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Have you ever stopped to wonder why, when you return to Australia, border officials ask you “Do you have anything to declare?” There are a few reasons for this.

Australia imposes taxes on goods entering the country, and in order to protect those tariffs, we restrict the things that can be imported duty-free. Australia, like many other countries, also has biosecurity rules in place, and the country is not especially keen on someone accidentally introducing the guinea worm to the country.

In a similar manner, the CEO declaration of compliance confirms that the organisation complies with regulatory standards and guidelines, as well as the steps it is taking to demonstrate that it remains compliant at all times during the course of its operations.

An annual declaration of compliance

The annual declaration on compliance is a statement by your organisation confirming that it is compliant with all requirements of the Standards.

Providing an annual declaration:

• confirms that you have systematically monitored your RTO’s compliance with the Standards, and
• informs ASQA of whether any issues identified have been corrected.

All Australian Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) are required to file an annual declaration of compliance with the RTO Standards applicable to their organisation by the 31st March of each year.

It is a requirement that one must complete and sign if they are the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). This form confirms that they are the following:

• Taking full responsibility for ensuring that the organisation adheres to the National Vocational Qualifications Framework (VQF)
• All other applicable criteria of registration, as well as ensuring that your organisation cooperates with ASQA in all audits and monitoring efforts.

The annual declaration provides a chance for providers to conduct a self-assessment and to ensure that all information held by ASQA regarding their activities is accurate.

The yearly declaration, according to ASQA, aids in the identification of emergent systemic issues in the VET sector.

We at CAQA recognise that the CEO has a plethora of obligations; thus, let us relieve you of the burden and confusion by identifying important areas of compliance and scrutinising the RTO’s procedures in order to determine whether or not there are any noncompliances.

Topics of discussion include, but are not be limited to, the following:

• Findings of internal audit/s
• Strategies, practices and methods for training and assessment
• Validation activities
• Industry engagement
• Pre-enrolment and admission processes
• Quality training and assessment system
• Third-party services
• Language, literacy and numeracy requirements
• Training and assessment materials
• Transition planning
• Controlling the flow of information
• Improvement on a continuous basis
• Complaints and appeals processes
• Issuance of qualifications and statements
• Trainers and assessors
• AVETMISS compliant database
• Regulatory reporting and quality indicators

So what is it?

It is a basic web form survey which is distributed by an email marketing and communications business called Vision6. It requires no sign-in or authentication. It relies only on information that is already publicly available to identify the RTO about which the declaration is being made.

Click here for ASQA’s Self-assessment tool if you need help getting started.

How do I submit an annual declaration of compliance? (Clause 8.4)

In February of each year, ASQA invites the Chief Executive Officers of RTOs, by email, to complete the Annual Declaration on Compliance. This must be completed by 31 March that year.

While others may contribute, the final declaration must be completed by the person who is legally responsible for the registration of the RTO (the Chief Executive Officer).

If your RTO has not received the email from ASQA, you should take the following steps:

• Check your spam/junk mail folder.
• Check that the email address for your CEO contact is correctly listed on training.gov.au. If the address is incorrect, you should update the contact details in asqanet, and then contact the ASQA Info Line to request that ASQA re-send the email.
• If your RTO has previously unsubscribed from ASQA emails, you should contact web.feedback@asqa.gov.au and ASQA will reactivate the subscription to ASQA emails.
• If none of the above apply, you should contact InfoLine by emailing enquiries@asqa.gov.au and advise that your RTO has not received the email.

What happens if non-compliances are discovered and documented?

All non-compliance must be documented and a rectification plan must be put in place to ensure your organisation is compliant with all regulatory requirements and guidelines.

Our RTO consultants can assist you in crafting a proper response as you are filling out your CEO declaration of compliance.

Failure to submit the declaration with full and accurate data can result in ASQA taking regulatory action.

Please use the following link for further information and support: FAQs about the annual declaration process.

For more information, please refer to Annual declaration on compliance for 2022 – submit by 31 March 2022 | Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA)