IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT FINAL REPORT

Transcription

1 IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT FINAL REPORT Executive Summary The Reform of Tasmania s Public VET System Steering Committee (Steering Committee) was established to oversee the implementation of the Government s response to the VET Review. In line with Recommendations 54, 56, 57, 58, 59 and 60, an Implementation Project Team and a number of Working Groups were established comprising members with appropriate expertise drawn from the Department of Education, Tasmanian Skills Institute (Skills Institute), Tasmanian Polytechnic (Polytechnic) and other agencies as appropriate. The Working Groups were tasked with actioning VET Review recommendations, with an initial focus on those required to support the 1 July transition to TasTAFE. In relation to these recommendations, a number of priorities relating primarily to legislaion, teaching and assesssment, organisational design, finance, IT, and branding and communications, were identified as critical. Significant outputs to the end of June 2013 from Working Groups with responsibility for these priorities included: drafting of the Training and Workforce Development Bill and its subsequent passing by State Parliament in June The inclusion of a merged and continued clause in the legislation provided for ongoing registration arrangements with ASQA and the seamless transition of Skills Institute and Polytechnic staff to TasTAFE. Legislative work included amendments to the Teachers Registration Act to better reflect the VET sector and the requirement for all TasTAFE teachers to be registered with the Teachers Registration Board; the development of a Quality Management Framework to ensure a systematic approach to continuous improvement and quality teaching and assessment practices, the finalisation of a Scope of Registration for TasTAFE, and identification of a student support model; ensuring that the Student Management System supported critical processes required to facilitate enrolment, payment of fees and results for new and transitioning TasTAFE students; implementation of budget processes to ensure continuity of Skills Institute and Polytechnic operations to the end of 2013 under the auspices of TasTAFE, and preliminary work required in relation to the establishment of a TasTAFE budget for 2014; development of the TasTAFE logo and related branding, including signage at all sites and the establishment of internet and intranet sites; development of an interim organisational structure; and work required to ensure the transition of IT functions to TasTAFE, including migration of systems to the Education network, and transfer of addresses to the new TasTAFE domain. Where tasks assigned to Working Groups were not identified as critical priorities, or where it was appropriate for them to continue beyond 1 July, responsibility for ongoing actions have been assigned to the appropriate agency. This includes recommendations relating to collaboration with UTAS, VET in Schools, Trade Training Centres and LINC which will be considered as part of the next phase. VET REVIEW IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT REPORT 1

2 An evaluation of Working Groups, including a more detailed summary of their primary focus, tasks and achievements, is included below. A diagrammatic representation of the project governance arrangement, including details of membership of the Steering Committee, Implementation Project Team and Working Groups, has also been attached. Finally but importantly, the re-evaluation of Skills Tasmania s role with Government s consideration of recommendation 27, 28 and 29 had implications for legislation development. The first part of the previous VET Act established Skills Tasmania s functions and powers as an integral component of the publicly-subsidised VET system. The Government s decision to return functions of Skills Tasmania into the Department of Education as a business unit and abolish it as a statutory authority allowed the opportunity to streamline the VET system in terms of priority setting and purchasing. With the cessation of the Skills Tasmania Board, this streamlining in terms of governance arrangements included changes to the administration and management of training agreements and the traineeship and apprenticeship system in Tasmania, the role of the State Training Authority resting with the Department of Education, the Minister providing direction to the publicly-subsidised VET system, and the way in which industry advice on training and workforce development would be provided to Government. Evaluation of Working Groups The Steering Committee first met on 14 June 2012 and identified the following Working Groups: Legislation Teaching Learning and Assessment Organisational Design Strategic Planning Branding and Communications Finance IT HR and Work Health & Safety In addition, a Joint Issues Group comprising Malcolm Wells, Mark Sayer, Paul Murphy, Malcolm White, (and Stephen Conway following his appointment in January 2013), was established to oversee the response to Recommendation 7 with a particular focus on identifying, monitoring and addressing specific transitional issues identified. The Recommendations were clustered into key focus areas. Each of the Working Groups had specific responsibilities within the governance arrangements for an identified focus area. As work in actioning the Recommendations progressed and further developments occurred, for example, progress on drafting of the legislation, the expected role and priorities of some Working Groups evolved and changed. While governance arrangements ensured a structured and managed approach to the Project, in recognition of the expertise of chairs and members identified to lead the Working Groups in their response to the Recommendations, the Groups were give considerable autonomy in determining their approach and priorities, and where considered appropriate, some established additional sub-groups to address particular aspects of priorities. 2 VET REVIEW IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT REPORT

3 The Implementation Project Team co-ordinated and facilitated Project activities, provided the Working Groups with strong support and, in line with Recommendation 60, ensured a regular and formal communication process with stakeholders was in place for the duration of the Project. In preparation for this Report, an evaluation of each of the Working Groups was undertaken, including a summary of key outputs/achievements, and details of ongoing actions to be included in transition arrangements for post 1 July where appropriate. The summary is provided below. A matrix summarising details of the final status of recommendations is also attached as a useful point of crossreference. Joint Issues Group Chair: Malcolm Wells The joint Issues Group was established to proactively identify and respond to potential and emerging transitional issues. The Group was particularly active in the second half of 2012 and the first quarter of 2013, and provided regular reports to each Steering Committee meeting. The group evolved with the appointment of Stephen Conway in January 2013, and as 30 June approached, individual contact between the Polytechnic General Manager, Skills Institute CEO and TasTAFE CEO increased to manage any transitional issues. This process was further supported with the establishment of an Interim Senior Management Group drawn from the two public VET providers. Integral to the success of this Working Group was its ability to establish an environment of trust, respect and engagement. The positive interactions and outcomes of the group are testament to the ethical and professional approach taken by the CEO of the Skills Institute and General Manager of the Polytechnic. Their depth of understanding, experience and knowledge of the VET sector, both in terms of previous and current national and state roles, along with their capacity to objectively and generously contribute valuable insights in relation to the actioning of Recommendations and associated transitional issues, were critical success factors in enabling the Group to proactively identify, consider and address issues as they arose. Their input included, for example, drawing from their respective experiences to highlight opportunities for improvement in the drafting of the legislation, and valuable observations regarding challenges likely to be confronted in bringing the two organisations together, while retaining the responsiveness to the participation and productivity agendas that had been a notable achievement of the Polytechnic and Skills Institute respectively. At the same time, throughout the period of their involvement in the Group, they remained cognisant of, and sensitive to, the role of the incoming CEO in establishing a structure, culture and priorities for the new organisation. Through the involvement of Mark Sayer across all Working Groups, it was possible for key observations and insights from this Group to be effectively integrated in, and inform, the actions of other Working Groups. Legislation Working Group Chair: Sue Kennedy The Legislation Working Group had responsibility for actioning a range of Recommendations related to the development of the Training and Workforce Development Bill, including provisions for the VET REVIEW IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT REPORT 3

4 establishment of TasTAFE. This work was influenced by negotiations with the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) that focused on requirements for registration of TasTAFE and the best approach to ensuring a smooth transition from the Tasmanian Polytechnic and Skills Institute. The outcome of these negotiations was the inclusion of a clause in the legislation enabling The Tasmanian Polytechnic and Tasmania Skills Institute to be merged and continued as TasTAFE. This merged and continued clause not only enabled registration as a training organisation to continue with TasTAFE, but also allowed for Tasmanian Polytechnic and Skills Institute staff to automatically become TasTAFE employees from 1 July This positively impacted on the focus and priorities for other Working Groups, in particular the HR Working Group. In undertaking its role, the Legislation Working Group considered the existing VET Act along with the Skills Institute and Polytechnic legislation. It worked closely with the Steering Committee in drafting legislation that set an aspirational framework for the Tasmanian vocational sector, calling on the collective experience of members to inform the drafting and incorporation of a vision for the VET sector. In line with Recommendations, the Working Group was successful in developing legislation that was clear, capable of adapting to changing environments, and based on objects that: provided for the establishment of TasTAFE, and embedded related functions and powers that ensured its ability to remain responsive and flexible in addressing the State s priorities for the VET sector; provided guidance in relation to the establishment of a TasTAFE Governing Board; incorporated the State s Traineeships and Apprenticeships function; included provisions reinforcing the role of the Minister in setting direction and priorities for the VET sector; incorporated requirements and priorities related to key agendas of participation and productivity, and access by rural and regional communities to VET services; referenced the ongoing role of LINC, and importance of collaboration between Post Year 10, VET and university sectors in enhancing and streamlining pathways. In response to Recommendation 23, and in recognition of the fact that the Teachers Registration Act had not been originally designed to cover the VET sector, the Legislation Working Group also scoped amendments to this Act to ensure it appropriately reflected the VET sector and the requirement for all TasTAFE teachers to be registered with the Teachers Registration Board. The work of the Legislation Working Group was completed with the passing of the legislation in June 2013 and amendments to the Teachers Registration Act. The Teachers Registration Board was instrumental in informing the changes to the Teachers Registration Act. Their positive contribution to the process was highly valued and will continue through the second half of 2013 with transition arrangements due to be completed ready for full implementation from the beginning of The ongoing work of the Teachers Registration Board will include coordinating processes to complete the transition of registration of Polytechnic teachers and ensure and support current Skills Institute staff to meet the new requirements. The Government reconsidered recommendation 27, 28 and 29 of the VET Review following advice it received from Skills Tasmania and the Department of Education, and this had significant implications 4 VET REVIEW IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT REPORT

5 for legislation development. The first part of the previous VET Act established Skills Tasmania s functions and powers as an integral component of the publicly-subsidised VET system. The Government s decision to return functions of Skills Tasmania into the Department of Education as a business unit and abolish it as a statutory authority allowed the opportunity to streamline the VET system in terms of priority setting and purchasing. With the cessation of the Skills Tasmania Board, this streamlining in terms of governance arrangements included changes to the administration and management of training agreements and the traineeship and apprenticeship system in Tasmania, the role of the State Training Authority resting with the Department of Education, the Minister providing direction to the publicly-subsidised VET system, and the way in which industry advice on training and workforce development would be provided to Government. Teaching, Learning and Assessment (TLA) Working Group Chair: Gail Eaton-Briggs This Workgroup was very active, taking a leadership role in relation to Recommendations 9, 20 and 24. The Working Group identified a number of priorities required in order to enact the Recommendations, and established various sub-groups to assist including: Enrolment and Transition Quality E-Learning Scope Student Support A summary of Working Group priorities and outcomes achieved, is provided below. Registration with ASQA: initially a dedicated resource working to a project plan was identified to lead the development of a submission for TasTAFE registration with ASQA. This requirement changed with the inclusion of the merged and continued clause in the legislation and the ongoing registration arrangements for TasTAFE. However, significant work initially undertaken informed ongoing priorities for the Working Group. This work included a comprehensive self-assessment completed by the Skills Institute and Polytechnic against NVR standards, and an audit of requirements for teachers in relation to the Certificate IV in TAE, vocational competence and registration with the Teachers Registration Board. The Skills Institute and Polytechnic were then able to ensure put in place strategies to respond to any gaps identified as part of the process. Consolidating fundamentals of teaching, learning and assessment: in considering its approach to Recommendation 24 and its focus on the consolidation of the fundamentals of Teaching, Learning and Assessment, the Working Group identified the development of a Quality Management System, initially for academic areas, as a critical enabling component and an important strategy in ensuring the quality of TasTAFE s delivery and assessment activities from a risk management perspective. The Quality Management System has now been finalised and is due for implementation in the second half of Scope for TasTAFE: In response to Recommendation 9, a Scope of Registration for TasTAFE has been finalised ready for the 1 July transition. It was originally thought this requirement would involve the reviewing and streamlining of current offerings. However, the process was significantly VET REVIEW IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT REPORT 5

6 affected with the inclusion of the merged and continued clause in the legislation that enabled the respective scopes of the Skills Institute and Polytechnic to be seamlessly combined as part of the transition to TasTAFE. A strategic review of the Scope of Registration has been identified as a future focus under the direction of the CEO and Senior Management group of TasTAFE. Sub Groups of the TLA Working Group Quality (Chaired by Gail Eaton-Briggs): this sub-group played a major support role in the development of the Quality Management System including the review of related policies and procedures. Enrolment and Transition: (Chaired by Michelle Eastman): this sub-group was responsible for ensuring critical processes and timelines related to enrolment, fees and levies, resulting and issuing of Testamurs and Statements of Attainment were in place. This included providing for the transition of current students from the Skills Institute and Polytechnic into TasTAFE, and enrolment of new students in TasTAFE post 1 July. As the Group progressed priorities, members collaborated with the QLS Operations Working Group regarding a number of alignments. Work of this Group has been successfully completed with a mutual decision for the QLS Operations Working Group to take the remaining system-focused transition matters forward. Student Support (Chaired by Kim Foss): this sub-group led the review of current approaches adopted by the Skills Institute and Polytechnic in relation to Student Support, and recommended options to inform transition models for TasTAFE, one of which has subsequently been adopted. E-Learning (Chaired by Kim Foss): the role of this sub-group was to review and consider options regarding an appropriate Learning Management System for TasTAFE. The work involved a comprehensive audit of current platforms and E-Learning resources in use by both the Skills Institute and Polytechnic, along with the trialling and evaluation of options proposed for TasTAFE. A report and recommendations have been finalised and presented to the CEO TasTAFE for consideration. Work on finalising an appropriate Learning Management System for TasTAFE will continue in the second half of TasTAFE Academic Governance post 1 July 2013 Following on from the positive outcomes achieved by the TLA Working Group, a decision has been made for this group to continue after 1 July 2013 and form the core of an interim Teaching Learning and Assessment Council (TLAC) for TasTAFE. The TLAC will scope out its Terms of Reference and membership, and identify relevant subcommittees including a Quality Management Committee, to support its academic leadership role. Included in priorities for TLAC will be a continued focus on issues highlighted during the work undertaken by the TLA Working Group, and ongoing actions related to the Recommendations, including developing: a framework to underpin state wide consistency and quality in delivery, assessment and resources; processes to respond to ASQA requirements related to the retention of student assessments; 6 VET REVIEW IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT REPORT

7 a framework to support professional development aligned to participation and productivity; strength in academic leadership throughout TasTAFE; metrics to measure and monitor teaching, learning, assessment and quality standards; a systematic approach to innovation; e-learning as a core business tool with appropriate take up and support. TasTAFE Organisational Design Chair: Mark Sayer The approach of this Working Group was to establish four smaller teams to explore and develop models that might contribute to the organisational design of TasTAFE. These models were subsequently considered by the newly appointed TasTAFE CEO, Stephen Conway. The approach adopted by the Working Group was valuable in providing the incoming CEO with an opportunity to review models developed by experienced and knowledgeable staff who had been tasked with taking into account the intent of the Virginia Simmons Report, drawing on the best of current structures, and incorporating and interpreting these features into an organisational design for TasTAFE. The CEO was able to discuss the models and underlying rationales with the groups to gain further valuable insights that will help inform the ongoing evolution of the organisational design for TasTAFE. The TasTAFE Organisational Design Working Group was disbanded following a presentation of the four models to Stephen Conway in March However, work on the organisational design has continued under the leadership of Stephen Conway. This process has been supported by an Interim Senior Management Group, and through ongoing regular consultations with Skills Institute and Polytechnic staff. Considerable progress has now been made with the establishment of the CEO s office and the identification of a Senior Management Group structure and related strategic responsibilities. A process of further developing the organisational design will continue with the TasTAFE Senior Management Group, membership of which is due to be finalised by the end of June IT Working Group Joint Chairs: David Briggs and Trevor Hill The IT Working Group completed the majority of its outputs well in advance of the July deadline. Key responsibilities for the Working Group related to both infrastructure and business system requirements, and formed part of an ongoing coordinated action between September 2012 to March 2013 to achieve the transition and consolidation of the former Secure network (Polytechnic and Skills Institute) to the Education network. This involved migrating all campus based computers from the Secure to Education networks (over 3,300 computers), plus migrating all staff and student network accounts, and migrating and remediating all Secure business systems (QLS, E5, WebCT, etc) to work on the education network. The remaining outstanding action for the Working Group involves the changing of staff accounts from the Polytechnic and Skills Institute domains to the TasTAFE.tas.edu.au domain. This will occur on the 1st July. VET REVIEW IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT REPORT 7

8 While the Working Group will have fulfilled its responsibilities in relation to the transition to TasTAFE with the changing of staff accounts to the TasTAFE domains, ongoing discussions and negotiations will continue with the CEO of TasTAFE and the Senior Management Group. This will help ensure they remain fully informed of the status of various IT infrastructure components, for example, the computer fleet, and are in a position to make future strategic investment decisions related to IT infrastructure. While TasTAFE is likely to continue to primarily use DoE business systems, including Finance, HR and IT, (provided as part of a Corporate Services SLA), it will also have the option of choosing and funding alternative systems required to meet specific business needs, for example, Student Management System, elearning system. The IT Working Group has also played a critical role in working closely with the QLS Operations Sub-Group in the scoping of requirements for the new Student Management System. Subject to funding approval, the sourcing and implementation of the replacement Student Management System will continue as a priority after 1 July with DoE and TasTAFE retaining joint responsibility. TasTAFE QLS Operations Sub Group (Chaired by Marg Carr): this Group was established to specifically address priorities aligned to Recommendation 20 with a particular focus on: - ensuring the current Student Management System (QLS) met the requirements for transition to TasTAFE on 1 July This included the development of processes and related policies and procedures required for enrolment, payment of fees, resulting and issuing of Testamurs and Statements of Attainment, along with the negotiation of a support contract for the period through to 30 June 2014; - ensuring QLS met the standards related to the release of AVETMISS 7, and developing processes required to facilitate planning for the introduction of VET Skills Reforms, including the Unique Student Identifier and VET Fee Help; The work of this Group has now been finalised with the successful completion of tasks aligned to the above priorities. TasTAFE, with support from DoE Corporate Services, will manage ongoing work related to requirements for the national VET Skills Reforms. Finance Working Group Chair: Nick May The VET Finance Working Group, chaired by the Department of Education, met regularly in the first half of 2013 with a co-ordinated effort from members drawn from the Tasmanian Polytechnic, Skills Institute and Skills Tasmania. The primary responsibility of the Working Group was on developing and leading the implementation of a financial management and budget model for TasTAFE that would support delivery of government funded training activity and other funded activities including commercial and VET in Schools. With the inclusion of the merged and continued clause in the new legislation, there was no longer the immediate urgency around the establishment of a combined budget. As a result, the Working Group decided to adopt an approach based on two key phases: 8 VET REVIEW IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT REPORT

9 Phase 1: the Working Group focused on developing and implementing an approach to support the ongoing management of the parallel operations of the Polytechnic and Skills Institute to the end of 2013 under the overarching auspices of TasTAFE. Phase 2: the key and more significant focus of the Working Group will continue after 1 July implementing processes to ensure a smooth and complete transition to TasTAFE, including the finalising of a budget for 2014 that reflects TasTAFE priorities and organisational design. Following 1 July a Chief Financial Officer will be employed in the office of the TasTAFE CEO to ensure a level of financial expertise commensurate with its status as a Statutory Authority. Branding and Communications Chairs: Mandy Denby, Suzie Jacobson, Nicole Jacobs The Branding and Communications Working Group had a full agenda until 1 July, using the combined resources of the Tasmanian Polytechnic, Skills Institute, DoE and assistance from DPaC. The primary focus for this Working Group was creating a visual identity for TasTAFE, including signage, style guide and supporting tools, developing an internal and external communication strategy, and establishing a TasTAFE internet site and intranet portal. Despite significant challenges with timelines, the Working Group has been successful in achieving these major goals. In the first instance, in order to inform its scope and establish priorities for the Working Group, a branding audit was undertaken. A visual identity, reflected in a new logo and TasTAFE branding, was finalised in early This enabled work to progress in relation to signage and the development of a related style guide. Requirements for external signage and posters at all sites were determined and a contractor appointed in May The removal of old signage and installation of new signs is due to be mostly completed by 1 July, and finalised no later than 19 July. Due to timelines and available budget, certain aspects of signage will be addressed after 1 July, including some related to trade training centres, the mobile classroom, updated site plans at campuses, and some internal signage. Management of communication to stakeholders was effectively co-ordinated with key messages distributed to schools, students, industry and community. Regular updates were included on the DoE, Polytechnic and Skills Institute websites, and this was complemented by newsletters and regular staff forums held by the CEO. The intranet portal and internet site have been approved and will be launched on 1 July. While these will continue to be developed post 1 July, essential information and content has been finalised. The intranet portal will serve as an interim measure for TasTAFE staff pending commencement of the intranet project. Following 1 July, an officer responsible for branding and communications will operate from the office of the TasTAFE CEO, with corporate support from DoE. This officer will manage ongoing branding and communications work, including finalising remaining aspects of signage, and continuing development of internet and intranet sites. VET REVIEW IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT REPORT 9

10 Skills Tasmania Transition Group Chair: Colin Pettit The Skills Tasmania Transition Group was established to respond to recommendation 27 of the VET Review following Cabinet s decision to relinquish the statutory authority status of Skills Tasmania and as a consequence, disband the Skills Tasmania Board. This decision is now enacted with through the Training and Workforce Development legislation. The establishment of Skills Tasmania as a business unit within DoE is now an operational matter for DoE. Union Consultative Committee Chair: Kevin Harkins, Unions Tasmania In addition to the above Working Groups, a Union Consultative Committee was established to facilitate the proactive identification and response to any union and industrial relations issues that arose concerning Tasmanian Polytechnic and Skills Institute staff and representative unions. The Chair of this Committee also contributed as a member of the Steering Committee, enabling union interests to be addressed at a governance level, as well facilitating effective communication between the two groups and helping ensure consistency in approaches to identified/potential issues. Following 1 July, nominated members from this group will join the Workforce Transition Steering Committee established to assist in guiding future staffing arrangements at TasTAFE. Post 1 July Focus Within the context of the overall priorities of the Implementation Project and associated Risk Management Framework, it was considered that the focus of the following Working Groups in relation to Recommendations would be most relevant after 1 July. HR and Work, Health & Safety Joint Chairs: Mark Watson and Paul Gourlay The experience of the Tasmania Tomorrow reforms initially created an expectation that there may be significant HR and Work, Health & Safety (WH&S) issues to manage and resolve leading to the establishment of TasTAFE. However, the merged and continued clause in the Training and Workforce Development legislation enabled all existing arrangements with the Tasmanian Polytechnic and Skills Institute for staffing and WH&S to transition seamlessly into TasTAFE. From 1 July, responsibilities for ongoing staffing and WH&S arrangements will be the responsibility of TasTAFE. In addition, the Union Consultative Committee played an important role in providing a valuable forum for highlighting and addressing potential and emerging HR and WS&S issues. A structured process to address HR and WH&S issues is now set in place following canvassing with staff, unions and the TasTAFE Interim Senior Management Group. This involves the establishment of a Workforce Transition Steering Committee chaired by the State Service Management Office and with representation from unions, DoE and TasTAFE Senior Management Group. Initial work has also been 1 0 VET REVIEW IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT REPORT

11 undertaken in establishing governance arrangements for WH&S, including the development of related policies and procedures required to enact the new WH&S legislation. Assets Working Group Chair: Andrew Finch In line with Recommendation 22 of the VET Review indicating, for the foreseeable future, ownership of the assets and infrastructure be vested in the Crown, the new legislation appropriately reflected the Recommendation and associated requirements were completed related to gazetting of legal notices. A framework is also being established post 1 July that facilitates communication and a business partnership related to the provision and day to day management of corporate services to TasTAFE which includes assets and facility management. This arrangement will include strategic consideration of how the use of assets can be maximised/ optimised and appropriately aligned to best meet the delivery needs of TasTAFE. Strategic Planning and Emerging Demand Chair: Mark Sayer The merged and continued clause in the Training and Workforce Development legislation means that the operations of the Tasmanian Polytechnic and Skills Institute will be able to continue relatively uninterrupted under the auspices of TasTAFE. Within this context, it was agreed that the systems already in place to gather intelligence about emerging demand for the provision of VET would flow through to TasTAFE, underpinned by the strategic capabilities of the Skills Institute and Polytechnic. This has been evidenced with the re-introduction of the Drysdale brand in recognition of the strength of industry recognition of the hospitality and tourism capability of TasTAFE. VET REVIEW IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT REPORT 1 1