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.
Collection plans are:
developed at regional or institutional level and need to consider:
species management plans
regional captive management plans
interpretive plans
available facilities
conservation issues
education programs
visitors' experiences of particular captive animal facilities.
Considerations when preparing a collection plan must take into account:
institution's collection policy
collection management policy
master plan
interpretive plan
facilities (existing and proposed) within the institution
principles of species management and disposition policy.
Internal and external personnel liaison may include:
internal personnel:
conservation coordinators
curatorial unit staff
species coordinators
staff from across the institution
Taxon Advisory Group representatives (TAGs)
external personnel:
government departments and bodies
other zoological institutions
representatives of ARAZPA and TAGs
species coordinators
studbook keepers
wildlife authorities.
Factors to consider when evaluating the merits of each species may include:
conservation needs
display value
provenance and associated plans.
Databases and other resources that may be used include:
animal management software:
ISIS
ARKS
SPARKS
plans:
ASMP
ASMP Regional Census and Plan
management plans
studbooks
husbandry manuals.
Studbooks may include:
studbooks may include identifiers, such as:
sex
identities of both parents
birth and death dates
and may also include:
full transaction history
any information unique to the species, such as any data on the reproductive potential of living animals.

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
The evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy all of the requirements of the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge and the range statement of this unit. Assessors should ensure that candidates can:
initiate and undertake analyses of species management and collection planning
interpret and undertake analyses of studbooks
write and interpret a strategic plan for a regional population of a species
liaise extensively with internal and external personnel on behalf of the institution in respect to collection planning
manage animal records and provide reports to management as required.

The skills and knowledge required to develop and monitor collection management must be transferable to a range of work environments and contexts and include the ability to deal with unplanned events.

Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment of this unit is to be practical in nature and will be most appropriately assessed in a captive animal workplace. Workplaces may include small or large captive animal facilities, traditional or open-range type facilities and mobile or theme park environments.

There must be access to the appropriate equipment and/or resources to enable one to demonstrate competence.

Method of assessment
To ensure consistency in one's performance, competency should be demonstrated, to industry defined standards, on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances and where possible, over a number of assessment activities.

The assessment strategy must include practical skills assessment. Suggested strategies for this unit are:
written and/or oral assessment of candidate's required knowledge
observed, documented and first-hand testimonial evidence of candidate's application of practical tasks
simulation exercises that reproduce normal work conditions
third-party evidence
workplace documentation
portfolio.

This unit may be assessed in a holistic way with other units of competency relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role.

Guidance information for assessment
Assessment methods should reflect workplace demands (e.g. literacy and numeracy demands) and the needs of particular target groups (e.g. people with disabilities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, people with a language background other than English, youth and people from low socioeconomic backgrounds).