Guide: Writing Policy and Procedure Documents
Support guidance plus templates included
Get support to develop your own policy and procedure documents as part of the RTO's quality operating system.
The National Vocational Education and Training Regulator (Outcome Standards for NVR Registered Training Organisations) Instrument 2025 require RTOs to adopt a model of self-assurance whereby they clearly determine their own pathway to demonstrate the requirements for ongoing registration as a provider of VET in Australia.
The RTO must determine how they will meet the Outcome Standards, and document their approach considering all risk factors to affect operations, and the context of those operations.
Therefore, because every RTO is different, they will necessarily have different approaches to compliance. A ‘one size fits all’ and/or ‘off-the-shelf’ approach to policy and procedure documentation is not recommended by the regulator and has been flagged as a risk to quality and achieving compliance with the Outcome Standards’ requirements.
This tool aims to embed capability within RTOs to develop and write their own contextualised policies and procedures relevant to their specific circumstances.
In this guide you get:
- Explanation of the distinction between a policy and procedure and the application of each
- Examples showing the difference between policies and procedures
- Sample list of key regulatory requirements to which an RTO's policies and procedures should be aligned
- 5-step suggested process to plan the development of your policies and procedures
- Tips for writing effective polices
- Tips for developing clear procedures
- Tips for practical implementation within an RTO
- Examples of common challenges linked to policies and procedures - and suggested solutions to those
- Example list of policy and procedures for key RTO operational areas, including key elements of each document
- Review checklist
- Policy template example
- Procedure template example
- Sample listing of the types of policy and procedure documents commonly required by RTOs - aligned to the Outcome Standards and Compliance Requirements in force from 2025
This 40+ page guide will get you started on the foundations for a strong, quality-assured framework that supports consistent operations, reduces risk, and ultimately contributes to better outcomes for learners.
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- Updated 8.4.25