Debbie Whitehead. 2012

RPL stands for: R ecognition of P rior L earning.

This is a process which recognises which skills and knowledge you already have in relation to a course or qualification you plan to do. In simple terms it is a way that you may take assessment for individual units in a course, rather than attending classes for that unit/s.

You may already have skills and knowledge that you have gained through past work (paid or voluntary), life experience and previous education and training. If you think you are able to provide some sort of evidence to prove that you already have the some relevant skills/knowledge you may apply for RPL so you may not have to do the training in your course work.

RPL is based on whether your experience and/or qualifications meet the standards (performance criteria) which is expected in each unit of your course. The process requires that you collate, and then present evidence to support your claim of 'competency'.

Assessment for RPL varies from case to case or person to person. Assessment methods may include:  Filling in a mapping document to describe how you have already demonstrated competency against some standards for chosen course. This method requires that you have a range of documents to back up your claim.  Undertaking assessment tasks.  Undertaking a workplace assessment or interview.  A combination of the above.

1. Enrol into the course and pay relevant fees. 2. Make an appointment with the assessor for an RPL Interview. 3. Begin to work on your application 4. Submit your application for assessment. (Remember to continue your classes until you have received a result from your submission just in case your application is not successful)

For an RPL application you will be required to attend an interview. The purpose of the interview is to:  Explain the requirements of the RPL application  Agree upon the most appropriate methods of assessment for your individual circumstances  Explain how to build your portfolio of evidence to submit for assessment  Discuss the types of evidence that may be relevant to your submission.

You will be provided with a ' mapping' form to fill in. This document has instructions that will help to guide you through the process of building your portfolio for submission. You will need to carefully fill in the form with all of your relevant experience against the standards you're applying for, and then provide some documentary evidence to support what you're saying.

Examples of this evidence may include:  Resume & Job descriptions  Any relevant references or letters of support from employers, supervisors, clients or colleagues.  Proof of employment with details of your work responsibilities  Certificates or statements about your education, training, personal or professional development  Relevant work samples such as memos, essays, folios, completed work products  Outlines of courses you have undertaken  Any other information which will aid your assessment.

ELEMENTPERFORMANCE CRITERIAMY EXPERIENCE EVIDENCE SUPPLIED LOCATION IN PORTFOLIO These are the standards that you must meet 1.Define project 1.1Access project scope and other relevant documentation 1.2Define project stakeholders 1.3Seek clarification from delegating authority of any issues related to project and project parameters 1.4Identify limits of own responsibility and reporting requirements 1.5Clarify relationship of project to other projects and to the organisation’s objectives 1.6Determine and access available resources to undertake project This is where you tell your story about your experience 2010CALD Regional Leaders project (Acfe funded project) Project administered by AMES to promote engagement of new settlers into ACE organizations statewide. The project involved delivering a range of professional development to ACE organizations in providing culturally relevant services to settlers in their own communities. My role to: develop the project plan including work plans and timelines Gain participation from the CALD learners in the programI have been involved in many projects both as a project worker and as a project manager. Gain participation from their tutors in gathering information from the learners on their needs Coordinate gathering and analyses of data Report to key stakeholders on progress throughout the project Monitor the progress of the project team Evaluate the project for outcomes and processes Write final report for submission This is where you state what evidence you are providing to support what you are saying Project workers job description Project plan Project review and evaluation Project report Project website Each piece of evidence needs to be clearly identified so your assessor can locate it easily Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 3 Appendix 4 wikispaces.net/ 2. Develop project plan 2.1 Develop project plan including timelines, work breakdown structure, role and responsibilities and other details of how the project will be managed in relation to the project parameters 2.2 Identify and access appropriate project management tools 2.3 Formulate risk management plan for project, including occupational health and safety (OHS) 2.4 Develop and approve project budget 2.5 Consult team members and take their views into account in planning the project 2.6Finalise project plan and gain any necessary approvals to commence project according to documented plan 3. Administer and monitor project 3.1. Take action to ensure project team members are clear about their responsibilities and the project requirements 3.2 Provide support for project team members, especially with regard to specific needs, to ensure that the quality of the expected outcomes of the project and documented time lines are met 3.3 Establish and maintain required record keeping systems throughout the project 3.4 Implement and monitor plans for managing project finances, resources (human, physical and technical) and quality 3.5 Complete and forward project reports as required to stakeholders 3.6 Undertake risk management as required to ensure project outcomes are met 3.7Achieve project deliverables 4. Finalise project 4.1 Complete financial record keeping associated with project and check for accuracy 4.2 Assign staff involved in project to new roles or reassign to previous roles 4.3 Complete project documentation and obtain any necessary sign offs for concluding project 5. Review project 5.1 Review project outcomes and processes against the project scope and plan 5.2 Involve team members in the project review 5.3 Document lessons learnt from the project and report within the organisation

The key to good quality evidence is:  Current - The evidence you supply is up to date and applicable to today's workplace  Valid - The evidence is directly relevant to the competency standard required  Authentic - It must be able be authenticated as your own work, skill or knowledge (not plagiarised, forged or someone else's work  Sufficient - One source of evidence is not sufficient, in most cases a range of sources of evidence will be necessary.

'Competency is the consistent application of knowledge and skill to the standard of performance required in the workplace. It embodies the ability to transfer and apply skills and knowledge to new situations and environments'.

Current competence is that your skills & knowledge are up to date and still currently applicable and able to be applied in today's workforce.

Where applicable, credit will be given and recorded for identical modules or units of competence completed elsewhere (another RTO). Exemptions will be granted and recorded for achievement of the equivalence of a module/unit of competence if you can produce your statement of results from another RTO for the identical unit. You DO NOT have to make an RPL application for credit transfer.

If you require any further information about applying for RPL, speak to your course provider or your tutor. The information in this presentation is available at: house.org.au/Recognition+Pathway house.org.au/Recognition+Pathway