Standing Offer Panel - Vocational Education & Training

Background

Defence is one of the largest vocational education and training (VET) providers in Australia. TC-A is one of four Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) in Defence. As the Army RTO, TC-A is responsible for ensuring that all Army personnel have the competencies which they require to perform their jobs. Training covers from basic life skills through trade and professional courses to post-graduate qualifications. Employment categories include jobs as diverse as musician through to helicopter pilot.

TC-A has over 1,100 training and education courses that it delivers in 42 training establishments distributed in every state and territory in Australia. TC-A delivers:

a. Over 400 VET Qualifications;

b. 1.5 million training days per year;

c. up to 5,000 students in training each day; and

d. 40,000 training opportunities per year.


Objectives

The primary objective of SOPVET is to deal with peak workloads and special initiatives related to VET projects.

Key to achieving this objective is the rapid, efficient and cost effective acquisition of goods and/or services, which TC-A requires to analyse, design, develop, evaluate and continue to improve education and training of Defence personnel.

SOPVET provides a panel of Service Providers who have been qualified for specific VET Service Categories with agreed to conditions of contract, administrative arrangements, and maximum service rates and miscellaneous charges. This will considerably reduce the required duration, resources and costs involved in the administration of procurement of VET services.

SOPVET also facilitates the monitoring and on-going performance reporting of contracted Services Providers through standard assessment templates, key performance indicators (KPIs) and processes, which will be available to all future SOPVET users.

SOPVET improves customer relations between TC-A and Services Providers through arrangements equitably applied to all Service Providers and formal performance assessment, feedback, continuous improvements to contract administration and project management.

These activities have established strategic relationships between TC-A and the Australian training community. Improved concepts, principles, techniques and technologies can be imported into TC-A from the private sector and other training establishments.


SOPVET Service Scope

TC-A established SOPVET to enable it to rapidly acquire consultancy and other training support services to enhance its capabilities. The following VET Service Categories are included within SOPVET:

a. DTM Analysis: the need for training is analysed and specified.

b. DTM Design: the assessment and learning strategies for training are selected, along with strategies for evaluating the whole process for preparing for and then conducting training. The objective of these strategies is to ensure that the learning is achieved as efficiently and effectively as possible, and that it meets the original requirement.

c. DTM Development: the material and equipment used to deliver training and assess outcomes are obtained, all resources contributing to training are prepared, and a trial of the whole program and/or course is conducted.

d. DTM Evaluation: a check is performed to assess how well training has prepared trainees for the workplace and, related to this, whether the original workplace performance requirements have been met.

e. Specialist Training Research and Consultancy: the services of training research and consultancy Service Providers, that are highly skilled and experienced in one or more aspects and/or areas of training, including preparation of Doctrine, VET business case plans, research into training techniques and technologies, research into vocational - trade - industrial areas, educational and post-secondary VET research, and other areas of specialist training research and consultancy.

f. Management and ICT Consultancy: the services of management and ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) consultancy Service Providers, that have broad skill sets and highly experienced personnel within the consultancy industry, especially in government and/or military type organisations.

g. Course Administration and Contracting Out: the services of course administration and contracting out Service Providers, that are able to handle the administration of (before, during and after) courses and/or contracting out of specific course requirements, including venues, catering, audio-visual equipment, materials and equipment used by trainees, guest lecturers and presenters, and other items and personnel required to conduct vocational education and training.

h. Training Support Recruitment Agency: the services of Training Recruitment Agencies, in order to contract specifically skilled staff for periods of a few weeks to twelve or more months. These contract personnel will be under the direct management of Defence personnel.

i. Excluded from scope of SOPVET: provision of services to assist with:
- DTM's Conduct Phase (actual presentation of courses);
- Human Resource Management and Career Counselling;
- musical performance and instruction;
- role playing; and
- doctrine editing and copywriting.


DTM: Defence Training Model as described in Doctrine and Training Series ADFP 7.0.2 - The Defence Training Model (16/03/2005)