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
Laboratory work
Laboratory work may include:
setup, pre-use and calibration checks of equipment
preparation and standardisation of solutions
maintenance of laboratory facilities, equipment and stocks
collection, preparation and storage/dispatch of samples
testing and analysis of raw materials, products and specimens
preparation of products (e.g. sterile media) and product batches
trial and modification of methods
Scheduling for a small team
Scheduling for a small team may include:
identification of resources to maintain work flow including:
interpreting production data
analysing job tasks
prioritising tasks within a work schedule
determining appropriate human resources in terms of skills and numbers
determining material and equipment requirements
monitoring information regarding orders, stocks and deliveries
monitoring of work outputs
adjustment of work schedules as agreed with senior personnel to accommodate unexpected events, such as:
processing abnormal and urgent results
delays in arrival of samples
seasonal variations and bad weather
analysing and solving operational problems resulting in unacceptable test results
unexpected events, such as equipment failure and sudden personnel absences
communication with senior personnel including:
determining and organising work priorities and schedules
analysing and solving problems affecting work schedules
adjusting work schedules as necessary
identifying possible problems for following shift
appropriate communication with team members in relation to:
explaining work schedules, priorities and sequences
distributing work schedules
maintaining required output
documentation of outputs and resource usage
quality and quantity of outputs
supplies of stock materials
maintenance and servicing of equipment
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:
schedule the work activities of a small team to meet operational requirements
determine required resources accurately
plan schedules that are efficient and satisfy operational requirements without compromising safety, quality, accuracy and ethics
adhere to timelines whenever possible
recognise non-standard behaviour in samples and equipment
recognise potential disruptions to planned timetable
compensate for a variety of work environments (e.g. outdoors or night work)
handle a variety of schedules and contingencies
adjust schedules and resource requirements efficiently in response to variations
communicate and document schedule variations in accordance with procedures
recognise and use capabilities of team members
communicate effectively with team members.

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 technical units of competency relevant to the work of the team.
Resources may include:
workplace procedures
workplace documentation (e.g. production data).

Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
review of documented work schedules prepared by the candidate which successfully meet a variety of operational requirements
feedback from managers, supervisors and customers serviced by the team involved
feedback from team members regarding the effectiveness of team interactions
questions to check underpinning knowledge of relevant policies, procedures and scheduling principles and handling of possible contingencies
scenarios simulating disruption to workflow
questions to check scientific and technical details underpinning the processes or techniques involved.
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 illustratethe practical application of this unit of competency and to show their relevance in a workplace setting.
Construction materials
A consulting laboratory working with construction industries receives 10-15 samples to test daily. The technical officer schedules the work for three other laboratory team members depending on the type of tests and equipment required. One of the technical officer's main tasks is to determine daily and weekly work priorities and distribute the work among team members to maximise their output and use of laboratory equipment. The technical officer monitors work outputs against the schedule and takes corrective action, if required, to ensure that customers receive results within the agreed timeframe.
Biomedical
At a regular team meeting a technical officer announced changes to the team's work schedules for the following week. The technical officer explained that the changes were part of a strategy to enable the team to become multi-skilled. However, the technical officer neither documented nor distributed written confirmation of the changes, as required. On the set date, confusion and conflict arose as a number of team members insisted on using the old schedules. Valuable time was taken up resolving the problem and confirming the changes with personnel individually. Afterwards, the laboratory supervisor reviewed the relevant communication protocols with the technical officer to emphasise their importance.
Environmental
The annual wastewater audit for a company required analysis of water samples collected at one-hourly intervals over a 24-hour period. The technical officer called his team together to find out what work priorities individual team members had and whether they had any personal commitments for the following two days. Afterwards, the officer drew up a roster for the annual audit, taking into account the commitments of team members. Following the audit, the officer analysed the results and compared them with the previous year's data.