Travel

3. Travel funding

Travellers may represent DE in a variety of funded travel activities. Travel may be fully or partly funded by DE, or through other sources, including sponsored travel or self-funded travel.

DE has a duty of care to travellers on official business and an onus of public accountability for travellers who are travelling as representatives of the education portfolio.

Regardless of the funding source, school-based staff travelling on behalf of DE (in any capacity) must follow the policy and procedures, including the pre-travel approval process (refer to section 4.2) and personal travel guidelines (refer to section 4.3).

Travellers must declare all sponsored travel using the Gifts, Benefits and Hospitality Registry System (staff login required). Refer to the department’s Gifts, Benefits and Hospitality policy.

3.1 Partially funded travel

Where DE is only partially funding travel, the travel request must identify all funding sources and be approved in advance of travel. The external funding source is to be identified, along with the breakdown of all funds to be received. Such travel is subject to approval.

3.2 Self-funded travel

Travellers may co-fund or wholly fund official travel. If the traveller is officially representing DE, travel approval must be obtained before the departure date.

3.3 Sponsored travel

School-based staff must declare and receive approval for any sponsored travel offer through the department’s Gifts, Benefits and Hospitality Registry System (staff login required), before submitting a Travel Request Authorisation (TRA).

Sponsored travel must be declined unless a legitimate business benefit for acceptance can be demonstrated. Refer to the Gifts, Benefits and Hospitality policy.

Travellers and travel approvers must ensure that sponsorship arrangements are with organisations where the reputational risk to the Victorian Government or DE is low or nil. Travellers and travel approvers should carry out reasonable background checks on potential sponsorship associates, their full range of business interests and activities, and ensure any potential risks are identified.

Sponsorship agreements should specify in writing that school acceptance of the sponsorship is not a general endorsement of the organisation or its products by DE or the school, and that the arrangement must not be promoted or publicised as such.