ACRS Capacity Building Program

• What is the ACRS Capacity Building Program?
• Why Capacity Building for Road Safety Professionals?
• ACRS Capacity Building Working Group
• How Can I Contribute?
• FAQs
• Acknowledgement

What is the ACRS Capacity Building Program?

The Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS), supported by the Australian Government through the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, is undertaking a project to develop a Capacity Building Program for road safety professionals and practitioners from all disciplines of road safety.

The program will encompass four key elements to be developed throughout 2024-2026. These are:

1. An online Road Safety Body of Knowledge.
   A body of knowledge (BoK) is an industry-specific collection of knowledge, capturing the key concepts and information vital to the professionals and practitioners within that industry. An industry-first, the Road Safety BoK will comprise essential concepts, language, and evidence-based findings, compiled by leaders in the field.
   
2. A transdisciplinary online training module.
   Following extensive analysis of available road safety training, ACRS has identified gaps in available professional development and road safety specific education.
   In an effort to unite road safety specialists from all disciplines under a single industry body, ACRS is designing an affordable, accessible and self-paced training module that is transdisciplinary in nature and recognises intersecting disciplines and concepts, providing a holistic definition of road safety.
   
3. A register of endorsed road safety training programs.
   For those industry specialists looking to advance their formal learning, seek out post-graduate study opportunities or industry-specialist training, the ACRS will establish a training referral program, with links to quality, ACRS-endorsed universities and industry courses.
   
4. A recognition framework of learning and training for road safety professionals.
   The final phase of the ACRS capacity building program is the implementation of a system of certification, to recognise professional learning and skills competency across the broader road safety profession.

Why Capacity Building for Road Safety Professionals?

In 2023, The ACRS undertook a 12-month project, in partnership with Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) to identify problems and propose solutions for promoting road safety as a career for women. The findings were wide-reaching and applicable to the broader road safety community, with the following key recommendations:

1. Road safety should be united under a single industry or body.
2. Develop an understanding of the road safety workforce to clarify education pathways.
3. ACRS should consider leading the development of non-university courses/refresher courses in transferrable skills that are underpinned by the Safe System Approach.

The ACRS Strategy and Planning meeting held in March 2023 also came to similar conclusions about the need for capacity and capability development for road safety professionals. Putting this together, it is clear that road safety professionals are aware of the need for new and enhanced approaches to education and training in this area.

ACRS Capacity Building Working Group

The ACRS has established a working group to contribute to and oversee the development of the Road Safety Body of Knowledge (RS BoK) and training program.

How Can I Contribute?

The Capacity Building Program is a major initiative of the ACRS in 2024-2026, and there are many ways for all members to make a meaningful contribution to this ground-breaking project.

FAQs

What is a Body of Knowledge?
A Body of Knowledge, or BoK/BOK is a compendium of concepts and terms relating to a specific professional domain, defined by the relevant industry body or association.

Will the ACRS become a registered training organisation (RTO)?
No. The ACRS aims to provide accessible and affordable online learning modules to provide a transdisciplinary overview of the fundamentals of road safety – an identified gap in the current road safety education landscape.

Will the ACRS offer in-person or facilitator-led training?
No. The ACRS will offer self-paced, accessible and affordable online learning modules only.

Will the ACRS compete with existing training programs/providers?
No. There are many existing, specialised road safety training programs available across a variety of disciplines, in a range of locations. The ACRS will refer trainees to existing programs endorsed by the ACRS, where they are available.

Will the ACRS training program be affordable?
Yes. The aim of providing fundamental road safety training is that it be affordable, accessible, self-paced and transdisciplinary.

Who is the ACRS road safety training program designed for?
The program will be designed to provide a fundamental understanding of the intersecting disciplines of the entire road safety industry. It is intended for all road safety professionals, practitioners and students, regardless of their discipline, level of experience or their global location. This is because we have identified a gap in the training landscape for learning that supports specialists from specific disciplines to gain an understanding of other disciplines.

Who can contribute to the development of the road safety capacity building program?
Any ACRS member may nominate on behalf of themselves, or on behalf of their organisation, to make a contribution. While some tasks, such as authorship or peer review (specialist panel) are better suited to more senior-level industry members, others (user experience research; product testing) are open to all members and their experience can be every bit as valuable.

Nominating yourself
All members of the ACRS are encouraged to nominate themselves to contribute to the development of the ACRS Capacity Building Program. Take a look at the various ways to contribute above or via this link.

Nominating your organisation
A member, as a representative of their organisation, may nominate on the organisation’s behalf. Therefore, when we make a call for contributors with the skill set unique to your organisation, we will get in touch to let you know we are seeking your support for you to determine who might take part. All contributors to the program must be ACRS members.

Do I need to be an ACRS member to make a contribution?
Yes. The Capacity Building Program is a groundbreaking project that the ACRS is undertaking as a collegiate effort. We hope that for years to come, our members will be proud of both the early and ongoing efforts of the ACRS to tackle this important work, and we can’t think of a better reason to become a member.

Acknowledgement