Elements and Performance Criteria

What external agencies may a manager of a park or reserve have to deal with?
External agencies may include the taxation commissioner, government agencies, financing agencies, business organisations, industry bodies, community advisory committees, sporting or volunteer associations, and other community organisations.

What assets may be managed in parks and reserves?
Assets may include buildings, facilities, vehicles, tools, equipment and machinery, sporting grounds, playgrounds, picnic areas, camping grounds and natural areas (e.g., native Australian flora, fauna species or ecological areas), historic or culturally significant areas, objects, structures and buildings, and heritage listed attributes within the park or reserve.

What operations may be undertaken when managing parks and reserves?
Operations may include maintenance, monitoring and development activities for turf, gardens, aquatic and wetland areas, playgrounds, natural ecosystems, access roads and visitor facilities, organising special events, organising restoration of a site, revegetation, landscaping an area, and changing the use of a site.

What OHS requirements may be relevant to this standard?
Safe systems and procedures for:
operating and maintaining machinery including hydraulics and guarding of exposed moving parts.
hazard and risk control.
manual handling including lifting and carrying.
the provision of safety decals and signage.
handling, application and storage of hazardous substances.
outdoor work including protection from solar radiation, dust and noise.
lock out or danger tag procedures.
protection of people in the workplace.
the appropriate use, maintenance and storage of personal protective clothing and equipment.

What administrative and office systems may be developed for the management of parks and reserves?
Systems may include incoming and outgoing mail, financial transactions, accounting, employee wage records (tax, workers compensation, superannuation, leave entitlements), and filing or archiving of statutory statistics.

What hazards may be associated with park and garden management?
Hazards may include solar radiation, dust, hazardous substances, noise, through traffic, uneven surfaces, holes, and moving machinery and machinery parts.

What elements of the immediate and related environments may require monitoring?
Immediate environments may include the naturally occurring or native ecosystem and cultivated environments within the park or reserve.
Related environments may include neighbouring and geographically linked land (e.g., a recharge or discharge area for a watertable), or water bodies outside the boundaries of the park or reserve.

What specific knowledge is needed to achieve the performance criteria?

Knowledge and understanding are essential to apply this standard in the workplace, to transfer the skills to other contexts and to deal with unplanned events. The knowledge requirements for this competency standard are listed below:

Enterprise management policies and procedures.
Budgeting, monitoring systems and allocation of monetary resources.
Asset and resource management.
Sports and recreational land use applications and associated environmental implications.
Management information systems.
Performance management and benchmarking.
Staff training and development principles, practices and techniques.
Technologically assisted management tools such as computing systems, software and hardware, and telecommunications equipment.
Legislative and regulatory requirements relevant to parks and reserve land use applications and management activities (e.g., OHS, HAZCHEM, dangerous goods, duty of care and Australian Standards as they apply to Parks and Gardens - AS/NZS 4486.1:1997).
Policies applying across all levels of government and within the specific region, including those under catchment plans.
International treaties, agreements and charters including

What specific skills are needed to achieve the performance criteria?

To achieve the performance criteria, appropriate literacy and numeracy levels as well as some complementary skills are required. These include the ability to:

Interpret business, financial, marketing and human resource management plans.
Communicate clearly and effectively, orally and in writing for the understanding of staff, supervisors, managers, suppliers, contractors, external agencies, industry contacts, community organisations and the public, using a variety of media and techniques.
Prepare and present effective operational reports to senior management.
Assign work, receive and interpret staff feedback and consultants reports, and respond effectively to achieve management objectives.
Implement performance and OHS management systems.
Assess financial systems, prepare and monitor budgets and liaise effectively with consultants and other industry contacts on the spatial and logistical aspects of management systems and on-ground operations.
Assess environmental impacts on the immediate and related environments and impact reduction techniques.
Research and consult to obtain the information required for effective maintenance and development of the park or reserve.

Are there other competency standards that could be assessed with this one?
This competency standard could be assessed on its own or in combination with other competencies relevant to the job function.

Essential Assessment Information
There is essential information about

What processes should be applied to this competency standard? There are a number of processes that are learnt throughout work and life, which are required in all jobs. They are fundamental processes and generally transferable to other work functions. Some of these are covered by the key competencies, although others may be added. The questions below highlight how these processes are applied in this competency standard. Following each question a number in brackets indicates the level to which the key competency needs to be demonstrated where 0 = not required, 1 = perform the process, 2 = perform and administer the process and 3 = perform, administer and design the process.
Communicating ideas and information
Oral and written communication with staff, supervisors, managers, suppliers, contractors, external agencies, industry contacts, community organisations and the public will be required. (3)

Collecting analysing and organising information
Information for the development of operational plans will be collected through interpretation of enterprise plans, consultation with appropriate personnel and from own experience. This information will be analysed and organised in relation to the achievement of enterprise goals and objectives and available financial, physical and human resources. Reports including statistical and financial data will need to be produced for senior management. (3)

Planning and organising activities
The planning and organisation of own work and that of others should proceed in a logical, orderly and efficient manner. Timely and appropriate information needs to be available for decision-making. Park and office operations, purchasing, scheduling, monitoring, performance management and reporting should reflect the activities required to achieve the enterprise business plan. (3)

Working with others and in teams
Park management will involve participating in, facilitating and leading a team or teams to achieve the enterprise business plan. (3)

Using mathematical ideas and techniques
Mathematical understanding will be required to analyse data regarding maintenance and development budgets, income and expenditure, and physical aspects such as dimensions, application rates, energy conversion rates and quantitative environmental impacts. Statistical data will need to be provided to support monitoring and evaluation of park operations. (3)

Solving problems
Problems of a complex nature relating to all aspects of management will require problem-solving skills. (3)

Using technology
Technology will be required to record, store and communicate ideas and information related to management of the park or reserve. It will also be used to research relevant information, collect, process and analyse data from park operations and performance management, and to produce reports on performance and recommended improvements. (3)