The short answer is YES.
For many people who are setting up their own RTO I often am asked the question “what is required for continuous improvement to meet compliance.”
An RTO needs to be developed on solid systems to ensure continuous improvement is met. The RTO systems are the framework for the whole RTO and the way it operates, they support the RTO activities; the training and assessment.
Continuous improvement is fundamental in your RTO operations. Smart corporations and businesses use the continuous improvement process to better their performance in their world. In that process, these entities and individuals examine what they do, why they do it and how it can be or needs to be changed to produce a better result.
It is about understanding what are the lessons learnt; if they worked – why, could you do it better?
If not; why and how can it be improved?
- When you receive feedback from your training, was there any actions you needed to implement to improve your RTO quality?
- If so, then record those in the continuous improvement (CI) register.
- If you review the way the training was delivered and changes are to be made. Then record that in your CI register.
Answers to these questions provide feedback to you about your RTO and how it performing.
Your RTO and its systems need to include:
- policies and procedures,
- systems to document continuous improvement processes,
- methods for gaining customer feedback,
- processes for training or retraining staff,
- management commitment, providing staff or financial resources
- good understanding by all staff of the need for continuous improvement
- a culture where planning is valued and where there is NO resistance to change
You can plan your activities so it becomes a regular event to question the RTO continuous improvement, however often they come from other sources. Think of your CI as an ongoing activity. RTOs can identify areas for improvement based on:
- Feedback from a client, staff or other source
- student problems or concerns reflected in complaints or appeals
- lack of enrolments or concerns around enquiries
- current status of activities, which may identify areas of poor performance which require immediate improvement
- areas assessed as having “high risk” consequences
- ‘trigger’ events such as non-compliance identified in audit results
- updates to the VQF/AQTF or to Training Packages.