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REFORM:
OUTCOMES OF THE REVIEW RECOMMENDATIONS
Partnerships in complaints handling
Partnerships with external agencies in relation to complaints handling were progressed in 2009–10.
In relation to managing complaints about lawyer agents, the Office of the MARA has met with the NSW Office of the Legal Services Commissioner and the Law Institute of Victoria. Constructive discussions have also been held with the Law Council of Australia.
During the year, the Office of the MARA has also engaged with a number of agencies to achieve better consumer and regulatory outcomes.
These include:
- the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, and DIAC in regard to the investigation of agents concerning possible fraud offences and integrity
- state fair trading agencies to refer clients who have not been able to resolve costs disputes with their registered migration agent
- the Insurance Council of Australia to progress discussions on sharing of information.
Enhanced continuing professional development
As an initial stage in enhancing CPD, measures were put in place to reduce the amount of unnecessary processes and paperwork.
Subsequently the Office of the MARA undertook a robust and rigorous evaluation of activities:
- ensuring that all approved CPD activities specify learning outcomes which will improve the participant’s professionalism and knowledge
- attending CPD seminars to evaluate the quality of the contents and delivery
- visiting CPD providers for ongoing quality assurance.
More rigour has been introduced into private study activities by increasing assessment requirements, with additional questions and a higher pass mark.
In May 2010, a project commenced to review the existing CPD scheme. This project incorporated a survey of all registered migration agents, seeking their views on various aspects of CPD. The survey had a response rate of 20 per cent, with 61 per cent of respondents indicating they were ‘really happy with the CPD (they had) completed’. The Office of the MARA will continue to work closely with CPD providers to enhance the current CPD framework and consider recommendations arising from this project.
