The FACOPS Training Program is delivered by fmedge facility management training on behalf of the Directorate of Estate Operations (DEO).  fmedge is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO), authorised to deliver qualifications within the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). 

DEFINITIONS

• Accreditation. The accreditation process allows staff to use their DFT coursework as a pre-cursor to obtain a full Unit of Competency from fmedge.
• Certificate of Attendance. fmedge will issue a Certificate of Attendance to Trainees who are enrolled on their Learning Management System (LMS), attend an entire training course and complete the exercises for that course.
• Competencies. A competency is a nationally recognised Unit under the AQF, and can be used by itself or put towards a Qualification. It normally consists of a number of learning/training objectives which can be achieved by a combination of attendance; assessment of exercises, course work, a Portfolio of Evidence (POE); or Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).  They are normally referred to as Units of Competency and achievement is recognised by the issue of a Statement of Attainment.
• Qualification. A qualification is issued by a RTO, higher education institution, or a professional association.  Examples of qualifications are diplomas and degrees.  A qualification normally consists of a number of Units of Competency.
• Statement of Attainment. A Statement of Attainment is issued on completion of a Unit of Competency.

RECOGNITION OF DFT

Certificate of Attendance. DFT courses are not full Units of Competency so a Statement of Attainment will not be issued.  In lieu, Trainees who attend and complete DFT courses will be issued a Certificate of Attendance.  To qualify for a Certificate of Attendance, Trainees will need to:

• Attend the entire course.
• Sign the Attendance Record each day.
• Be Registered with fmedge as a Trainee on their Learning Management System (LMS) and Student Management System (SMS). Details on how to Register can be found on the DFT Overview web page.
• Complete and submit the course exercises.

Providing these criteria have been met, fmedge will automatically send Certificates of Attendance to the Regional Training Coordinator who hosted the course, for distribution to Trainees.

Recognition of pre-DFT training.

Staff who completed pre-DFT (fmedge) facilities training can seek recognition of this training if they want to get accreditation for a Unit of Competency.  This situation may also apply to staff who completed a DFT pilot course and did not receive a Certificate of Attendance. 

The process for seeking recognition of pre-DFT facilities training is for the staff member to:

• Contact their Regional Training Coordinator and fmedge, advising that they have done pre-DFT facilities training, and that they want to Register with fmedge in their Student Management System (SMS) and enrol in DFTXX on the Learning Management System (LMS) with the intent of being accredited with  ABC Unit of Competency. 
• fmedge will confirm with DEO that the staff member did attend the pre-DFT facilities training. 
• Once registered in the fmedge Student Management System (SMS) and enrolled on the relevant course in the Learning Management System (LMS), the staff member will be required to complete and submit the on-line course exercises.  Once the staff member is credited with the DFTXX learning objectives, they will then need to complete the accreditation process as described below to gain the full Unit of Competency.

PMKeyS Recognition. PMKeyS will only record AQF recognised Units of Competency and qualifications, it does not record DFT training or Certificates of Attendance.

Accreditation

Staff who have done selected DFT courses can seek accreditation, undertake additional work, and obtain a Statement of Attainment for a full Unit of Competency.  Nine of the DFT courses have been mapped to Units of Competency within a Diploma of Property Services (Asset and Facility Management) or Diploma of Management.  The diagram below gives an overview of the pathways for each of these qualifications; and since some DFT courses map to Units of Competency in both qualifications, there is even an opportunity for staff to obtain a dual diploma.  Data sheets on each diploma and their Units of Competency can be accessed by following the above links to each qualification, and by then clicking on the text box labelled ‘Diploma’ on the right hand side of the pathway diagram for each diploma. 

Accreditation process

• The pre-requisites for accreditation are:
• Staff member has attended a DFT course, completed the course exercises and has a Certificate of Attendance OR
• Has received recognition of pre-DFT training.
• Staff member applies for accreditation using the DFT Accreditation Process.
• On DEO approval of the application, fmedge will:
• Assess the exercises submitted during the DFT course, and
• Send the staff member Guidance Notes and the Post Course Assessments Document required to complete the relevant Unit of Competency.
• Staff member completes the additional learning objectives by compiling a Portfolio of Evidence (POE) or by other means, and submits this to fmedge for assessment.
• fmedge assesses the submission, and on successful completion, will award a Statement of Attainment for the Unit of Competency.

Timings

• Unit of Competency. It is expected that most staff applying for accreditation will be able to complete the additional work within three to six months of their receiving the Guidance Notes and the Post Course Assessments Document for each Unit of Competency. 
• Diploma. DEO Scholarship participants will have a maximum of two years to complete all the DFT Units of Competency for the relevant qualification.

Funding for accreditation

The cost for accreditation for each Unit of Competency is $300:00. There are several options for funding for this payment:

• Defence sponsored:
• DEO Scholarship (see information below).
• ET&D Studybank (APS staff) or DASS (military staff) funding. 
• APS staff can apply for Studybank funding in accordance with Departmental Personnel Instruction 04/2007, which can reimburse up to 75% of the accreditation cost.
• Military staff may be entitled to DASS funding in accordance with Defence Instruction (General) Personnel 05-1.    
• Regional DSG funding. Staff may be able to obtain funding for accreditation from DS regional resources.
• Contractor sponsored. CMS staff may be able to obtain contractor funding for accreditation.
• Private payment. Individuals can opt to pay for accreditation themselves.

Payment to fmedge. fmedge will process accreditation payments as follows:

• DEO scholarships will be included in fmedge monthly invoices to DEO on completion of the assessment for each Unit of Competency.
• Staff who obtain other Defence funding for their accreditation will need to liaise with DEO and fmedge on payment arrangements on a case by case basis. 
• Contractors and individuals will need to arrange payment with fmedge under their normal commercial arrangements, which are for payment up front.

DEO Scholarships

DEO will sponsor four Defence Support staff from each of the 12 pre-DSO regions to help them obtain a diploma from fmedge.   The sponsorship will cover funding for the payment for accreditation ($300 per unit) for each DFT mapped Unit of Competency towards either a Diploma of Property Services (9 DFT units out of a total of 16 units) or a Diploma of Management (5 DFT units out of a total of 8 units).  Staff will need to apply for the scholarship using the DEO Scholarship Application Process.  Once approved, DEO will pay for each assessment as the Statement of Attainment is issued by fmedge.  Staff will have a maximum of two years to complete the Units of Competency covered by the DEO Scholarship.

Further information

fmedge: Please contact fmedge with queries or for more information:
Phone: 03 5428 7398
Email: defencefacilitiestraining@fmedge.com.au

FACOPS Systems Officer: Michael Romalis
Phone: 03 6237 2046
Email: michael.romalis@defence.gov.au