Elements and Performance Criteria

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.

Traffic levels may be found in:
Erlang or centum call seconds (CCS) form per site:
circuit switching or packet switching networks hardware units
network management tools.
Customer forecast may include:
simulate decrease in traffic requirement
simulate increase in traffic requirement.
Capacity trigger may include:
’no service‘ complaints
business plan targets or forecast method
decisions to target certain clients
decisions to target certain sites
geographical considerations
industry status
investigation for improvement of service.
Coverage includes:
radio base station capacity parameters:
available channels per cell
available channels per sector.
Requirements may include:
frequencies
hardware requirement
radio channels
transmission availability.
Frequency parameters may include:
degree of separation
frequencies
frequency reuse
interference levels
signal levels.
Transmission path and switch resources may include:
transmission capacities:
between switching elements
on radio path
group switch resources.
Transmission medium may include:
coaxial cable
copper cable
microwave link
optical fibre cable
satellite.
Switch parameter settings may include:
switching architecture for arrangements:
routing tables
switching routing
time-space-time (TST).

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
Evidence of the ability to:

source and analyse relevant data to prepare a plan indicating growth potential and recommendations for meeting growth within timeframes
use tools and software packages for forecasting and measurement
identify site or channel capacity, relevant network growth and forecasting growth.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment must ensure:

access to sites with cellular mobile network
capacity monitoring data and equipment.
Method of assessment
A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

direct observation of the candidate undertaking a practical monitoring exercise
evaluation of report prepared by the candidate outlining recommendations relating to capacity changes
oral or written questioning to assess required knowledge.
Guidance information for assessment
Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplaces and job role is recommended, for example:

ICTRFN5148A Test and measure cellular phone and network equipment performance
ICTTEN6169A Produce and evaluate architecture designs for convergent cellular mobile networks
ICTPMG8149B Evaluate and use telecommunications management networks.

Aboriginal people and other people from a non-English speaking background may have second language issues.

Access must be provided to appropriate learning and assessment support when required.

Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate, and appropriate to the oral communication skill level, and language and literacy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed.

In all cases where practical assessment is used it will be combined with targeted questioning to assess required knowledge. Questioning techniques should not require language, literacy and numeracy skills beyond those required in this unit of competency.

Where applicable, physical resources should include equipment modified for people with special needs.