CRIC has worked extensively with organisations of all sizes, within both the private and public sector, enabling it to extend and refine its ‘customer first’ approach. CRIC invests significant energy and effort into establishing commercial alliances and relationships with organisations and allocates resources in maintaining and extending these linkages.

Resources

In addition to requisite skills and knowledge and a demonstrated track record, CRIC has access to an extensive range of resources through the University of Ballarat.

These resources include:

• Specialist expertise – which we can access across the University to meet particular challenges should this be required
• Access to an extensive range of electronic and written materials
• Modern equipment and a comprehensive range of technical resources

Quality systems

The University of Ballarat and CRIC have an established range of policies and procedures which are designed to manage the quality, and ethical conduct of research and consultancy activities, and the privacy of all individuals associated with these activities.

Quality accreditation

The University of Ballarat is constituted formally as an Australian University under the University of Ballarat Act (1993). The University is committed to, and a participant in, the newly established Australian University Quality Accreditation process, while the University’s Technical and Further Education division has third party quality certification (ISO9002).

The University’s Planning, Review and Quality Improvement section leads the development and implementation of quality improvement strategies for the University including benchmarking and other strategies designed to continuously improve the quality of service delivery.

Ethics

The University has developed guidelines to ensure that all activities conducted by University staff and students occur in an ethical manner. The University’s Human Research Ethics Committee is responsible for ensuring that staff and students understand and comply with these guidelines. These guidelines are designed to ensure that research protocol gives adequate consideration to participant’s welfare, rights, beliefs, perceptions, customs and cultural heritage, both individual and collective.

Project teams

Project teams are composed of consultants formulated according to project needs and team member expertise.

Reporting

Project consultants

• Work collaboratively with the project manager
• Maintain regular and open communication with the client
• Present all information in a clear and accurate way, and
• Complete the project according to the timeframes detailed in the project brief, and to budget

In addition to regular informal contact, CRIC consultants submit formal interim and final reports with key findings according to project specifications. Timeframes for these reports are determined at the outset of each project.

Privacy

The University is bound by the Victorian Information Privacy Act (2000). This legislation protects personal information held by public sector bodies in Victoria. The University has appointed a Privacy Officer and a Privacy Committee to ensure compliance with the University’s Privacy policy and to handle any matters arising. That policy, among other things, provides specific guidelines relating to the collection, use and disclosure of personal information.