Description

A focused course, tailored for you

ASIC DDO Product Governance Practitioner

Build the TMD, monitoring, and trigger review framework that holds up when ASIC asks.

The distribution data arrives late. Three products hit their review thresholds at once. The evidence standard for each trigger review decision is not published anywhere. And the committee pack is due Thursday.

$199 one-time

Tailored to your situation. Access within 24 hours. 30-day money-back.

Includes a hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access, generated for your specific situation.

Why this course

Product Governance under the Design and Distribution Obligations regime is operationally harder than the legislation suggests. The TMD is a legal document, but it is also a governance artefact that must generate measurable monitoring data, survive a trigger review, and hold up in an ASIC information request. Most governance frameworks get the legal structure right and miss the operational layer: distribution conditions that are actually measurable, monitoring data that is available in the right format, trigger review records that clearly document the decision logic, and board reporting that reflects the real risk picture. When ASIC comes looking, the gap between the governance framework on paper and the evidence in the file is where enforcement risk lives.

What you walk away with

Write a Target Market Determination that defines the target market with precision, sets distribution conditions that generate usable monitoring data, and documents the decision logic in a way that satisfies both internal governance and ASIC review.
Build a monitoring framework with defined data sources, threshold logic, and escalation paths that produces the trigger review input without manual reconstruction every quarter.
Conduct and document a trigger review that meets the evidentiary standard ASIC expects: clear decision, clear rationale, clear outcome, and a record that can be produced on short notice.
Structure internal product governance committee papers so the risk picture is accurate, the escalation logic is clear, and the evidence trail connects the TMD to the monitoring outcome.
Manage the product modification and TMD review cycle: when a product change requires a TMD update, how to route it, what the approval record looks like, and how to notify distributors.
Respond to an ASIC information request about a specific product or distribution event with a complete, coherent evidence package assembled from a properly maintained governance record.

The 12 modules

Module 1. The DDO Regulatory Architecture

Maps the full regulatory architecture: Corporations Act Part 7.8A, the RG 274 guidance, ASIC enforcement actions to date, and the specific obligations that sit with issuers versus distributors. Covers the distinction between the issuer's TMD obligation and the distributor's obligation to take reasonable steps. Establishes the compliance risk landscape a Product Governance Senior Manager is actually managing, including the enforcement triggers ASIC has acted on and the evidentiary standard each implies.

Module 2. Designing a Defensible Target Market Determination

Walks through every structural element of a TMD: the target market definition, the product criteria that determine suitability, the distribution conditions, the review triggers, and the initial review period. Covers the common failure modes: target market definitions too broad to generate meaningful monitoring data, distribution conditions that cannot be observed in practice, and review triggers set so wide they never fire. Includes a worked example TMD template for a deposit product and a managed fund.

Module 3. Distribution Conditions That Generate Real Data

Focuses on the operational gap between a distribution condition as written and a distribution condition as monitored. Covers how to specify conditions in terms of observable data: customer type, transaction size, channel, and attestation data that flows back from distributors. Works through the information agreement between issuer and distributor: what data the issuer needs, how it is reported, at what frequency, and what happens when it does not arrive. Template for the distributor reporting schedule and the information agreement schedule.

Module 4. Building the Monitoring Framework

Builds the monitoring architecture from the data sources up: what data feeds into the monitoring model, how distribution outcomes are assessed against the TMD parameters, and how the monitoring output is formatted for governance use. Covers the threshold logic that determines when a trigger review is required, the escalation path when a threshold is approaching, and the governance record that documents the monitoring output. Template for the quarterly monitoring summary and the threshold escalation log.

Module 5. Conducting the Trigger Review

Step-by-step build of the trigger review process: what initiates a trigger review, who is involved, what evidence is assembled, what the decision options are, and what the outcome record must contain. Covers the three possible outcomes, no change to TMD, TMD amendment, and product withdrawal, and the governance approval required for each. Particular attention to the evidence standard for a no-change determination, which ASIC has flagged as an area of concern. Includes the trigger review record template.

Module 6. Product Governance Committee Architecture

Covers the internal governance structure around the TMD and monitoring process: the product governance committee terms of reference, the paper format that gives the committee what it needs to make a defensible decision, the minutes standard that creates an evidence trail, and the escalation path to the board risk committee. Works through the approval chain for a new product launch, a TMD amendment, and a trigger review outcome. Template for the committee paper and decision record.

Module 7. New Product Approval Under DDO

Maps the new product approval process through the DDO lens: when the TMD must be drafted, who reviews it, what sign-offs are required before distribution begins, and how the monitoring framework is established before launch. Covers the sequencing problem many firms encounter: distribution conditions cannot be set until the product economics are finalised, but the TMD must be approved before distribution can start. Template for the new product governance checklist and the pre-launch TMD sign-off record.

Module 8. Managing Product Modifications and TMD Reviews

Covers events that trigger a mandatory TMD review: a material change to product attributes, a distribution channel change, or a shift in the regulatory environment affecting the target market. Works through the assessment framework for deciding whether a change is material for DDO purposes, the governance approval required for the TMD update, and the distributor notification obligation. Covers the periodic review obligation and how to set a review cadence that reflects the product's actual risk profile.

Module 9. Distributor Oversight and Attestation

Focuses on the issuer's obligation to oversee its distributors' compliance with distribution conditions. Covers the due diligence framework for onboarding a new distributor under DDO, the ongoing monitoring of distributor compliance, and the response framework when a distributor reports a distribution event outside the TMD. Works through the attestation process: what distributors attest to, at what frequency, and how the attestation record is maintained. Includes the distributor oversight framework template and the attestation schedule.

Module 10. Remediation: When Products Reached the Wrong Customers

Addresses the remediation scenario: a trigger review or ASIC inquiry has identified that a product was distributed outside its target market. Covers the remediation assessment framework, the customer contact process, the refund or compensation determination methodology, and the governance approval required for the remediation program. Particular attention to the notification obligation to ASIC and the evidence standard for demonstrating that the remediation was complete and effective. Template for the remediation plan and the ASIC notification.

Module 11. ASIC Engagement and Information Request Response

Builds the response framework for an ASIC information request about a specific product or distribution event. Covers the typical scope of an ASIC DDO review request, the evidence package that a well-maintained governance record can produce, and the response structure that is most effective. Works through the privilege and confidentiality considerations, the internal coordination required, and the timeline management. Addresses the difference between a voluntary information request, a compulsory examination notice under the ASIC Act, and an enforceable undertaking scenario.

Module 12. Board Reporting and the Forward Governance Agenda

Covers the board risk committee reporting framework for product governance: what the board needs to see, at what frequency, and in what format to demonstrate effective DDO governance. Works through the key metrics, products under active trigger review, approaching threshold, or with open distributor compliance issues, and the narrative that connects governance to business risk. Addresses how to build a forward agenda that anticipates product lifecycle events and regulatory changes before they create surprises at committee.

How this addresses your situation

Specific modules that map to what you said you are dealing with.

Modules 1 and 2 cover the regulatory foundation and the TMD design skill. By the end of module 2 you have a TMD template that is structurally defensible.

Modules 3 through 5 build the operational monitoring and trigger review capability. By the end of module 5 you have a complete trigger review record template and the process to fill it.

Modules 6 through 9 cover internal governance, new product approval, product modification, and distributor oversight. By the end of module 9 the governance architecture is complete.

Modules 10 through 12 address the harder scenarios: remediation, ASIC engagement, and board reporting. By the end of module 12 you have a governance framework that works under pressure.

What you get with this course

12 written modules covering the full DDO product governance lifecycle from TMD design to board reporting.
Downloadable template pack: TMD document, distribution conditions log, distributor information agreement schedule, quarterly monitoring summary, threshold escalation log, trigger review record, product governance committee paper format, new product governance checklist, distributor attestation schedule, remediation plan, and ASIC information request response structure.
Self-assessment questions at the end of each module to verify framework completeness before moving forward.
Hand-built implementation playbook tailored to your specific product category mix, delivered alongside course access.

What you will have in hand by Day 1, Week 1, Month 1

Course access provisioned within 24 hours of purchase.

Hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access.

Before and after

Before

TMD framework built for legal sign-off but not for operational governance. Distribution conditions that look right on paper but cannot be monitored with available data. Trigger reviews conducted reactively, with evidence assembled under time pressure from scattered files. Board reporting that asserts governance adequacy without a paper trail to support it.

After

A TMD structure that generates monitoring data as a natural output of distribution activity. Distribution conditions specified in terms of observable data flows from distributors. Trigger review records built from a maintained evidence base, not reconstructed under deadline. Board reporting that reflects the real governance picture and can survive an ASIC review request without a document search.

What happens if you do not address this

ASIC's DDO enforcement program is active and expanding. Stop orders, infringement notices, and court proceedings have all been used. The enforcement risk is not theoretical; it is a function of how well the governance record holds up when ASIC reviews it. A governance framework that looks adequate in a committee presentation but cannot produce a complete trigger review record on short notice is the gap where enforcement risk lives.

Who it is for

Senior Managers and Managers running product governance functions at Australian financial services firms, banks, wealth managers, asset managers, insurance issuers, and diversified financial groups with complex multi-category product portfolios. People who own the TMD framework, sit on product governance committees, respond to ASIC queries, and are accountable for the trigger review process. Not a regulator, not a junior analyst, not a distribution team member. The person who is responsible for the governance architecture itself.

Who this is NOT for. Compliance lawyers who write the legal opinion but do not run the governance process. Junior analysts who manage data inputs but do not make governance decisions. Distribution team members whose obligation sits upstream at the issuer level. Anyone outside the Australian financial services regulatory perimeter.

How it arrives

Text-based course in the Art of Service learning environment, plus downloadable templates and worked examples for every module, plus the hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access.

Time investment. Each module is designed for a focused 45 to 60 minute read. The full 12-module course takes approximately 10 to 12 hours, suitable for completion over two to three weeks alongside a normal governance workload.

Why $199 is the right number

External legal counsel provides opinions, not operational frameworks. Internal compliance teams provide oversight, not practitioner build guides. Regulatory training courses cover the law, not the governance architecture that sits between the legal obligation and the business operation. This course is for the person who has to build and run that architecture.

FAQ

Is this specific to Australia?

The primary regulatory framework is ASIC's DDO regime under the Corporations Act and RG 274. Module 11 addresses the ASIC engagement and information request context specifically. The governance architecture principles apply to MiFID II product governance for European-facing operations, with module notes on the key structural differences.

Does this cover all product types?

The framework is built around financial products subject to the DDO regime: deposit products, managed funds, insurance products, and complex financial products. The module examples draw on deposit and managed fund TMD structures. The implementation playbook is tailored to the specific product categories in your portfolio.

What if our organisation already has a TMD template?

The course is not about building a TMD from a blank page. It is about building the operational layer around the TMD: the monitoring framework, the trigger review process, the governance committee architecture, and the board reporting structure. Most organisations have a TMD; fewer have the operational governance that makes the TMD work in practice.

How current is the regulatory content?

The course is built from ASIC's RG 274 guidance and the enforcement actions that have established the practical evidentiary standard. The operational challenges addressed are structural and do not depend on any single ASIC update cycle.

30-day money-back guarantee. If after a week of working through the materials this is not what you needed, reply to the receipt email and a full refund is processed. No questions, no forms.

Within 24 hours your account in the learning environment is provisioned and the tailored implementation playbook is delivered alongside it.