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Response from Office of the MARA re monitoring of RMAs
Please find today's response from the Office of the MARA regarding the monitoring of RMAs:
"Thank you for your email of 13 March 2015 to the Office of the Hon Michaelia Cash concerning monitoring activities being conducted by the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA). I have been requested to reply on her behalf.
As you are aware, the OMARA undertakes monitoring as part of its consumer protection mandate and in its role as regulator of professional standards for registered migration agents. Monitoring the conduct of registered migration agents is one of the OMARA’s functions under S.316 of the Migration Act 1958 and S.317 provides the authority to do all things necessarily or conveniently done for, or in connection with, the performance of its functions.
As you would know, the objective of monitoring is to improve overall industry compliance with the Code of Conduct for registered migration agents and to maintain professional standards. This is consistent with activities carried out by other regulators. As previously advised, the OMARA uses an educative approach in monitoring the conduct of registered migration agents with the aim of providing feedback and guidance to enhance professionalism. Monitoring helps the Authority identify areas where the profession could benefit from guidance and from sharing best practice.
The recent surveys to which you refer were sent to recipients with an individual survey link, allowing the recipient to complete and submit the survey once only. Each survey response has the name and MARN of the agent who completed the survey embedded in the results. This enhances security of the survey.
We have communicated in all-agent emails in the past that agents who have participated in monitoring activities have broadly indicated they found it a useful and informative process with some suggesting they would like more interaction with the OMARA to help them better understand their obligations.
The OMARA will continue to undertake general monitoring activities using a range of methods and appreciates the cooperation, professionalism and good will thus far expressed by agents participating in monitoring activities.
Thank you again for your email."
[NAME REMOVED FROM EMAIL TO PROTECT PRIVACY OF OMARA DELEGATE]
Comments
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Wednesday, 18 March 2015Much is the ask of the OMARA as is the ask of the RMA's. Clap makes a sound only if two hands are used. Otherwise it is a pat or a hit. OMARA is better off having regular meetings with RMA's, say once every 2-3 months and conduct face to face interactive knowledge dissemination meetings including RMA obligations and updates on new legislation and internal policies and procedures of the DIBP. At least one senior and one junior DIBP official as well as one OMARA official shoud be in the panel. This way first hand information would reach the RMA's and the inclusive approach will help all stake holders, including clients and case officers.
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Wednesday, 18 March 2015
Uhhh. They are government workers that need to be paid. They themselves are not qualified, but have authority to monitor registered agents.
What a joke. -
Wednesday, 18 March 2015
Glen is right. When, and only when the governing body's employees have to satisfy its own standards will they appreciate and hurdles they place before us. I am sure those same people would take umbrage at having their abilities randomly scrutinised by their employer.
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Wednesday, 18 March 2015
Robert exactly. One of the people at the Mara used to be a school teacher right before he started there. From high school geography teacher to scrutinising professional migration agents, most of whom have business skills accumulated over years spent in business. It's a strange concept of the slaves ruling the masters. In fact public SERVANTS ruling those they SERVE.
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Thursday, 19 March 2015
So to be clear, is it the opinion of MA (and anyone who would like to weigh in) to comply with OMARA's cordial request or is there anyone in the process intending to kindly refuse OMARA's cordial request. I would be interested to know as I have received such request and whilst I have nothing to hide, I'd much prefer spending my time focusing on servicing my clients than justify someone's job to tell me how to better service my clients.
Ftr. If OMARA wants to justify their existence, rather than 'randomly' select targets, perhaps they should focus on justifying their existence by targeting their surveys towards migration agents who have a high refusal rate or high volumes of complaints received by the Office. Surely, helping these agents will not only improve our quality standards overall and leave the ones that are doing the right thing to continue focusing on upholding our professional excellence.
As any proficient business manager would know, if you're running a business, you don't evaluate operations that are doing well, you evaluate the operations that are not doing well, same goes for staff, the ones that are performing well, I leave them to continue to uphold our company standards and the staff that are somewhat lacking, I try to help them with mentoring and additional training and if they still are not cut for the job, that's probably when you gently encourage them to perhaps choose a different profession.
If OMARA is serious about helping migration agents raise professional standards, these are basic concepts OMARA should be applying and I haven't even started on OMARA regulating "non registered migration agents". I shall save that for my soap box another day.
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Then please send your questionnaires to those found it useful. We are busy enough in keeping up with the legislation and policy changes, not to mention the non-stop changes the Department introduce in their various visa processing procedures.
Do we RMA NOT know our obligations and need OMARA to help us to understand?