Course Catalogue: Certificate IV in Business (Governance)

The course aim is to improve the skills of elected directors and relevant staff of member services. The Certificate IV in Business Governance course is built upon the Managing in Two Worlds model but customised for the specific AMS context.

This will be offered as a series of Competency Cluster with attached assessment activities that will ground the training, making it community and board relevant and linking theory to practice and reality. Board members can then do the Competency Cluster that are relevant to them or work through the whole course to gain the full qualification. Successful completion of a Competency Cluster would mean that the board member would be deemed competent against a relevant Unit or Units of Competence.

Successful completion of the whole course would lead to the awarding of a Certificate IV Qualification.

The plan is to offer this course in regional settings thereby offering a central point for a range of boards and others to attend. There are 7 core units and 5 electives that must be completed.

This qualification reflects the role of individuals who undertake the responsibilities required of a board member or member of an Indigenous corporation. Board members would bring a wide range of knowledge, skills, talents and experience to their organisations. Boards of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community managed organisations operate in two worlds. They have cultural obligations to their community as well as legal and financial obligations to the wider community and funding bodies.

This qualification helps to ensure that in their special role of leading their organisations, board members are individually and collectively contributing the best value to the board, organisation and community while fulfilling their duties.

Job Roles

Job roles and titles vary across different industry sectors. Possible job titles relevant to this qualification include:

• Board Member
• Coordinator of Quality Governance
• Australian Public Servant (APS)
• Contact Officer / Secretary
• Managers and senior staff of an organisation or company.

The course is primarily designed for existing board members and senior organisational staff associated with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS). If vacancies exist these can be filled by community members identified as gaining current or future benefit from Governance training.

Compulsory units

Listed below are the seven core units that are required for this qualification from the Business Services Training Package:

• BSBATSIL411A Undertake the roles and responsibilities of a board member
• BSBATSIL413A Review and apply the constitution
• BSBATSIC412A Maintain and protect cultural values in the organisation
• BSBATSIM416A Oversee organisational planning
• BSBATSIM418A Oversee financial management
• BSBATSIM417A Implement organisational plans
• BSBATSIM419A Contribute to the development and implementation of organisational policies

Elective units

The Aboriginal Health College structures its course around the following elective units of which 5 must be successfully completed. Other electives can be selected in consultation with the Aboriginal Health College education and assessment team as long as they meet current Business Services Training Package requirements:

• BSBATSIL408C Manage a board meeting
• BSBATSIL412A Participate effectively  as a board member
• BSBATSIC411C Communicate with the community
• BSBATSIM412B Implement a business like approach
• BSBATSIM414C Oversee the organisation’s annual budget
• BSBATSIM421A Contribute to a positive and culturally appropriate workplace

Nominal course hours: 300 Hours