• Section 1 - Key Information
• Section 2 - Purpose
• Section 3 - Scope
• Section 4 - Key Decisions
• Section 5 - Policy Statement
• Section 6 - Procedures
• Part A - Training and Assessment Practice
• Competency-Based Training
• Qualifications to Assess
• Training and Assessment Strategy
• Adjustments for Learning and Assessment
• Review and Re-Assessment
• Validation and Moderation
• Part B - Completion Requirements
• Attendance
• Part C - Record Management
• Part D - Certification
• Part E - Industry Consultation and Course Review
• Continuous Improvement
• Part F - Reviews
• Further Review
• Section 7 - Definitions
• Section 8 - Authority and Associated Information

Section 1 - Key Information

Section 2 - Purpose

(1) La Trobe University is authorised by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) to deliver and issue VET qualifications for nationally recognised training and assessment within its scope of registration (Registered Training Organisation ID 3899).

(2) As a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) the University is authorised to deliver the Certificate IV in Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Management (Cert IV ACHM) under contract with and on behalf of First Peoples - State Relations (FPSR) which operates within the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet. FPSR is the owner of this qualification, registered with the Victorian Registration and Quality Authority (VRQA).

(3) This Policy outlines the key processes for assuring the academic quality and consistency in the delivery of this course by the La Trobe RTO and its continuing compliance with the:

1. National Vocational Education and Training Regulator (Outcome Standards for NVR Registered Training Organisations) Instrument 2025
2. Credential Policy Standards for Registered Training Organisations.

(4) Except where otherwise indicated in this Policy, corresponding La Trobe University policies in relation to courses, assessment and certification do not apply to the Cert IV ACHM.

Section 3 - Scope

(5) This Policy applies to:

1. all staff or contractors delivering training and assessment and authorising the issue of certification for the Cert IV ACHM;
2. other La Trobe staff associated with delivery of the Cert IV ACHM;
3. all students enrolled in the Cert IV ACHM.

Section 4 - Key Decisions

Section 5 - Policy Statement

(6) The La Trobe RTO ensures that students in the Cert IV ACHM have a quality educational experience and that they are supported to achieve the knowledge and skills that are consistent with the learning elements/outcomes for each of the units of competency. This is achieved by ensuring that:

1. course design and delivery is:
   1. culturally safe and culturally responsive, recognising and valuing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and supporting practices that promote safety, respect and inclusion for all learners;
   2. informed by consistent engagement with appropriate industry and community stakeholders, in particular Traditional Owners, the Aboriginal cultural heritage industry, and related government departments;
   3. well structured, engaging and appropriately paced.
2. training and assessment of students in the Cert IV ACHM is conducted by trainers and assessors who have appropriate qualifications, skills and vocational (employment) competencies for their roles, as outlined in the Credential Policy Standards for Registered Training Organisations (Section 1 A-E), and the VET Governance Policy.
3. assessment is designed, mapped and tested against the outcome elements and the performance criteria listed in each unit of competency being delivered. This includes scheduled formal validation;
4. delivery facilities, equipment, and resources are safe, accessible, appropriate and sufficient;
5. the Cert IV ACHM is only awarded to students who are assessed as meeting all the requirements of the course.

Section 6 - Procedures

Part A - Training and Assessment Practice

Competency-Based Training

(7) The Cert IV ACHM is a competency-based training course. Skills and knowledge are delivered and assessed at the standard required in a related job or industry. Applicants who have skills and knowledge gained through previous experience or education can apply for credit or recognition of prior learning (see VET Students Policy).

Qualifications to Assess

(8) Final assessment decisions can only be made by a compliant qualified trainer and assessor, in accordance with the VET Governance Policy. Trainers and assessors who are under supervision may contribute to the assessment.

Training and Assessment Strategy

(9) The VET Senior Educator is responsible for developing a Training and Assessment Strategy (TAS) for each delivery occurrence. The TAS is reviewed by the VET Program Manager and the VET Chief Executive Officer (VET CEO) and endorsed by internal and external stakeholders, including FPSR, prior to the commencement of each occurrence of the course.

(10) The VET Program Manager working with the VET Senior Educator ensures that assessment practices comply with the Principles of Assessment (fairness, flexibility, validity and reliability) and the Rules of Evidence (validity, sufficiency, authenticity and currency) by ensuring that:

1. assessments are designed and mapped clearly against each unit of competency, showing how assessment methods align with the prescribed outcomes in the unit elements and performance criteria;
2. where unit content is delivered concurrently or holistically, assessment tasks are mapped to demonstrate delivery against the appropriate unit of competency (clusters);
3. adjustments and Reasonable Adjustments are made to assessment tasks to account for individual learner needs (see Adjustments to Assessment section below);
4. re-assessment and appeals are made available (see Review and Re-Assessment section below);
5. assessors interpret evidence for assessment consistently and results are comparable between students;
6. assessments demonstrate quality, quantity, relevance and vocational currency and the assessment is judged to be the student’s own work;
7. students are judged competent where:
   1. their work clearly demonstrates performance that is aligned to the unit/s of competency elements and associated assessment requirements;
   2. the assessor is confident that the student will be able to demonstrate the skills and knowledge in a similar situation;
8. each assessment activity is assessed as competent (C), not yet competent (NYC), or not competent (NC). A student is recorded as competent in a unit of competency when all assessment activities for the unit have been assessed as competent.

(11) All assessments must be satisfactorily competed by the date advised in the current Information for Students Handbook. Any assessments submitted after this date will not be marked and will be graded NC.

Adjustments for Learning and Assessment

(12) Assessors will make adjustments to assessment methods and tools to enable students from a range of backgrounds to demonstrate competence. Such adjustments may include substituting oral responses, presentations or drawing for written tasks, or allowing extra time or different assessment environments where appropriate.

(13) The VET Senior Educator is responsible for:

1. managing the provision of Reasonable Adjustments where these are requested by students, with the support of the La Trobe Accessibility Team where required, and in accordance with the Disability Policy;
2. documenting all adjustments on individual student files.

Review and Re-Assessment

(14) Students have the right to seek a review of an assessment decision where they have grounds that the original assessment failed to follow the criteria for the task a published in the Learner Guide for the relevant unit. The student must provide evidence to support the grounds claimed.

(15) Students with queries or concerns about an assessment task or outcome (i.e. they have been assessed as Not Competent [NC]) shall first ask the assessor or VET Senior Educator to review the work with them.

(16) If the student is not satisfied with the result of the review, they may request the VET Senior Educator to facilitate a re-assessment of the task.

(17) The VET Senior Educator will determine whether the request complies with the requirements in this Procedure and whether the reasons given by the student warrant the assessment being re-marked. If the VET Senior Educator decides against a re-mark, they will notify the student providing reasons for the rejection and how the student may seek a further review of this decision.

(18) Where the VET Senior Educator agrees to a re-mark they will arrange for a suitably qualified internal or external assessor.

(19) The VET Senior Educator will advise the student of the outcome of the decision of the re-marker as soon as possible.

Further Review

(20) A student whose request for a re-mark is rejected may seek a review from the Dean of the school responsible for the subject. The Dean or their nominee will investigate and either direct a re-mark or confirm the original mark and advise the student of the outcome within 10 business days.

Validation and Moderation

Validation

(21) The VET Program Manager and VET Senior Educator are responsible for ensuring that:

1. assessment in the Cert IV ACHM is validated to ensure that the design of assessment and judgements of competence are consistent with the intentions of the assessment task;
2. a comprehensive review of assessment tasks is undertaken at least once every five (5) years, and more frequently if risk is identified in response to feedback from industry, trainers, assessors or students, to ensure tasks are aligned with the elements and performance criteria by unit;
3. validation is undertaken by one or more compliant assessors with appropriate industry currency. A trainer directly involved in assessment of the course cannot be the sole validator;
4. assessment tasks are modified or adjusted in line with the outcomes of the validation process.

Moderation

(22) Where there is more than one assessor for a particular unit of competency, the VET Program Manager and VET Senior Educator ensure that assessors will moderate their assessment methods, procedures and judgements against the unit performance criteria to ensure quality, consistency and fairness, prior to finalising results. Judgements will be reviewed following this process and adjusted if required.

Part B - Completion Requirements

(23) A student must be assessed as competent in all units of competency to meet the requirements for completion and graduation.

Attendance

(24) The Cert IV ACHM course involves active learning on campus and on Country, therefore face-to-face attendance is required. In order to fulfil the requirements of the course, students must attend at least 85% of classes. Allowable absences include:

1. absence due to illness or other circumstances, such as unexpected family, employment, cultural or community circumstances requiring immediate attention, supported by discussions with the VET Senior Educator and medical information where appropriate;
2. non-attendance due to credit granted or recognition for prior learning and skills.

(25) Where a student’s attendance falls below 85%, the student will be required to show cause. Acceptable reasons for absence are outlined above.

(26) If the student fails to show cause, or if the student is deemed by the VET Senior Educator to not provide sufficient evidence for their absence, the student may be withdrawn from the course. The student may be eligible to re-enrol for a future course occurrence. 

Part C - Record Management

(27) Any medical information (including medical certificates) submitted by students in support of requests for Reasonable Adjustments, or to provide evidence for absences, is managed in accordance with the Privacy Policy and the Records Management Policy.

Part D - Certification

(28) In accordance with Division 2 of the Compliance Standards the La Trobe RTO issues certification of qualifications (testamurs, Records of Results and Statements of Attainment) to both current and past students. Security and authentication arrangements are ensured, including the compliant use of the Nationally Recognised Training (NRT) logo, appropriate signatories, and all AQF qualification certification provisions. 

(29) Unless otherwise advised by ASQA the La Trobe RTO will not issue a VET qualification or a VET Statement of Attainment to a student unless they have a verified Unique Student Identifier (USI) on file.

(30) Students who complete the requirements for the Cert IV ACHM qualification receive a Testamur and a Record of Results. Students who partially complete the requirements for the qualification receive a Statement of Attainment certifying the unit/s of competency in which they have been assessed as competent.

(31) Statements of Attainment and Records of Result/Testamurs are issued within 30 calendar days of completion, where at least one unit of the training product is assessed as competent, and where there are no outstanding fees payable to the La Trobe RTO.

(32) Students may apply for copies of certification documentation in accordance with the La Trobe Qualifications Issuance Policy.

Part E - Industry Consultation and Course Review

(33) The Cert IV ACHM is delivered across Victoria on Traditional Owner lands. Consultation with the Aboriginal cultural heritage industry and related government departments is built into course design, delivery and review.

(34) The VET Program Manager and VET Senior Educator work with FPSR, and industry and community stakeholders, via an annual meeting of the Industry and Education Course Registration Reference Group (IECRRG), to endorse the TAS for each Cert IV ACHM course occurrence.

(35) The La Trobe RTO team meets regularly during all training occurrences to maintain compliant delivery based on the continuous improvement plan, the appropriate TAS, liaison with stakeholders and contract managers, and data from formal feedback processes.

Continuous Improvement

(36) It is the responsibility of the VET Program Manager, in consultation with the VET Senior Educator, to review the continuous improvement plan annually and to develop actions for the following year. The contents of the plan are informed by:

1. formal feedback from students (from opportunities provided after each training week);
2. feedback from guest speakers, including Traditional Owner groups;
3. the engagement of an external consultant each year to run the voluntary Most Significant Change (MSC) and Keep Drop Add (KDA) processes resulting in a final report that is filed and examined by both the La Trobe RTO and FPSR;
4. discussions with staff, key stakeholders and the Cert IV ACHM IECRRG.

Part F - Reviews

(37) Students may seek a review of a decision made under this Policy where they are of the view that this Policy has not been correctly applied.

(38) Students should first seek a review with the staff member who made the decision. Where students feel unable to do this, or are not satisfied with the outcome, they may seek a review from the VET Program Manager, or where they are the decision maker, the VET CEO.

(39) A request to review a decision must be lodged in writing to the relevant decision maker within 10 business days of the relevant process or decision.

(40) A written outcome will be provided within 10 business days of the date the request was received.

(41) A request to review the decision may be dismissed where the applicant cannot substantiate their request in line with the allowable grounds.

Further Review

(42) Where a student is not satisfied with the outcome of a review they may apply to the University Ombudsman for a further review of the matter, in accordance with the University’s Ombudsman Statute and Regulations.

(43) If a student is not satisfied with the outcome of the review of the University Ombudsman, they may lodge a complaint with the Victorian Ombudsman.

Section 7 - Definitions

(44) For the purpose of this policy and procedure:

1. adjustments: a commitment to a range of assessment methods beyond written tasks that can be used to demonstrate competency.
2. Australian Skills Quality Agency (ASQA): the national regulator for Australia’s vocational education and training sector. ASQA regulates courses and training providers to ensure nationally approved quality standards are met. ASQA is the regulating body appointed by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations – DEWR to manage its VET legislative instruments. 
3. disability: the definition of disability adopted by the La Trobe University RTO is that which appears in Section 4 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.
4. elements: the core outcomes required to demonstrate competency in a work function.
5. industry stakeholders: current subject matter experts from the relevant industries, employers and government departments.
6. KDA: ‘Keep Drop Add’ workshop run by external consultants on annual basis.
7. moderation: the set of processes aimed at aligning assessor judgements about student performance on assessment tasks.
8. MSC: Most Significant Change evaluation process conducted by consultants that uses interviews to examine student experiences across the year.
9. NRT Logo: nationally recognised training logo used under authority by VET providers across Australia and following conditions of use instructions.
10. Reasonable Adjustments: changes or modifications to the learning environment that support students with a permanent or temporary disability to participate in their course on the same basis as non-disabled students while ensuring that the inherent requirements of the course are met.
11. Registered Training Organisation (RTO): a vocational educational provider registered with government and regulated by state and/or a national body that provides students with nationally recognised training (NRT) that results in qualifications and statements of attainment that are accepted by industry and other educational institutions throughout Australia.
12. validation: the process of ensuring that assessment tools produce valid reliable, sufficient, current and authentic evidence to enable reasonable judgements to be made as to whether the requirements of the unit are met.
13. VET: Vocational Education and Training developed and governed by the Commonwealth Department of Employment and Workplace Relations and delivered across secondary schools, private and government funded organisations including TAFE colleges.
14. Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA): the Victorian Registration Quality Authority, responsible for the registration of VET training products (including the Cert IV ACHM) and for the registration of RTOs that only deliver training in Victoria.

Section 8 - Authority and Associated Information

(45) This Policy is made under the La Trobe University Act 2009.

(46) Associated information includes:

1. Certificate IV in Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Management, Information for Students Handbook.