GMA103 Involvement in reviews

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Criterion GMA103 Guidance

Criterion GMA103

There is evidence in either written or digital format that parents and whānau of children attending the service and adults providing education and care have been provided with opportunities to contribute to the development and review of the service’s operational documents.

Guidance

How to show you are complying

You must have evidence that shows parents, whānau, and the adults providing education and care in your service have had opportunities to contribute to the development and review of your service’s operational documents.

You can gather ideas and feedback in different ways when developing and reviewing your service’s operational documents.

For example, you could gather written or digital feedback.

Written format examples

Meeting minutes that record contributions.
Feedback forms or surveys (paper-based).
Signed consultation records or workshop attendance sheets.
Suggestion boxes with documented responses.
Newsletters that invite feedback and document contributions.

Digital format examples

Emails inviting and documenting feedback.
Online surveys or forms (for example, Google Forms, SurveyMonkey).
Shared documents (for example, Google Docs with tracked changes or comments).
Parent portals or apps with feedback features.
Social media posts or group messages with engagement records.

Separated parents or guardians

All parents and guardians have the right to contribute to the development and review of your operational documents. The exception is if a parent or guardian is restricted by a court order.

More information on professional practice regarding separated parents or guardians can be found in the guidance for GMA102.

Guidance for GMA102

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How we assess compliance

When assessing whether you comply with GMA103

Questions we are likely to ask

How do you make sure that parents, whānau, and the adults providing education and care are aware of and engaged in your service’s review process for your policies and procedures?
What is your process for parents, whānau, and the adults providing education and care to provide feedback on the service’s operational documents?

We are likely to look at, measure or count

Your records (written or digital) that show parents, whānau, and the adults providing education and care have had the opportunity to help develop and review your service’s operational documents.

We are likely to request

Your records (written or digital) that show parents, whānau, and the adults providing education and care have had the opportunity to help develop and review your service’s operational documents.

Why this is important 

Inviting parents, whānau, and the adults who provide education and care to contribute to your service’s operational documents helps your policies better reflect everyone’s needs, values, and experiences, creating shared expectations.

Best practice: Going beyond compliance

Doing more than the minimum can shape better outcomes for children.

Think about how you share information in ways that are culturally appropriate and reflect your service’s community. This might include:

using parents’ first language
respecting communal decision-making practices
tailoring communication to suit the particular topic or subject
identifying the best communication method for each whānau, written information may not be effective where there are language or literacy barriers.