Elements and Performance Criteria

RANGE STATEMENT
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.
Codes of practice
Where reference is made to industry codes of practice, and/or Australian/international standards, it is expected the latest version will be used
Standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements
Standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements may include:
access to land (e.g. Aboriginal reserves)
animal care and ethics regulations
availability of required services
captured animal welfare and ethics code of practice
consultation (for example, with traditional owners)
emergency procedures, data quality procedures, and safety and survival aspects
environmental audits
environmental impact assessment procedures
environmental protection and/or conservation legislation and regulations
equipment and field instrument operating instructions, calibration procedures, instrument fault finding procedures, and general maintenance and repair procedures
field sampling plans, field monitoring or survey plans, industry based sampling and/or monitoring protocols
field test procedures (validated and authorised)
fieldwork procedures and standard operating procedures (SOPs)
national environment protection measures
OHS national standards and codes of practice
permits and/or licences to undertake field activities (e.g. animal trapping)
safety and accident/injury plans, emergency plans and risk management plans
sampling procedures
site locations
specific environmental standards (e.g. air, water and noise)
staff travel arrangements and accommodation conditions
waste management policies and legislation
Environmental field activities
Environmental field activities may include:
meteorology, geology, hydrology and ecology
water quality, industrial waste streams, air quality, noise and vibration
soils, flora, weeds, native fauna, exotic or pest species and threatened species
land use and cultural sites
Clients and stakeholders
Clients and stakeholders may include:
fee-for-service clients
Commonwealth, state/territory and local government agencies
enterprises with monitoring and/or survey responsibilities
private companies
regulatory authorities
environment protection agencies
developers
The purpose or objectives of environmental field activities
The purpose or objectives of environmental field activities will define/target information needs and may include:
part of enterprise environmental management plan
statutory requirements
general environmental monitoring or surveys
research studies
Drivers and constraints
Drivers and constraints may include:
political agendas, social and economic issues
new monitoring protocols
recent environmental impact assessments or audits
media or public concerns
recent judicial decisions
field safety or accident issues
competencies and availability of staff
time available to plan and implement field activities
Staff field tasks and roles
Staff field tasks and roles may include:
team or project leader and survey coordinator
field sampling officer, field monitoring officer and data management officer
safety and/or environmental officer
field camp supervisor, field assistant or field-hand
driver
any combination of the above
Field resources
Field resources may include:
sampling equipment
monitoring instruments and associated equipment
survey equipment
first aid and/or survival kits and equipment
navigation and communication equipment (e.g. compass, maps, global positioning system (GPS), two-way radio and mobile phone)
transportation systems (e.g. vehicles, boats and aircraft)
Occupational health and safety (OHS) and environmental management requirements
OHS and environmental management requirements:
all operations must comply with enterprise OHS and environmental management requirements, which may be imposed through state/territory or federal legislation - these requirements must not be compromised at any time
all operations assume the potentially hazardous nature of samples and require standard precautions to be applied
where relevant, users should access and apply current industry understanding of infection control issued by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and State and Territory Departments of Health

EVIDENCE GUIDE
The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Assessors should ensure that candidates can:
demonstrate understanding of the purpose of the activity, including:
information and analysis required
end users of information
significance of outcomes for broader programs
communicate effectively and efficiently with clients, stakeholders and other relevant parties
document the objectives of field activities accurately and clearly
identify and interpret policy and statutory requirements accurately
analyse enterprise field procedures and drivers
identify type, quality and quantity of data needed for defined field activities
review literature to identify existing and relevant field protocols
develop and document enterprise's field monitoring/survey procedures and practices
review enterprise databases
develop detailed budgets, work programs, resource requirements and staff training needs
develop data quality procedures
undertake reconnaissance and evaluation of field sites
develop and document overall implementation plan
respond effectively to changes or unforeseen circumstance
negotiate effectively with stakeholders on multiple issues and, in general, reaching satisfactory agreements
lead, support and mentor junior staff.

Context of and specific resources for assessment
This unit of competency is to be assessed in the workplace or simulated workplace environment.
This unit of competency may be assessed with:
MSL916002A Manage and develop teams
MSL916005A Manage complex projects.
Resources may include:
legislation, regulations, policies, codes of practice, enterprise procedures and field protocols.

Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
review of the design of monitoring/survey plans, quality assurance procedures, field implementation plan and budget prepared by the candidate
feedback from stakeholders that their input was sought and considered
feedback from staff and supervisors that plans were clear, comprehensive and able to be implemented effectively
oral and written questions to assess underpinning knowledge of statutory and enterprise requirements for field activities, relevant policies, procedures, protocols and codes of practice
simulation exercises to assess contingency planning.
In all cases, practical assessment should be supported by questions to assess underpinning knowledge and those aspects of competency which are difficult to assess directly.
Where applicable, reasonable adjustment must be made to work environments and training situations to accommodate ethnicity, age, gender, demographics and disability.
Access must be provided to appropriate learning and/or assessment support when required.
The language, literacy and numeracy demands of assessment should not be greater than those required to undertake the unit of competency in a work like environment.

This competency in practice
Industry representatives have provided the case studies below to illustrate the practical application of this unit of competency and to show its relevance in a workplace setting.
Environmental
A large national industrial company has prepared an environmental management plan (EMP) covering all its national locations. Given that 'monitoring' is a major component of any EMP, the environmental manager has been instructed to prepare an annual plan covering all environmental field activities so that the company has an integrated, standardised and non-overlapping monitoring plan covering all of its locations. The environmental manager establishes a planning team to develop plans and quality assurance procedures covering all environmental field monitoring or survey activities required during the year. The committee produces a strategic implementation plan which is forwarded to the Board for review and approval.
Construction materials testing
A laboratory supervisor for a large mining company was asked to prepare a proposal outlining the resources necessary to produce an annual state of the environment (SOE) report covering the mine site and surrounding land. Given that the report and associated field data would become a public document, the supervisor was also asked to prepare quality assurance procedures covering all environmental field activities undertaken by the company as part of the proposal. They began by identifying and documenting all existing and future field activities and analysing the drivers and constraints that could influence this work in the future. The supervisor then clarified which activities would impact on the SOE report and prepared an implementation plan covering the time schedule, resources, budget and management of risks, safety and emergencies along with a detailed description of the data quality requirements and field protocols involved. They circulated the draft proposal to relevant staff for comment. The company management then refined the draft for consideration by the Board.