Travel

Policy

This policy and its procedures set out the requirements for all school-based staff who are travelling as part of their job and aims to ensure that travel delivers public value, benefits the education sector and impacts positively on student learning, while maintaining the safety and security of our travellers.

Summary

• This policy and its procedures provide direction for school-based staff who are travelling and travel approvers on the guiding principles and practical requirements for travel.
• When planning, managing approval and booking travel, school-based staff and travel approvers must follow the procedural steps in the Guidance tab.
• While this policy does not apply to students who are travelling, it does apply to school-based staff accompanying students. For information about student travel, refer to the Excursions policy.
• For the purpose of this policy, travel to New Zealand is considered separately to international travel and has its own approval requirements.

Details

Travel is a key enabler for the department to discharge its core functions and to advance the government’s objectives in delivering a world-class education system. The department is committed to ensuring students develop the skills and intercultural capabilities needed to succeed in an increasingly globalised world and become active, global citizens.

Travel enables school-based staff to share knowledge, learn from best practice, establish strategic partnerships and develop intercultural insights to support their work and student learning.

This policy and its procedures provide direction for travellers and travel approvers on the guiding principles for department travel and how these principles are put into practice to best enable and discharge core department functions.

General principles

Regardless of the funding source, travel must occur in a manner that:

• demonstrates clear value and benefit for the education portfolio
• reflects integrity, accountability, ethics and transparency
• assesses the travel relative to the next best alternative for that expenditure
• contains costs and adheres to the highest probity principles
• considers environmental impacts, reduces carbon emissions, and aligns with sustainability practices where possible.

Getting the best value from travel expenditure means making smart choices about who travels, how, where, and when. Travel is to be undertaken where it is expected to offer a return on investment. Alternatives, like video calls and support from staff on-site at destinations, must be considered first. These alternatives can deliver savings and support the department’s environmental policy objectives to pursue resource efficient technology.

Scope

Compliance with the policy and procedures is a requirement for school-based staff and casual relief teachers delivering official business or travelling on school excursions, including:

• the teaching service, including principals
• other school-based staff, including ES staff members
• school council members.

For the purpose of this policy and procedures, these staff are identified collectively as ‘school-based staff’.

The policy and procedures do not cover student travel. School-based travellers accompanying students on school trips and excursions may have additional obligations. For more information on the obligations of school-based staff accompanying students, refer to the department’s Excursions policy.

Travellers and travel administration or support staff must familiarise themselves with the policy and procedures, and comply with relevant requirements.

Records management

Travellers must keep comprehensive records of all travel, including justification and approval of travel, any post-travel reports and supporting documentation for any expenditure claims relating to the approved travel. For more information, refer to the Records Management policy.

Compliance with policy

Monitoring and compliance

Compliance with this policy must occur in line with relevant department HR policies and processes, including the Travel and Personal Expenses – Teaching Service, Grievances – Teaching Service and Personal Leave – Teaching Service policies.

Travellers, travel approvers and travel registrars are responsible for the correct application of this policy and must identify and report breaches to the travel manager. Refer to Definitions for more information about these roles.

Travel approvers will be advised of their travellers’ identified and substantiated breaches of the policy and non-compliant practices. Travel approvers must take action when a complaint or misconduct is brought to their attention.

Possible consequences, in line with DE policies, include recovery of expenditure, and/or disciplinary action, which could entail termination of employment in cases of serious misconduct.

Refer to the department’s Managing Conduct and Unsatisfactory Performance in the Teaching Service policy.

Complaints and Speak Up

School-based staff are encouraged to raise concerns about another staff member if they believe public funds have been used inappropriately or other improper conduct has occurred during approved work-related travel.

Refer to the department’s Fraud and Corruption Control policy and Managing Conduct and Unsatisfactory Performance in the Teaching Service policy for more information.

Definitions

Refer to the Guidance tab.

Related policies

• Excursions
• Fraud and Corruption Control
• Freedom of Information
• Gifts, Benefits and Hospitality
• Grievances – Teaching Service
• Managing Conduct and Unsatisfactory Performance in the Teaching Service
• Records Management
• Travel and Personal Expenses – Teaching Service

Relevant legislation

• Ministerial Order 1388  (Teaching Service)
• Ministerial Order 1389 (School Council Employees)
• Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic)
• Public Administration Act 2004 (Viv) (see: Public Sector Values and Employment Principles)
• Victorian Public Sector Code of Conduct (Vic)
• Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013 (Vic)