APSLearn terms and conditions

Registration

The APSLearn Terms and Conditions govern the use of the services provided by the APS Academy function of the Australian Public Service Commission (“APSC”) via apslearn.apsacademy.gov.au (“platform”).  

The Terms and Conditions represent the agreement and understanding between the APS Academy function of the APSC (“us”, “we”, “our”) and the individual or entity who subscribes to our service ("Subscriber", "you" or “your”, “learner”, “users”).

It is your responsibility to register to the correct tenant within APSLearn. Registered users are granted access to different tenants based on who they are employed by. Failing to register via the correct channel may result in your registration request being rejected or denied. 

Acceptable email addresses and profile

We do not generally permit Subscribers to use a personal email address to access APSLearn. Unless we provide written approval, if your platform profile is created or updated using a personal email address, within 48 hours your account will be deactivated and subsequently, you will be unenrolled in any learning experiences within the platform and access to any user roles or data within the platform. 

If you do not update your personal email address to an official government email address (.gov.au) or a relevant workplace email address (where appropriate) within 48 hours, your profile will be deactivated without notification. Your email address should reflect who your current employing agency or entity (“agency”, “government entity”, “entity”) is. 

You are responsible for maintaining your profile information. You are responsible for ensuring your email address is correct and that you have access to your email address to be able to receive any communications sent from the platform. 

Not all learning experiences within the platform may be available to all user profiles. Access to learning experiences is based on your profile. We reserve the right to update certain user profile information if it is incorrect (such as changing your organisation type or organisation name if it does not align to your email address), at the request of your employing entity (after a Machinery of Government and there is a change of organisation name and email address), or you request us to update your personal information on your behalf. 

We reserve the right to deny you access, and/or remove your profile and all data if you do not adhere to our Terms and Conditions. 

Learning experiences (interactions)

The APS Academy partners with different government entities/third parties and therefore may disclose your personal information to improve learning experiences. Where applicable, we will share de-identified information.

Government entities and third parties may include facilitators, practitioners, learning institutes, vendors, guest speakers, alumni, community of practice, leadership boards (e.g. Secretaries Talent Council) and participants. 

Learning experiences (activities)

Learning experiences (“courses”, “programs”, “events”, “activities”) include (but are not limited to) courses, programs, events, resources, videos, pages, podcasts, social learning (e.g. forums, face-to-face or virtual sessions), forms, messaging and quizzes. 

Learning experiences available within the platform may be supplied from a range of entities and third-parties. 

Another government entity or learning institute (“Supplying Entity”, “Entity”) may use the platform to host learning experiences and accept enrolments for their activity. Entities are responsible for the material they supplied and where relevant, any payment methods and activity terms and conditions.  Unless specified otherwise, at the activity level before you can enrol into the activity, the Terms and Conditions for an activity supplied by another entity are the same as Us. 

Enrolment

To participate in activities, enrolment is conducted through the platform. If you are enrolled in an activity you must have an active profile. 

In some instances, you may be enrolled into an activity by us, Supplying Entity or by your employer entity representative. Enrolment into an activity maybe for various reasons. For example: 

• to allow you to view or access certain information 
• you have agreed to be a substitution to a learning experience on behalf of someone else
• your profile matches a mandatory learning component which you must undertake as part of your employment, role or learning experience mandate
• your employing entity has nominated you to take part in a learning experience on your behalf

If you feel you have been accidentally enrolled into an activity which you do not wish to undertake, please contact us, Supplying Entity or your employing entity representative. 

Accessibility and dietary requirements 

For virtual, face-to-face and catered learning experiences, it is your responsibility to provide any accessibility and/or dietary requirements during enrolment or before the specified deadline prior to attending the learning experience. We will endeavour to accommodate your needs to the best of our ability.

Photographs and recorded sessions

Some of our learning experiences deliveries may be photographed and/or recorded. Audio, videos and images (including user profile names) may be used for external marketing and communications and development of learning experiences and material. Whilst we or the Supplying Entity endeavour to provide notice beforehand, there may be circumstances which may arise where little notice is provided. For example, at the request of learning participants on the day of the learning experience. 
 

If you wish to opt out, depending on the circumstances you may not be able to participate in the learning experience. If you wish not to be photographed and/or recorded, please contact us or the Supplying Entity as soon as possible.

Emergency contacts

Your emergency contact details are required upon enrolment if you participate in learning activities that comprise a residential component. The emergency contact information shall include the name, relationships, and contact details of a designated individual who can be reached in the event of an emergency during the duration of the residential. By providing this information, you acknowledge your understanding and consent to its use for emergency communication purposes only. The provided contact information shall be treated with utmost confidentiality and utilised solely for emergency situations. You are responsible for ensuring the accuracy and validity of the provided emergency contact details. Failure to provide accurate emergency contact information may result in limitations to participation in the learning experience. 

Payment

Payment for activities is accepted by credit card. Other acceptable payment methods will be indicated within the platform for that specific activity. Payment method may vary depending on the activity, session, single agency delivery, entity who supplied the activity, and/or if there are any special arrangements between the us and your employing entity. 

Payment may be accepted by electronic transfer in special circumstances, such as for transactions of or above $10,000 or payment for the outstanding balance on a rescheduled activity.  

For credit card payments, an auto-generated tax receipt will be sent to you via email. For electronic transfers, an auto-generated tax invoice with banking details for payment will be provided via email.

Activities must be paid in full prior to attending an activity. We or the Supplying Entity using the platform to host and accept activity enrolments has the right to deny you access to the activity if the activity is not paid in full.

Fees charged

Fees charged by the APS Academy are calculated to recover the full efficient costs incurred in delivering services under each program, over and above any appropriation received for the purpose of delivering the program. Cost models are used for this purpose. The cost base for a program is determined using internal forecasts for the following inputs (where relevant) based on a reasonable level of activity:

• remuneration costs for staff and suppliers involved in the design, development, curation and delivery provision of services
• travel, venue hire and catering costs and consumables arising from delivery of the services
• other costs directly related to delivery of the services, such as contract management and supervision, program evaluation and learning management system platform costs
• corporate overhead costs for staff involved in service delivery

Following estimation of the full costs for a program, unit costs are determined on the basis of estimated customer demand for the program. Significant judgement is necessary in accurately estimating the full costs and unit costs, including assessing uncertain customer demand.

Hence, in the application of the cost model in practice, there are likely to be some differences in actual revenues and costs at the end of the financial year, compared to initial projections.  At the end of each financial year, the APS Academy conducts a reconciliation process to assess the extent to which total revenue from all programs delivered has matched total costs over the financial year. As a means of ensuring that there is no systematic over or under recovery of efficient costs, the APS Academy applies a smoothing mechanism.

• Where total revenue exceeds total cost in a financial year, the APS Academy will retain and use the additional funds for the purposes of offsetting costs of program delivery in future years (and hence reducing the total cost of delivery and in turn total fees to be charged in the future).
• Where total cost exceeds total revenue in a financial year, the APS Academy will meet the shortfall from other sources in the immediate term.

Fees relevant to activities are presented when enrolling in an activity. Fees presented and paid represent the whole cost (including any material expenses) and are GST exclusive.

Fees will not incur GST if:

• the payment is between government-related entities;
• the payment is covered by an appropriation;
• the amount of the charge does not exceed the actual or anticipated cost of providing the goods or services

Goods and services provided to other entities (i.e. that are not a government-related entity) will incur a charge of 10% for GST if the goods or services are normally a taxable supply for GST purposes.

Single agency fees

An invoice will be raised and sent to your Entity contact, at the start of the month that the learning experience is booked. Payment is to be made within 30 days of the invoice date. To generate the invoice for payment, the following information will need to be provided.

• email
• contact name
• Purchase Order number (if applicable)

Changes to your registration

If you are unable to attend the activity you have registered for, the following terms and conditions apply:

• Substitution: Requests to substitute another participant in your place should be made at least 7 days before the commencement of an activity. Requests for substitution received with less than 7 days’ notice will be considered on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of Us or the Supplying Entity.
• Reschedule: Requests to reschedule your enrolment to a different session must be made at least 14 days before the commencement of an activity. A request to reschedule may be considered with less than 14 days’ notice if it is due to exceptional circumstances and is approved at the discretion of the Us or the Supplying Entity. If any rescheduled session has a lower fee than your original enrolled session, you will not receive a refund for the difference in fee. If the rescheduled session has a higher fee, the outstanding amount must be paid in full before your activity can be rescheduled.
• Withdrawal: Requests to withdraw from a learning experience must be made at least 30 days before the commencement of the activity. A request for withdrawal may be considered with less than 30 calendar days’ notice if it is due to exceptional circumstances  and is approved at the discretion of the Us or Supplying Entity.

Requests to substitute, reschedule or withdraw must be made via email by contacting us or to the alternative email address supplied in the communications for that specific activity. We take no responsibility if you fail to contact the correct entity within the specified timeframes. 

Refunds

You may be eligible for a refund:

• where a request to withdraw is made at least 30 calendar days before the commencement of your activity as per the date specified within the platform; or 
• where there are exceptional circumstances as determined by Us or the Supplying Entity.

Refund requests with more than 30 days’ notice should be made through the platform on the Session Information page for the relevant activity. Where that option is not available please submit your request in writing by contacting us or to the alternative email address supplied in the communications for that specific activity. 

Refunds will not be granted if you fail to attend your activity or fail to advise us of the requirement for a substitute, reschedule or withdrawal within the specified timeframes of your activity start date. Exceptional circumstances will be considered by Us or the Supplying Entity on a case-by-case basis.

Where you need to withdraw from an extended learning experience after the commencement of your first activity or session, partial refunds for associated costs (such as accommodation) will be considered on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of Us or the Supplying Entity.

Exceptional circumstances

Exceptional circumstances as determined by us or the Supplying Entity, and may involve extraordinary or unusual circumstances that significantly prevent you from making changes to your registration (rescheduling, substituting, or cancelling) within the required timelines. 

Exceptional circumstances do not typically include:

• A failure to attend your session on time.
• User-level technical issues (i.e. poor Wi-Fi, failure to test the delivery platform ahead of session – please see the section on Delivery methods below for more information about your obligations to manage the technical requirements for virtual delivery).
• Workload issues (i.e. too busy to attend, new work priority has emerged on short notice, travelling for work).

In cases where you find yourself suddenly unwell, or if you are exhibiting symptoms to a health alert issued by the appropriate Federal, State or Territory health government body instructing you to not come in contact with others, on the day of a face-to-face event, you must not attend. We or the Supplying Entity will take all reasonable steps to reschedule you to a later session or find alternative learning arrangements. Where an arrangement cannot be made, refund requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of us or Supplying Entity.

Evidence of exceptional circumstances should be provided in support of your request (where appropriate). Any requests to reschedule or cancel for a refund due to exceptional circumstances will be assessed at the discretion of us or the Supplying Entity on a case-by-case basis.

Changes to your single agency booking

If your Entity has booked a learning experienced to be run internally with us or the Supplying Entity, the following terms and conditions apply:

• Reschedule: Requests to reschedule your entity booking to a later date must be made at least 14 days before the commencement of the learning experience. Requests made within 14 days will be considered a cancelled learning experience, with the entity required to pay 50% of the total fee payable and any applicable out of pocket travel expenses. A request to reschedule may be considered with less than 14 days’ notice if it is due to exceptional circumstances and is approved at the discretion of Us or the Supply Entity. 
• Cancellation: Requests for cancellation of a booking must be made at least 21 days before the commencement of activity learning experience delivery. If a cancellation occurs within 21 days of commencement of the learning experience, the entity will be required to pay 50% of the total fee payable and any applicable out of pocket travel expenses. A request for a cancellation may be considered with less than 21 days’ notice if it is due to exceptional circumstances and is approved at the discretion of the APS Academy. Cancellations occurring with less than 5 working day’s notice will incur 100% of the total fee payable and any associated out of pocket travel expenses.
• Confirmation of participant numbers: Final confirmation of participant names (with platform profiles created) is required 2 working days’ prior to commencement of the delivery date to enable the facilitators to prepare for the session and to ensure participants receive pre-work (if applicable) and all communications in preparation for the learning experience. Unfortunately, we or the Supplying Entity are in a position to make changes to participant lists within 48 hours of the session commencing. We or the Supplying encourage agencies to factor this into their planning and scheduling of single entity sessions.

Software application accessibility

The platform interface is to be compliant with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1- external site (WCAG 2.1) standard.

WCAG international standards are constantly being reviewed and may issue changes to these standards. The platform vendor endeavours to ensure the platform is WCAG compliant to newly issued standards by constantly implementing system enhancements and undertaking periodic WCAG assessments. 

Delivery methods

Face-to-face

Unless otherwise specified when enrolling into an activity, you are responsible for arranging your own travel and accommodation to participate in our or the Supplying Entities activities at your own or employing entity cost. 

Some activities may include a residential component, in which case accommodation arrangement if specified when enrolling into an activity will be coordinated by us or the Supplying Entity for the duration of the activity.

All face-to-face activities are delivered and managed in line with current health regulations. Delivery will take place in line with jurisdictional health requirements. Participants are responsible for adhering to jurisdictional health requirements, which may include physical distancing and the wearing of masks. Should conditions change, this delivery may be rescheduled or updated to be delivered virtually. If you are unable to attend a face-to-face learning experience due to health restrictions, please contact us or the Supplying Entity as soon as possible.
 

Virtual

If you are enrolled in a virtual-facilitated activity you are responsible for ensuring you:

• Are able to connect to the specified delivery tool. You must log in at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the activity to troubleshoot any issues. We strongly encourage you test your access prior to the day of delivery
• have access to a work/personal internet network connection
• Have access to a compatible work/personal device (laptop or tablet) with an active camera (although a webcam is preferred, it is not a requirement for most learning experiences).
• Can undertake the activity in a private and quiet space. This is to help maintain the confidentiality of other participants.

Please note: your entity IT system may not support access to certain technology for learning  activities such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Webex, Adobe Connect, Pexip, Cahoot Learning, Slido , etc. This is out of our control. If you are unable to connect to your activity delivery platform using your entity IT system, you must be willing to use your own personal devices and/or internet connections to access and complete the activity.

Online

Some learning experiences are available to you via the platform and can be completed anytime at your own pace. In some instances, learning experiences may recommend or require you to exit the platform to access other learning experiences, additional material or evaluations. 

Learning experiences - Pre-course work

Some learning experiences may have pre-course work which is generally available via the platform. In some instances, some pre-course work material may be sent to your profile email address instead of being made available via the platform.  

Please ensure the activities are completed by the specified timeframe. It is recommended that you schedule time to complete the activities, to ensure you are prepared and to assist with achieving the full learning experience objectives. If the pre-course work is mandatory prior to you attending, you may be refused to attend the session on the day and this will constitute as a cancellation.  

Other conditions

We or the Supplying Entity reserves the right to cancel, postpone or re-schedule activities due to low enrolments or unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, We or the Supplying Entity may alter fees, dates, locations, content, guests or conveners, or delivery methods at its discretion. Reasonable notice will be provided for any changes. However, we do not accept liability for any losses incurred due to these changes.

Material

Learning experiences (“activities”) may comprise of a variety of different configurations, artefacts and file types. Each configuration, artefact and file type is unique in how it behaves and operates within different networks and environments.  

Material can be sourced from a wide range of sources. Material and links to external resources are provided for convenience and in good faith. Links to external websites are provided for general use only and should not be relied upon as official government policy. They are included for convenience and do not signify endorsement of material at those sites or any associated organisations, product or service. Your use of any external website is governed by the terms of that website.  

Material from other Australian government agencies and third-parties may be published or incorporate their material into the platform. However, this does not necessarily reflect the views of us, nor does it constitute an endorsement of material from external websites or associated organisations, products or services. Such materials may not always adhere to the standards sought by us or remain up to date.  

We make no warranty regarding the accuracy, reliability, currency or completeness of any third-party information. Views and recommendations of third-parties, included in the platform do not necessarily reflect the views of us or imply commitment to a specific learning experience of action. Material may incorporate summarised views, guidelines, or recommendations of third-parties.  

Accessibility

WCAG international standards are constantly being reviewed and may issue changes to these standards. Australian government agencies are mandated to meet WCAG 2.2 Level AA and are responsible for ensuring the compliance of materials they provide to Us. Accessibility testing results may vary depending on the time of testing, testing method and application used to undertake WCAG testing.

We endeavour to ensure material on the platform is accessible. Material hosted within the platform or delivered by Us or the Supplying Entity is to undergo user testing for accessibility before release. Material should be designed in accordance with both the WCAG and Australian Government Accessibility Guidelines to ensure accessibility for all users.  However, if you find difficulty in accessing material on the platform please contact us for alternative options.  

We endeavour to:  

• ensure new material created by Us complies with WCAG version 2.2- external site (WCAG 2.2) standard.
• update past activities where resources and access to source files are available.  
• provide alternative file formats upon request to an activity.  

While efforts have been made to accommodate users with visual impairments or disabilities who use screen readers, such as providing closed captions in videos, the APSC lacks control over these publicly available resources.  

Therefore, the APSC cannot be held accountable if they do not meet current accessibility standards or become outdated.  

For additional information, please refer to our tools and templates for Accessibility and Inclusive Design | Australian Public Service Academy (apsacademy.gov.au)

Advice and currency

While efforts are made to maintain accuracy and currency our and the Supplying Entity’s material, it is advisable to exercise independent judgement before relying on material provided. Learning experiences do evolve over time, certain terminology and links to resources may become outdated. If you have difficulty in accessing material on the platform please contact us. We will endeavour to provide alternative options if available and where applicable.  

The material is not a substitute for independent professional advice and users should seek appropriate guidance as needed.

It is important to assess whether third party material is accurate, authentic, or complete and to seek independent professional advice when necessary.  

Update to activities  

We reserve the right to update material at any time to ensure the relevance and quality of the content. Such updates may result in the loss of learning experience progress, requiring you to restart or redo the learning experience.  

While every effort will be made to minimise disruption, please note that in some cases, immediate updates may be required.  

Activities completions

It is your responsibility to complete the required activities for the learning experience to be acknowledged and marked as completed. Noting, all activities marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory and must be finished to receive a completed status. As each learning experience is unique, it is your responsibility to carefully read and understand the instructions and complete all mandatory activities. For example, some activities may require you to attend a single session, participate in multiple sessions over a period of time, complete a pre-work module, or complete a workbook, among other requirements.

Multimedia activities, including but not limited to videos and podcasts, must be viewed or listened to in a single continuous session to be marked as completed. If you skip through the activity or exit the activity and then return, the activity will not be marked as complete. You will need to start the multimedia component from the beginning to receive a completed status.

Activities online – disruption  

To prevent interruptions and ensure activity completions, it is your responsibility to:

• refer to your entity ICT policies regarding device or software timeout durations
• familiarise yourself with the necessary ICT products and platforms for completing the learning experience
• ensure you have the ability to complete multimedia activities in a single session
• secure a quiet environment to avoid interruptions.

If all the above requirements have been met and an activity remains incomplete, please contact us.  

Copyright  

The platform is made available to APS personnel and staff, as well as personnel from other Commonwealth entities, State and Territory bodies, and other organisations if permitted by us. Visibility restrictions are applied to different learning experiences which controls who can view the material. Material within the platform is not for further distribution unless stated otherwise in applicable licence agreements or express written consent has been provided by the content owner, us or the Supplying Entity prior.  

If you want to use material on this platform in a way that is beyond the scope of the terms of use that apply to it, contact us or the Supplying Entity for authorisation. You could infringe a third party, our or a Supplying Entities copyright if you use anything on the platform in a way that’s not permitted or otherwise allowed under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) or Creative Commons.

Cultural Disclaimer

While we aim to maintain culturally sensitive, inclusive, accurate, and up-to-date material, social learning activities or publicly available links, we cannot guarantee the guidance will always apply to your entity specific operating environment or that external guidance is regularly updated. It is your responsibility to determine what information and guidance are suitable to your entity needs.

Please be aware, that material may contain information of names, images and voices of deceased persons. The cultural topics discussed in material or in any social learning environments (such as forums) may evoke distress, sadness and trauma to some viewers as it discusses the impacts of colonisation, systemic injustice, inequality and racism.  

Wellbeing Disclaimer

If any of the material, social learning activities or publicly available links, cause distress or you feel emotionally impacted, please stop watching or participating and contact one or more of the following support services:  

• your entity Employment Assistance Program (EAP)  
• Lifeline on 13 11 14 or by text on 0477 13 11 14 (available 24/7)
• 13YARN on 13 92 76 (available 24/7) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 (available 24/7).

Social learning

Some learning experiences offered utilise social learning activities. Social Learning provides opportunities for users to connect, share information and learn from each other.  

Through facilitating sharing of learnings and experiences, social learning drives deeper connections with content and supports practical application to embed learnings. It creates learning that sticks, while expanding professional networks to help participants contextualise their work within the broader view of the APS. This supports cross-entity consultation and collaboration on organisational and service-wide priorities.

The types of social learning that you may come across include forum discussions, cohort-based learning and utilising small groups within learning experiences. We work hard to encourage healthy, safe social learning environment and strongly believe the topics and conversation should be driven by the learners.  

We are unable to control other people’s actions and make no warranty regarding learner’s misconduct behaviour. To encourage a healthy, safe social learning environment you must behave in such a manner which is kind, respectful, lawful, supportive and adheres to the  APS Code of Conduct.  

You must not post sensitive or classified information. You are solely responsible for all content posted from your account. You must keep your login details confidential and you must not provide your login details to any other person for use.  

You must comply with intellectual property law and only post content that you have personally created or have permission to use and have properly attributed to the content creator.  

By posting material, the posting party warrants and represents that he or she owns the copyright with respect to such material or has received permission from the copyright owner. Material posted is not available for reuse, unless stated otherwise. If you want to use an item you find on the site, you should ask the person who uploaded it for permission.  

In no event shall We be liable for any special, indirect, or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use or data arising, including the downloading of any harmful material, out of or in connection with the use of any information posted on this site. You and your entity network should ensure they have adequate protection against viruses when accessing the internet.  

Code of Conduct and laws

At all times, APS employees engaging in social learning activities are bound by the APS Values, Employment Principles, and Code of Conduct set out in the Public Service Act 1999 (PS Act). You must act in a manner which complies with federal laws. For example, suggested legislation in relation to discrimination - Racial Discrimination Act 1975, Disability Discrimination Act 1992, and suggested legislation in relation to privacy - Privacy Act 1988. Information on anti-discrimination laws can be found here. Legislations can be found on this site - Search (legislation.gov.au).  For helpful information how to be respectful, please refer to the Home | Australian Human Rights Commission.  

How we want learners to behave

• Keep it clean. Be conscious not to offend. Derogatory statements or profanity and inappropriate content (including photos) will be deleted. Never threaten or offend.
• Cultural sensitivities - people may share images and videos of people who have died. Further, they may contain information and resources that some Australian First Nations people may find emotionally impactful. Apply user discretion prior to engaging with the resources.
• Don't fight. We welcome healthy discussion and encourage you to challenge the information and not the person.
• Stay on topic.  We do ask that you keep to the topic of other people's conversations and avoid taking threads off track. Don't hijack someone else's question with your own, unrelated issues. Start a new thread or contact the moderators with issues.
• Make it clear. Keep the language simple so everyone can understand. Avoid unexplained acronyms and jargon.
• Don't advertise. No spam, advertising, solicitations, irrelevant links.
• Third party material and links – people may reference and provide links to third party resources they do not own the rights to. You should only provide material you have the rights to share. These have been provided for user convenience only, and are not an endorsement.
• Uploading attachments – do not upload anything that contains a virus or other code that has harmful or destructive properties.
• Don't use it as a soapbox. It is not the right place to push your personal issues or agenda. Keep the content relevant to the community.
• Give credit. Don't infringe on copyright or intellectual property when posting on our Community. Give credit if you reference somebody else's work.
• Currency – forums are designed to evolve over time. Certain terminology and links to resources may become outdated.
• Wellbeing – some people may share information which contains discussion on psychological trauma and adversity, distress, suicide and self-harm. If you are emotionally impacted by the information presented, please seek support.
• Reasonable perception – when engaging, it must be lawful. A reasonable person should not perceive it to be at any time:
  • in breach of state, territory or federal law(s)
  • affecting public confidence in the entity or the APS
  • affecting a person’s ability to complete duties in an apolitical or impartial manner
  • made on behalf of the entity or the Government.
• Follow social media guidance principles: Social media: Guidance for Australian Public Service Employees and Agencies  
• Report any issues. If you think something breaks our rules, contact us  so we can look into it.

How we don’t want learners to behave

It is not acceptable to:

• protest policies agencies implement.
• release sensitive, personal or confidential personal or entity information.
• post images or videos of staff members without their consent
• post sensitive or classified information, or harmful material. Harmful material includes any software or code that infiltrates, damages, alters, corrupts, detrimentally interferes with, surreptitiously intercepts or expropriates any computer system, any information, data, software or system.  
  romantic advances towards other users.  
• advertising or promotion for commercial gain.  
• post content relating to people or work that is, or perceived as, offensive, threatening, sexual in nature, discussing violence, illegal activities, harassing or discriminatory. This includes posts about the APS, stakeholders, the entity or its staff, whether named or not.
• engage in commentary that’s so harsh or extreme in its criticism or endorsement of an entity, the Australian Government or a Member of Parliament from any political party or their respective policies, that you can’t work, or gives the perception you can’t work professionally, efficiently or impartially.

Inappropriate behaviour

If you feel a person breaks any of our social learning guidance or you feel that something is inappropriate, please contact us and let us know of your concerns.

We or the Supplying Entity reserves the right to:  

• edit or archive learners communication participation activities on the platform
• notify or report inappropriate behaviour and or misconduct to your employer Human Resource or equivalent area.

Data

APS agencies with a clear business need to generate reports can appoint one or more Reporting Officers. Reporting Officers are registered users of APSLearn and will have the ability to self-serve and generate entity data reports directly from APSLearn. This enables the entity to track employee training engagement based on user profiles within the platform.

Typically, Reporting Officers are individuals from the entity learning and development team and have undergone introduction training regarding Privacy, Security Awareness and Records Management. If you’re unsure about who within your entity has Reporting Officer access or need to designate one, please contact us.

Data may be uploaded into the platform and used by or disclosed to third-parties, Supplying Entities, software vendor and other software system integrated platforms (where a transaction occurs, a learner profile needs to be created in another system to complete the learning experience or the learner user profile already exists in that system which is connected to APSLearn). The exchange of data may help consolidate a learner’s training journey and records, support the administration of the learning experience or capture information to evaluate and analyse the learning experience engagement. This data may include your name an email address and your engagement with the learning experiences.  

Evaluation surveys may be requested by us, third-parties or a Supplying Entity to contribute to the continuous improvement of learning initiatives. These evaluation surveys vary depending on the learning experience and may be optional or mandatory, as well as anonymous or not.  

APS agencies may request data from the platform for legitimate business purposes. To initiate a data request, please contact us. Each request must be submitted separately. The data typically includes information on completions, registrations and cancellations for learning experiences. We will contact your entity if there are any concerns or queries regarding the data requests.

While we strive to provide accurate and timely data, we cannot guarantee the completeness, reliability or accuracy of the data provided. We disclaim all liability for any errors or omissions in the data or for any actions taken in reliance on the data. Your use of the data is at your own risk.

Privacy

Your information is collected in accordance with our Privacy Policy- external site for the purpose of coordinating APS-wide training and career development opportunities, including learning activities and reporting. It will be used for activity administration, statistical analysis and evaluation, including by external third-party providers.  

Personal information may be disclosed to learning experience facilitators, practitioners, supplying entities, employing/home entity, portfolio department and external third-parties for tailored and effective delivery and administration and evaluation of the learning experience. Where we identify the need to collect sensitive information, we will generally seek your consent prior to collection. 

After joining a learning experience – unless you opt out by contacting us at the time of enrolling you may join an Alumni/Network group – we may disclose information (in accordance with our Privacy Policy- external site) with other participants for further continuous learning or to improve learning experiences.  It may also be shared with your employing/home entity cohort for administrative, networking, statistical, and monitoring purposes, unless you opt out by contacting us or the Supplying Entity before the learning experience starts.  

Your information may be used to distribute information about other APSC-run or sponsored opportunities and to maintain the APSC’s database. Occasionally, mailing lists are shared with government entities with related functions.  

When participating in online interactive learning experiences, a virtual classroom tool will be used for content delivery. By registering for the activities on the platform, you agree to the operation and terms of the tool’s usage.  

Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim liability for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use or inability to use our services available via the platform. This includes, but is not limited to, damages for loss of profits, goodwill, use, data, or other intangible losses.

Governing law

This agreement shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Australian Capital Territory. You agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Australia.

Changes to Terms and Conditions

We reserve the right to modify these Terms and Conditions at any time. Your continued use of our services following any changes constitutes your acceptance of the new Terms and Conditions.