Policy Development Policy

1. Purpose

To establish the principles for the development, review, and maintenance of CIT policies and procedures, ensuring that all policies and procedures are consistent, relevant, easily understood, and developed to a common institutional standard.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all policy and procedures across CIT and all staff that work with the development review and maintenance of policy and procedures.

3. Principles

3.1 CIT operates in a highly regulated environment and must comply with a range of Commonwealth and ACT legislation and standards to maintain its status as a registered training organisation (RTO).

3.2 Policies ensure compliance with laws and regulations, give guidance for decision-making, and streamline internal processes while procedures provide a roadmap for day-to-day operations.

3.3 CIT has Governing Board Instructions, its own policies and also operates under some ACT Government policies.

3.4 Policies and procedures are to be written using clear, constructive, and strengths based language that supports understanding and effective implementation, affirms expected behaviours, promotes good practice, and fosters a culture of respect, professionalism, and continuous improvement consistent with the Standards for RTOs.

3.5 All CIT policies and procedures are uploaded to the CIT website as part of the ACT Government Open Access requirements in the Freedom of Information Act 2016.

3.6 A central CIT Policy Register is maintained by Audit, Risk and Corporate Governance.

3.7 All policies must be approved by either the Board or a delegate.  New education policies must be approved by the Academic Council before being approved by the CEO.

3.8 All policies must:

1. have an assigned policy owner who is responsible for the development, review and maintenance of their respective policy
2. have a unique TRIM container
3. be principles based
4. be developed, reviewed and maintained following the CIT Guide to Policies and Procedures
5. comply with legal requirements
6. be succinct, easily understood and not overly detailed
7. contain clear language and use terms that have clear natural meaning
8. be classified under one or more of the following categories: student, staff, training, corporate
9. be approved by the policy owner or approved delegate
10. once approved, be communicated to the CIT community by Newsfeed announcement and recorded in the central policy register
11. be reviewed every three years from the date of approval, or earlier if required.

3.9 Policy owners are required to ensure that appropriate consultation / agreement is sought from the CIT Board or the Executive Management Committee, if necessary.

3.10 Staff consultation should be conducted for new policies and policies with major amendments such as changes in legislation or changes that directly impact staff and students. Minor changes to a policy do not require staff consultation.

3.11 Publication of the draft policy and associated procedure on the Policy should be for a two week period unless there are extenuating circumstances or where the change is considered minor by the delegate.

3.12 Communication by the policy owner (or delegate) of the new policy or major amendments must occur within 48 hours of the publication on the website to all impacted cohorts (i.e. staff, students, industry partners).

3.13 Policies may be removed or revoked. Prior to this occurring approval from the policy owner, including the reason it is no longer required, must be submitted to Audit, Risk and Corporate Governance for removal from the website and recording in the Policy Register.

4. Documentation

Canberra Institute of Technology Act 1987

5. Definitions

Policy - Policies are principles based and more general in nature than legislation and state the general approach taken when making administrative decisions that affect staff or student rights and obligations. Policies may be required by legislation.

Procedure - Procedures define the detailed operational action (e.g. processes, templates, forms, etc.) required to support policies. Each procedure should be linked to a policy.

6. Policy Contact Officer

For more information about this policy contact Executive Branch Manager Audit, Risk and Corporate Governance.

For general information please contact the Audit, Risk and Corporate Governance team at arcg@cit.edu.au.

Contact CIT Student Services on (02) 6207 3188 or email infoline@cit.edu.au for further information.

7. Procedures

This policy is implemented through the Policy Development Procedure. Authority to make changes to the procedures rests with the policy owner.