Communications Policy

Preamble

ACI Global caters for the Professional Development of Learners, Graduates, Professionals and those with special needs. As an educational institution, we are committed to embrace the Corporate Social Responsibility of our organisational clients and their participating learners to the ongoing Accelerating Continuous Improvement (ACI) to become the desired level of achievers.

Individual Learners, Graduates, Professionals and those with special needs, are afforded the same level of commitment.

Rationale

At ACI Global, our aim is to be proactive in strengthening positive partnerships between the ACI Global Academy and its Interested Parties including:

• Sponsoring organisations;
• Learners;
• Graduates;
• Professionals;
• Learners with special needs;
• The wider business community;
• Industry; and,
• Legal and Regulatory Institutions.

Through effective and meaningful communication ACI Global aims to ensure the ongoing professional development of employees from all sectors of Industry. Effective and timely two-way communication is integral to this partnership.

Values

ACI Global, through its Academy partners, nurtures the Interested Parties in their ongoing professional development, provides a balanced education that targets their academic, physical, social and emotional development. The best outcomes for ACI Global and its Interested Parties, will be achieved when each contributes their different perspectives and insights to the partnership, in open and inclusive communication. This generates trust and respect.

Policy Statement

ACI Global and its Academy strives to: -

• Create a culture of open and respectful communication that promotes closer collaboration;
• Foster close communication between its Interested Parties;
• Keep its Interested Parties regularly informed about its expectations, and, the status of each learners’ activities and professions development;
• Ensure there is well structured formal program of communication with its Interested Parties, and, ensuring there is effective communication outside these formal opportunities.

ACI Academy seeks timely, honest and complete information about their individual learners, from its Interested Parties. Sponsoring Organisations are to ensure the individual contact information provided to the Academy, remains accurate and current.

All communication between the ACI Academy and its Interested Parties will be respectful, professional and underpinned by appropriate privacy and confidentiality agreement.

Implementation

Formal Communication

As circumstances require, this may include –

• electronic and paper media including work generated (Sponsoring Organisation);
• learners and facilitation information sessions;
• sharing of ACI Global’s Quality Assurance Policy’s;
• meetings, both in person and/or Electronically, and
• telephone and personal contact.

Continuous Professional Development Guarantee (CPD) - compiled in collaboration with its Interested Parties including Learners, Graduates, Professionals and Sponsoring Organisations. It proposes actions for both the Learner and their Sponsoring Organisation over an agreed time frame up to 3 years, against the key objectives for ACI Global and its Academy.

The Managing Director reports on the progress achieved by all learners and their sponsoring organisations in line with the ACI Global Annual Corporate Social Responsibility Statement by the end of March each year.

Academy policies - developed by ACI Global in consultation with its Interested Parties are available on the ACI Global website or upon request within the ACI Global Academy.

Individual Learners Learning Outcomes Transcript and Scoring Methodology - provided to all learners (Graduates, Professionals and Special Needs) at the time of enrolment. Learners will be notified of any changes to the Academy policy and procedures. At the completion of any course or program, Learners are provided a full and comprehensive Learning Outcomes Transcript for each Competency Unit undertaken.

Sponsoring Organisations Outcomes Transcript and Scoring Methodology - provided to Sponsoring Organisations at the time of enrolment. Sponsoring Organisations will be notified of any changes to the Academy policy and procedures. At the completion of any course or program the Sponsoring Organisation is provided a full and comprehensive Learning Outcomes Transcript for each Competency Unit undertaken by the Learner (Graduate, Professional or Special Needs Learner).

Administrator and Facilitators monthly report to the Directors and Executive Team - highlights resourcing and operational issues relevant to the general Academy. The Administrator additionally provides a monthly report to the Board of Directors and Executive Team.

Facilitator and Individual Learner Information - held at the beginning of each course or program to provide information to the Learner (Graduate, Professional or Special Needs Learner). It includes the opportunity for all learners and their sponsoring organisations to commence the learner, facilitator and sponsoring organisations partnership.

Facilitators progress report – available to both Learners (Graduates, Professionals Special Needs Learners) and their Sponsoring Organisations are available online within the ACI Academy.

Learner – Facilitator Interviews – formal and informal interviews are held at the completion of each assessment as arranged by both the Learner and their assigned facilitator.

Academic reports (electronic) – issued at the completion of each course or program.

Communication outside the formal program

The use of emails or Microsoft Teams is the preferred method of distributing information within the ACI Academy. Sponsoring Organisations should clearly indicate to the learner’s facilitator, if they have a preference for receiving information in paper form.

Matters of concerns such as a learner’s lack of progress or if inappropriate actions have been detected such as plagiarism or cheating, facilitators will contact the learner and their sponsoring organisation as soon as possible to report the observation and make an appointment to meet in person. In matters of plagiarism or cheating the, without reasonable grounds, the Learner will be suspended in accordance to ACI Global’s Policies.

The ACI Global Academy Administrator will contact any special needs guardian and/or Sponsoring organisations, if changes are needed over and above what has been agreed prior to commencing of learning.

The Sponsoring Organisation may approach the ACI Global Academy Administrator directly but to avoid disruption to the learner’s schedule, they should do so only at mutually convenient times as agreed by both parties.

Raising Concerns

At times the sponsoring organisation may have concerns regarding their learner’s academic progress, social relationships or a general e learning matter. These concerns should be raised directly with the learner’s facilitator in the first instance, without delay.

Procedure for contacting a facilitator or specialist special needs facilitator. When a sponsoring organisation wishes to contact a member of ACI Global’s Academic staff the procedure is to contact the facilitator involved giving a brief outline of the issue or concern.

Contact should be made using one of the following approaches:

1. Contact the ACI Academy, either by phone or email, and arrange for the facilitator to contact you to arrange a suitable meeting time. Facilitators are not usually available to answer phone calls or emails without suitable notification timing;
2. Contact the appropriate facilitator via email, asking them to organise a suitable meeting time either by Microsoft Teams, phone or email; and,
3. Speak briefly with the appropriate facilitator, and request that they arrange a suitable meeting time.

Where the facilitator has been approached and the issue remains unresolved, an appointment should be made with the ACI Global Academy Administrator to discuss the issue further. Except in exceptional circumstances, the Administrator will ensure that all pertinent information is relayed to the Facilitator involved so that all relevant information may be considered in seeking a mutually beneficial resolution.

The ACI Global Administrator is available to meet with the sponsoring organisation where they have an issue, concern or matter of interest about the general operation of the Academy. Where a mutually suitable time is not available for a period of days the Administrator will offer an opportunity to discuss the concerns with the academy’s Assistant administrator or mentor.

Issues arising between learners and sponsoring organisations: From time to time, differences in expectation and disappointments about delivery will give rise to tensions and disagreement in the partnership between the Academy, Learner and their Sponsoring Organisation. Both Academy and sponsoring organisation are responsible for respectful communication about these concerns. All matters of concern must, in the first instance, be addressed to the ACI Global Academy.

A sponsoring organisation should only approach the learner with an academy related issue, and not an non-academy issue. Such matters must be addressed to the Administrator or Assistant Administrator (Mentor).

Only after this courtesy is afforded to the ACI Global Academy may the matter, that cannot be resolved locally, be referred to an independent Arbitrator for resolution.

Communication Strategy with the Wider Community

ACI Global issues an Annual Corporate Social Responsibility Statement (CSR) to promote the works of the ACI Global Academy and to encourage Community, Industry, National and International participation in the Academy's activities.

As an International Academy, we also encourage the wider community to browse our ACI Global website to gain the most current and relevant information about our Academy community.

Communication on behalf of the Academy with any external bodies, including the media, must be approved by the Managing Director.

ACI Global and its Academy believes that we exist successfully, within the respectful relationships formed with learners, gradates, professionals and their sponsoring organisations, together with Industry and relevant authorities, in the context of the wider National and International community.

We support and encourage each other in our endeavours to provide the best opportunities for the learners in our care, and trust that there is no situation that cannot be addressed through working together in active partnerships of the learner and their sponsoring organisations within the ACI Global Academy.

In all circumstances our actions must be based on ethics and the philosophy of "Do it Once, do it Right”.