being marked by trainers and assessors are compliant and is the LMS easy to use and not very complex so that the chances of making errors are low.
4. Ensure that the RTO has clearly defined systems, policies and procedures which are developed in plain English language and these are easy to understand for all the staff.
5. Conduct professional development of staff and update them about any new changes implemented in the RTO in line with updates from ASQA and Department of Education and training.
6. Ensure that all staff understands the systems, policies and procedures relevant to their role and all operations are performed as per work instructions.
7. Ongoing compliance should be embedded in the system in daily operations so that you do not have to worry about compliance.
8. Ensure that the training delivery and learner experience from enrolment till issuance of Qualification meets the requirements of the standards and RTO is meeting their legal and management responsibilities.
9. The best way to check the efficiency of the systems and to ensure that all requirements prescribed in the standards are being met is to do Self-assessment with ASQA’s self-assessment tool and doing it at a fixed interval.
   (Self- Assessment – ASQA’s self-assessment tool is designed to support training providers to manage self- assurance and ongoing compliance. This tool is used to identify areas for improvement in your RTOs’ practices, systems and processes and to determine the actions that need to be taken to ensure quality outcomes for students, employers and the wider community)
10. Once self- assessment is completed, use the outcome of self- assessment to prepare an action plan with clearly defined task to be completed, staff assigned for the task and realistic timelines so that a successful outcome is achieved and implemented in the RTO.

https://www.asqa.gov.au/how-we-regulate/performance-assessment-audit/how-prepare-performance-assessment

To learn more about Self-Assessment , click on the link or paste in your browser

https://www.asqa.gov.au/rtos/users-guide-standards-rtos-2015/self-assessment-tool

Is there any cost related to performance assessment?

There is any hourly charge payable by the RTO for performance assessments, excluding performance assessments conducted as part of an Initial registration application.

The cost includes:

• planning and conducting and the performance assessment
• preparing the performance assessment report
• any other business process related to the performance assessment incurring a staff member’s

Process of performance assessment – There are 5 key steps included in performance assessment

1. ASQA will make initial contact with you and request for preliminary information, plan the scope of the performance assessment and hold an opening meeting as discussed during the first communication with auditor.
2. Assessor will request for required information via email, conduct virtual or onsite observations, conduct and interview with RTO Compliance manager, your trainers and assessors and others as deemed necessary by the assessor to test your compliance with standards by collecting and analyzing
3. ASQA holds a closing meeting to explain findings to date – As part of the assessment process, ASQA will hold a closing meeting in which they will outline any issues or non-compliance identified during the performance assessment.
4. ASQA writes a performance assessment report that identifies compliance and non-compliance
5. ASQA shares their findings with you and outlines the next steps – Assessor will share the findings recommended by the assessor. Based on the assessor’s performance assessment report, if you are found compliant, no further action will be In case any non-compliance has been identified by the assessor, ASQA will advise you about that.You will be provided a timeframe to respond to the non-compliance and submit the rectification plan. RTO will need to provide evidence that remedial action has been taken to prevent it from happening again and relevant systems, policies and procedures have been updated.

What are the outcomes of ASQA Performance Assessment?

The outcomes of ASQA Performance Assessment can include recognition of a training provider’s compliance with the standards set by the Australian government, and approval to continue delivering vocational education and training. In some cases, the assessment may result in the imposition of conditions or sanctions, such as the suspension or cancellation of a training provider’s registration, if the provider does not meet the required standards.

In conclusion, understanding ASQA Performance Assessment is critical for both training providers and students. It helps to ensure that training providers deliver quality training and meet the required standards, and that students receive the education and skills they need to succeed in their chosen careers. By ensuring the quality of vocational education and training in Australia, ASQA Performance Assessment helps to support the development of a skilled and competitive workforce.

“We hope that this blog about Performance Assessment will be useful for you and will help you stay compliant”