TAFE Structural
Adjustment Fund
Guidelines
May 2013
Published by the Higher Education and Skills Group
Department of Education and
Early Childhood Development
Melbourne
May 2013
© State of Victoria (Department of Education
and Early Childhood Development) 2013
The copyright in this document is owned by the
State of Victoria (Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development), or in the case of some materials, by third parties
(third party materials). No part may be reproduced by any process
except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968
Authorised by the Department of Education
and Early Childhood Development,
2 Treasury Place, East Melbourne, Victoria, 3002.
List of Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 1
Background ................................................................................................................................................... 1
Objectives of the Fund .................................................................................................................................. 2
Eligibility Requirements ................................................................................................................................. 2
Application Process ....................................................................................................................................... 5
Supporting Documentation ..................................................................................................................................... 6
Key Dates ................................................................................................................................................................. 7
Lodgement of Applications ...................................................................................................................................... 7
6. Proposals ineligible under the TSAF .............................................................................................................. 8
7. Evaluation Criteria ......................................................................................................................................... 8
8. Weighting of evaluation criteria .................................................................................................................. 11
9. Supplementary Information ........................................................................................................................ 12
10.
Funding Arrangements, Project Delivery and Reporting .......................................................................... 12
11.
Roles and Responsibilities ...................................................................................................................... 13
Program Sponsor .................................................................................................................................................. 13
TSAF Assessment Team ........................................................................................................................................ 13
Role of the Department ........................................................................................................................................ 13
12.
Further Questions .................................................................................................................................... 13
13.
Key Contacts ........................................................................................................................................... 14
Attachment A: TSAF Application Form ................................................................................................................. 15
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1. Introduction
The Victorian Government will provide $200 million over four years in contestable structural
reform funding under the TAFE Structural Adjustment Fund (TSAF). The funding will be
awarded for proposals from TAFE institutes for innovation, collaboration, structural reform
and business transformation.
The Victorian Government invites TAFE institutes to submit proposals under the TSAF for
projects that will support their transition to financial sustainability1 and demonstrate a
pathway to meeting commercial obligations.
All projects over $5 million will require a supporting business case that clearly demonstrates
how the investment will enable the TAFE institute/s to operate on a more financially
sustainable basis. Funding will be provided for both asset ($100 million) and operational
(non-asset, $100 million) initiatives.
Funding under the TSAF will be allocated through a transparent and contestable process.
These guidelines set out the eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria and the application
process for the TSAF.
2. Background
Funding and policy changes announced in 2012 will require TAFE institutes to be
increasingly commercial in their operations. As a consequence, TAFE institutes are now
required to address the less productive aspects of their operations, including some existing
business and operational processes, and low productivity assets.
The TAFE Reform Panel’s analysis of TAFE Transition Plans during 2012 identified that a
number of institutes have already identified changes in business processes and models of
delivery that will transition them to financial sustainability.
The Government is also providing TAFE institutes with a commercial objective to maintain
their investment as part of new strategic planning and commercial guidelines.2 The
investment will be maintained when the TAFE institute’s return on fixed non-current assets
is the weighted average cost of capital (WACC).
To assist TAFE institutes to further develop and implement innovation, collaboration,
structural reform and business transformation initiatives that transition them to a new
operating environment, the Government is providing support across three key areas:
 The appointment of independent Regional Facilitators to support regional TAFE
institutes to assist them to work through the implications of the recommendations of
the TAFE Reform Panel
 Funding for expert commercial and restructuring support provided to regional
institutes to examine a full range of options to transition them to financial
1
“Financial Sustainability” means the ability of the TAFE institutes to operate and invest as required without
financial support from the Government that is additional to the funding provided to all vocational training
providers on a competitively neutral basis and funding explicitly provided to meet community service obligations.
2
Published on 17 April 2013, these guidelines can be accessed at:
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/department/legislation/Pages/guidelines.aspx
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
sustainability, including the recommendations made by the TAFE Reform Panel in its
report A strong and sustainable Victorian TAFE Sector
For institutes that require support to ensure their ongoing financial sustainability,
funding will be provided for projects that deliver genuine improvements in financial
sustainability and demonstrate a pathway to meeting commercial obligations.
3. Objectives of the Fund
The Victorian Government is providing funding to TAFE institutes on a competitive basis to
support transformational projects (asset and non-asset) that will significantly advance
institutes’ ability to move towards financial sustainability and asset self-sufficiency.
The aim of the TSAF is to ensure that the TAFE system is strong and sustainable as TAFE
institutes transition to a competitively neutral training market. The funding is designed to
help build durable new structures and collaborations that help TAFE institutes to build
economies of scale and scope to improve services to their communities.
TAFE institutes applying for funding will need to demonstrate in their application (and
supporting business case for projects over $5 million) how funding will contribute to an
overall plan to enhance their commercial operation.
The fund will provide an opportunity for TAFE institutes to position themselves to respond to
changing financial and governance models, training markets, new technologies and industry
needs through innovation, collaboration, structural reform and business transformation.
Proposals should support expanded organisational capacity and capability for educational
innovation or corporate efficiency, and/or modern infrastructure as part of an overall asset
plan that increases asset utilisation and enables a smooth transition to new teaching
technologies and equipment.
The fund is intended to assist TAFE institutes to establish longer term financial stability.
While some TAFE institutes may choose to make structural changes to enhance an already
sound position and/or their market distinctiveness, those initiatives are not priorities of the
TSAF.
Before applying for TSAF funding, institutes should consider other sources of funding and
whether the TSAF is the most appropriate funding source.
The TSAF is not necessarily a sole funding source and institutes are encouraged to consider
alternative funding sources for projects, which may include, for example, own cash reserves,
borrowings, industry partnership/s, Commonwealth government funding streams, and/or
other Victorian Government funding sources.
4. Eligibility Requirements
Applications must:

be from public TAFE institutes as defined in the Education and Training Reform
Act 2006 (Vic) as at 1 April 2013

demonstrate that the request will enable the TAFE institute to significantly
enhance their capacity to operate on a commercial basis

have regard to the program guidelines and the total value of the program.
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TAFE institutes may submit individual applications and/or collaborate as partner institutions
on joint applications.
There is no limit on the number of applications each TAFE institute may submit. If
submitting more than one application, the TAFE institute must rank each project in order of
priority.
The Government will be open to all proposals for collaboration opportunities and consortium
arrangements, including integrated governance and management structures, developed by
TAFE institutes.
All joint applications must be endorsed by the lead organisation on behalf of all participating
partners. The lead organisation must be able to identify and verify any commitment of other
funding sources to the proposed project. All members of a successful consortium will be
required to sign a formal agreement.
The creation or development of enhanced services and/or infrastructure at more than one
location can be included in a single application, provided that the multiple elements form a
coordinated and cohesive approach to delivering outcomes that are consistent with the
purpose of the fund.
Proposals that include both operational and asset investment components will be
considered, although institutes are strongly advised to maintain regard to the total value of
the program when developing proposals.
Any proposals valued at $5 million or above will qualify as a major commercial activity under
the Commercial Guidelines for TAFE institutes3 and will be subject to the assessments and
measures outlined under Commercial Guideline 1.
Applications for funding may include, but are not limited to, the following initiatives.
Table 1 Potential Initiatives
Potential
Details
Initiative
Organisational A number of TAFE institute transition plans submitted during 2012 identified
Capacity and
opportunities for organisational restructure and/or strategic partnerships that
Capability
could better align institutes’ delivery capabilities with their long-term strategic
vision in the new commercial environment.
Proposals to improve organisational capacity and capability could include, but
are not limited to:
 Transition funding to support staff development and re-training to better
meet the needs of new operating requirements.
 Support for campus rationalisation and/or improved campus integration.
 Support for educational innovation in established areas of excellence,
including where the institute can demonstrate the investment will lead to
consolidation or specialisation in an area of proven expertise to a level
3
The Commercial Guidelines were published on 17 April 2013 in accordance with Part 5.2 of the Education and
Training Reform Act 2006 and can be accessed at:
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/department/legislation/Pages/guidelines.aspx
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Potential
Initiative
Details

sufficient to attain financial sustainability and institute self-sufficiency.
Support for enhanced delivery of online training and/or other delivery
methods that reduce costs whilst maintaining a high level of training quality.
Proposals may also include collaborative projects to expand or establish new
strategic partnerships that improve training opportunities in particular
geographic locations, maintain an existing breadth of course delivery in
financially sustainable ways, and/or implement common governance and
reporting structures that capitalise on improved economies of scale and scope.
Improved
business
processes
Applications for improved organisational capacity and capability above
$5 million in value will require a robust business case that demonstrates the
proposed reform/s are the best option to secure financial sustainability.
A number of TAFE institute transition plans submitted during 2012 identified
opportunities for streamlining business processes to enhance efficiencies and
reduce corporate costs.
This could be achieved, for example, through roll-out of improved IT and
reporting systems and records management, integrating financial reporting,
further development of asset management systems and administrative systems,
and/or enhancing shared services for corporate and student support.
In particular, funding may be available to improve or implement new reporting
systems that will enhance a TAFE institute’s capacity to adapt to the changed
governance and strategic and financial reporting requirements, for example by
improving the collection and analysis of performance data.
Any proposals for funding to improve corporate processes will require a robust
business case that demonstrates the proposed reform/s are the best option to
secure financial sustainability.
Master
planning
The goal of a Master Plan is to give physical form to an institute’s mission, vision
and strategic objectives. It should provide an analysis of site locations for
teaching facilities, broader campus land use, landscape, formal and informal
open space, as well as pedestrian and vehicular circulation.
Through the transition planning process there was general concern that many
institutes lacked detailed strategic planning around space management and the
development of a future physical form that will ease operational efficiency.
A master plan should include strategies for asset rationalisation and
consolidation that demonstrate the benefit of retained proceeds of sale being
applied to new infrastructure investment to meet current and projected training
demand.
A master plan should demonstrate opportunities for improved efficiency through
measures such as better asset utilisation, reduced maintenance expenditure
and reduced depreciation.
Submissions for master planning initiatives should be valued at less than
$5 million.
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Potential
Initiative
Details
Adaptive Reuse
A proposal for adaptive re-use funding will require TAFE institutes to
demonstrate within their current master plan and asset management plan,
those campuses and buildings of a fair or better standard that can be adapted
for re-use as modern, flexible training spaces able to utilise a full range of
teaching technologies and specialist equipment for hands-on training.
A business case will need to clearly demonstrate the value of the investment,
how it can be funded using a mix of options and how the cost of the investment
will be met by ongoing operations.
Building
Replacement
&
Refurbishment
A proposal for building replacement and/or refurbishment funding will require
TAFE institutes to demonstrate the commercial benefits of a new building that
replaces one or more buildings deemed to be unsuitable for future training. A
prerequisite to funding consideration will be a current master plan and asset
management plan that incorporates such a strategy into the broader strategic
plan of the institute.
A business case will need to clearly demonstrate the value of the investment,
how it can be funded using a mix of options and how the cost of the investment
will be met by ongoing operations.
5. Application Process
The TSAF was announced with the release of the Government’s response to the TAFE
Reform Panel’s report A strong and sustainable Victorian TAFE sector. It is coordinated by
the Higher Education and Skills Group (HESG) in the Department of Education and Early
Childhood Development (the Department).
All TAFE institutes may apply for funding within the eligibility and selection criteria as
outlined in these guidelines.
Applications should address the evaluation criteria detailed in section 7 of these guidelines
and use the appropriate application form released with these guidelines. Applications
should be consistent with the Commercial Guidelines for TAFE institutes, including the
requirement for a business case for all submissions over $5 million.
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Applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application in writing at the conclusion of
assessment and approval by the Government.
Supporting Documentation
The following presents a general guide for the supporting documentation requirements that
will differ depending on the application type, for example:






Organisational Capacity and Capability – will require application form and
Business case
Improved Business Processes – will require application form and Business case
Master Planning - will require application form plus evidence of current Asset
Management Plan
Adaptive Re-use – will require application form with completed templates for
Adaptive Re-use building assessments, evidence of a Master Plan, current Asset
Management Plan including investment/ divestment program, and Business case
Building Refurbishment– will require application form, evidence of a Master Plan,
current Asset Management Plan including investment/divestment program and
Business case
Building Replacement – will require application form, evidence of a Master Plan,
current Asset Management Plan including investment/divestment program and
Business case
Asset related proposals require an effective master plan to be in place. Where a TAFE
institute does not have a master they are advised to submit a two stage application. The
second stage should include any asset related projects and a cost estimate for them, which
would then need to be confirmed following the completion of a master plan.
Applicants are required to complete all required parts of the application form and adhere to
all formatting requirements. Applicants are not to modify the formatting of tables within the
form. It is important to ensure sufficient information is provided and all parts of the form are
completed. Failure to do so may result in exclusion of the application.
A business case will be required for all submissions over $5 million. This will be based on
the standard Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF) business case template to ensure
that all proposals are supported by a clear logic rationale, accompanied by sound project
planning and risk assessments, and are consistent with the assessments and measures
stipulated for major commercial activities in the Commercial Guidelines for TAFE institutes.
For proposals involving asset expenditure, ongoing costs associated with the investment
(including maintenance, depreciation and a return on the asset sufficient to maintain the
Government’s investment), and strategies for meeting these costs within ongoing
operations, should also be addressed in the application.
It is essential that all necessary documentation is attached to the application and that the
completed application form is endorsed by the institute’s Board.
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Key Dates
The table below outlines the timelines for this initiative.
Table 2 Implementation Timelines
Implementation component/key milestone
Timeline
TAFE Structural Adjustment Funding Program
announced
March 2013
Funding Application Guidelines and Application Form
released
May 2013
Draft Funding Agreement released
June 2013
Deadline for TAFE Applications
5pm Thursday 31 October
2013
▪ Note: Applications can be submitted prior to this date
Assessment
1 November 2013 –
31 January 2013
Institutes advised
1 February 2014 onwards
Projects commence
March 2014 onwards
Ongoing Project Monitoring
2014 until project
completion
In the event of any unallocated or unexpended funding, there will be a further round of
applications in 2014.
Lodgement of Applications
Applications, including the application form and all supporting documents, should be
submitted both electronically and in hardcopy.
HARD COPY LODGEMENT:
Three (3) hard copies (1 original and 2 copies) and compact disc
copies (if required) of proposals should be marked and lodged as
follows:
TSAF Secretariat
Attention: Ian Bett
Senior Project Manager
Higher Education and Skills Group
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
Level 3
2 Treasury Place
EAST MELBOURNE VIC 3002
ELECTRONIC LODGEMENT:
Proposals must also be submitted electronically at the following
email address –
TAFE.Structural.Adjustment.Fund@edumail.vic.gov.au
CLOSING TIME AND DATE:
The closing time and date for submission of applications is 5.00pm
Thursday 31 October 2013
ISSUE DATE:
28 May 2013
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The original hardcopy application will be taken as the final and correct version in the event
of any conflicts or inconsistencies between the hard and electronic copies.
Late applications will not be considered except in exceptional circumstances.
Exceptional circumstances are considered to be those beyond the control of the applicant,
which includes where an application is late due solely to mishandling by the Department. An
applicant must provide any evidence requested by the Department to support its claim that
failure to meet the deadline was for reasons beyond its control. The Department reserves
the right to decide in its absolute discretion whether or not to seek further evidence on this
issue.
The Department’s decision with respect to the consideration of late applications will be final.
No correspondence will be entered into in relation to the decision other than to inform the
applicant of the Department’s decision.
6. Proposals ineligible under the TSAF
Funding is not available for existing recurrent costs or to supplement existing programs.
Asset funding is provided only for the creation or development of infrastructure. Funding will
not be provided for maintenance projects, or for payments associated with past
infrastructure expenditure.
7. Evaluation Criteria
The overriding intention of the TSAF is to support transformational projects that will
significantly advance a TAFE institute’s ability to be financially sustainable.
The Assessment Team must be satisfied that the project is a strategic and highly effective
way of meeting the proposed outcomes and delivering long term, sustainable education and
training solutions.
CRITERION 1: IMPROVED ABILITY TO ACHIEVE FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
The key evaluation criterion of the TSAF will be the extent to which the proposal helps TAFE
institutes with limited capacity to improve their financial sustainability by undertaking action
that over the longer term will help achieve a sustained increase in the institute’s annual
operating result and return on assets.
This could be achieved by projects that:
 increase revenue
 reduce operating and administration costs
 reduce maintenance costs
 reduce depreciation charges, and/or
 reduce the size of the asset base.
The Assessment Team will consider the extent to which the proposed investment delivers
real change while offering value for money, as demonstrated by the variance between
forecast financial statements with and without the investment, over the medium to long
term.
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The impact of the proposal against the TAFE institute’s overall financial position in the
absence of funding will be a key consideration.
CRITERION 2: PROJECT READINESS
The Assessment Team must be satisfied with the degree of readiness of the project.
In assessing this criterion, the Assessment Team may consider the extent to which:
 with respect to any asset or IT infrastructure investment, the organisation has or
can readily acquire the expertise to develop and make best use of the proposed
infrastructure
 with respect to any operational projects, organisational change management
plans are well advanced to ensure streamlined processes
 implementation plans, including project delivery, management and governance
mechanisms, risk management plans and construction timetables (where
relevant) are satisfactory for projects of this scale
 key stakeholders have been consulted in relation to the proposed project
 whether applicable planning, building, environmental and occupational health
and safety approvals have been identified and how the project participants will
obtain and comply with these approvals
 relevant authorities have been consulted where planning/building approvals will
be required
 KPIs to enable the Board to successfully monitor implementation of the project
have been identified
 a mechanism has been included to allow the Board to periodically re-evaluate the
project and to vary the project as required to ensure that the identified benefits
are realised.
CRITERION 3: CAPACITY OF THE ORGANISATION TO SUPPORT AND MAINTAIN NEW
INFRASTRUCTURE AND ON-GOING BUSINESS OPERATIONS
This criterion is concerned with the future costs that the institute will incur from the proposal
and its capacity to meet these costs.
For longer-term projects or investments that will achieve a sustained transition to new
operating arrangements and/or infrastructure use, the Assessment Team must be satisfied
that the organisation has the capacity to integrate the proposed investment into their
ongoing business operations. The ability to maintain operations beyond the period of TSAF
funding must be evident.
In assessing this criterion, the Assessment Team may consider:
 whether the institute has or can readily acquire the expertise to implement the
proposal in a manner that will ensure long-term viability and integration into
future operations
 the governance structures relating to the proposed transformation
 capacity to fund the operation and/or facilities in an ongoing manner
 facilities management capabilities within the organisation
 previous experience in managing projects of similar scale and scope
 with respect to any asset or IT infrastructure investment, the application of
environmentally sustainable building management practice.
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CRITERION 4: COLLABORATION
The Assessment Team must be satisfied with the nature and extent of any collaboration.
Collaboration will be well-regarded where it is directly relevant to the project and where it
clearly enhances the outcomes of the investment. Collaboration requires an institute(s) to
show mutually beneficial outcomes from a shared investment that would otherwise not be
commercially viable if delivered separately. It may mean that an outcome of this investment
is integrated delivery of some courses.
In assessing this criterion, the Assessment Team may consider the extent to which:
 the investment will lead to new, sustainable collaborations and/or build on
current collaborations in regions between vocational training providers and other
stakeholders such as industry and local government
 expansion of course provision, by linking with other providers, has been
considered in the overall framing of the proposal
 the investment will enable institutes to build economies of scale and scope,
particularly with respect to servicing isolated communities
 the investment will impact on regional access and provision, including through
likely changes in local market competition
 the enhanced capabilities and/or infrastructure will be shared between
organisations
 with respect to any asset or IT infrastructure investment, reasonable access to
the infrastructure is provided to other organisations
 organisations from more than one geographical location are involved
 the governance structure of the collaboration(s) is clearly defined.
If no collaboration is proposed the Assessment Team may consider the extent to which:
 there is a satisfactory explanation for this
 the institute has plans to seek collaborative partners as appropriate in the future
 the institute has identified who else in Victoria delivers training or holds
infrastructure in this or a similar field.
CRITERION 5: CO-INVESTMENT
The Assessment Team must be satisfied with the nature and extent of any co-investment.
Co-investment will be well-regarded where it is relevant and where it increases the efficiency
and effectiveness of the investment.
The proposal should also address in detail the issue pertaining to co-investment and mixed
funding options identified under the General Considerations section below.
If no co-investment is proposed the Assessment Team may consider:
 whether there is a satisfactory explanation for this
 whether the institute has plans to seek co-investment as appropriate in the
future.
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CRITERION 6: GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
In assessing applications, the Assessment Team may also consider the extent to which:
 a range of options for achieving the intended outcomes of the proposed
investment has been explored
 alternative finance and funding options including institute contributions (that may
include, for example, leveraging off the institute’s existing asset base through
retained proceeds of sale and/or limited borrowings) have been considered
 there is evidence that the type of investment proposed makes a positive impact
on teaching, research and/or training and outcomes
 a compelling, evidence-based case has been made as to why this approach
represents the most effective and strategic option
 the application is consistent with the recommendations from the TAFE Reform
Panel report and Government Response.
When assessing proposals submitted by regional TAFE institutes, the Assessment Team will
also consider whether the appropriate Regional Facilitator has endorsed the proposal, to
provide assurance that all options have been examined, including the TAFE Reform Panel’s
recommendations and that the proposal is consistent with the recommendations of expert
advisers.
When assessing applications that involve asset or IT infrastructure investment, the
Assessment Team may also consider the extent to which:
 the proposal duplicates initiatives recently funded by Government (either State or
Commonwealth) at other Victorian TAFE institutes
 the nature and location of the proposed infrastructure enables the most efficient
and effective delivery of the intended training outcomes
 enhanced distance and e-learning delivery or sharing / co-locating vocational
training and higher education infrastructure has been considered
 improved utilisation of an institution’s existing infrastructure has been
considered.
8. Weighting of evaluation criteria
In assessing each of the proposals, the following weightings will be applied to each of the
evaluation criteria. The weightings will differ for individual proposals (e.g. organisation
specific business transformation) and joint proposals.
Criteria
Criteria
number
1
Improved ability to achieve financial
sustainability
2
Project readiness
3
Capacity of the organisation to support
4
Collaboration
5
Co-investment
6
General considerations
Total
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Program Guidelines
Weight – individual
proposals
45
Weight – joint
proposals
40
20
20
5
5
5
100
20
15
15
5
5
100
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9. Supplementary Information
At any time during the assessment process the Department may seek supplementary
information from applicants. Supplementary information is information which, in the opinion
of the Department, elaborates or clarifies the formal application, but which does not alter it
in any material aspect.
10.
Funding Arrangements, Project Delivery and Reporting
Funded projects must be delivered on time and within budget, and managed under a sound
project delivery mechanism as identified under Evaluation Criterion 2 (see section 7).
Regular reports must be provided to the Board and will be expected to include:
 progress against milestones
 project budget reports
 achievement of project outcomes
 short and long-term benefits/gains (quantitative and qualitative)
 for asset-related projects, any measurable impacts on the institute’s rate of
return on assets4 and asset utilisation.5
The reports for the Board are to be provided to the Deputy Secretary, HESG on request.
The TSAF Secretariat will also have regard to the financial reporting provided in accordance
with the Strategic Planning Guidelines,6 including the impact of all projects (asset and nonasset) on overall financial sustainability as measured by quarterly financial statements and
forecast positions.
The Board must advise the Deputy Secretary, HESG as soon as it becomes aware of
significant variations to the expenditure associated with or timing of the investment.
These requirements will support an evaluation of the overall benefits delivered by the
project and in turn the TSAF. The evaluation will be consistent with the Benefit Framework
outlined in DTF’s Investment Management Standard.
Where applications are successful, an agreed implementation plan and payment schedule
linked to milestones will be negotiated and included in a funding agreement with the
Victorian Government.
A draft funding agreement will be released in May 2013.
Monitoring and reporting requirements will be specified in detail in the final funding
agreement and will be tailored to suit the individual project.
The Department may select institutes or funded projects for site visits and/or program
audits.
4
Rate of return on assets measured by the institute’s overall financial return/total value of fixed assets.
Asset utilisation to be measured by delivered Student Contact Hours (SCH) per square metre of gross floor area.
6 Published on 17 April 2013 in accordance with in accordance with Part 5.2 of the Education and Training Reform
Act 2006 and available at: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/department/legislation/Pages/guidelines.aspx.
5
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All Departmental Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) methods and principles must be
adhered to for all construction activity.
11.
Roles and Responsibilities
Program Sponsor
The sponsor for this program is the Minister for Higher Education and Skills.
Final decisions regarding the funding of successful projects will be made by the
Government.
TSAF Assessment Team
Applications will be assessed by an Interdepartmental Steering Committee (ISC) that will
provide advice and recommendations to Government.
The ISC will be supported by the Department and by Independent Assessment Panels (IAPs)
with technical and commercial expertise.
As part of the TSAF application and assessment process, the ISC will:
 assess projects against the TSAF evaluation criteria, including:
o the overall strength of the proposal, including the accuracy of the
estimates of costs and benefits and feasibility of implementation
timeframes, and
o the capacity of the project to enhance the financial sustainability of the
TAFE institute/s in question
 request further information from applicants if required
 make comparative assessments of projects
 present a shortlist of applications and accompanying advice to the Minister on
the relative merits of the submissions received, including a report of its analysis
of applications against the evaluation criteria.
Role of the Department
Administration and governance of the program will be managed by HESG in the Department.
HESG will be responsible for:
 administrative management of the funding round
 providing administrative support to the IAPs and ISC
 providing supporting analysis and technical information to the IAPs and ISC
 negotiating, monitoring and managing the funding agreements for successful
projects
 providing detailed analysis of submissions and initial assessment against
evaluation criteria for consideration by the ISC.
12.
Further Questions
Questions regarding the scope and nature of the TSAF must be made in writing to the TSAF
email inbox specified in section 5 (Lodgement of Application) above. Queries should include
in the subject line of the email “Query regarding TAFE Structural Adjustment Fund”.
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Clarification questions will be considered if lodged up to seven (7) days prior to the closing
date of applications.
The Department's decision as to whether to respond to a clarification question or other
communication shall be at the discretion of the Department.
Institutes are asked to acknowledge and agree that if the Department provides additional
information to a TAFE institute, it may issue a copy of this additional information to each of
the other TAFE institutes and publish the information on the TSAF webpage.
13.
Key Contacts
Contact details for the TSAF Secretariat are provided below.
Michael Coppola
A/g Director
Governance and Performance Monitoring
TAFE Transition Taskforce
Higher Education and Skills Group
Telephone: 9651 4362
Ian Bett
Senior Project Manager (alternative contact)
TSAF Secretariat
TAFE Transition Taskforce
Higher Education and Skills Group
Telephone: 9637 2758
TAFE Structural Adjustment Fund
Program Guidelines
Page 14
Attachment A: TSAF Application Form
TAFE Structural Adjustment Fund
Program Guidelines
Page 15