Elements and Performance Criteria

Information
Requests for information about the community may include:
its geographic and demographic make-up
its roadways, public thoroughfares, means of transport
the incidence of social disorder or substance abuse
community health or safety programs
identification of community contacts supportive of the policing function
local community leaders

"Secret business" may include
There may be information of a cultural, ritual or religious nature that either the Aboriginal officer is not privy to or is not culturally permitted to share.

Identification include
Aboriginal people identify themselves using a different system from non-Aboriginals
The most relevant identification will depend on the context

Culturally significant/sacred sites may include
Certain locations may be culturally forbidden to persons of a particular sex or lineage. Others might be generally "out of bounds", including to police. In some cases entry may be permitted on application to the appropriate persons.

Cultural structure may include
Communities might consist of one or more language or clan groups and within these several different kinship groups. In traditional society the behaviour of individuals to one another is determined by their membership in these groups.

Avoidance relations may include
Traditional Aboriginal people or non-Aboriginal people may be prohibited from speaking to or remaining in close proximity to members of related kin groups. Since non-Aboriginal people can be adopted into Aboriginal kinship relations this can be a source of difficulty in policing if not understood and taken into account. It also affects the role an Aboriginal officer may play in some circumstances.

Critical aspects of evidence
It is essential for this unit that competence be demonstrated as follows:
Assessors must obtain evidence that the Aboriginal officer is willing and able to contribute operationally relevant local information as required
It should be noted that the provision of information in reply to a non-Aboriginal person's questioner is a non-trivial performance for most Aboriginal people
Assessors should be fully aware of an Aboriginal person's question/answer styles when determining the possession of the information. They should then determine whether the information would be available to members with a lesser degree of cross-cultural skills. The test at this level is that the information would be made available to a member with sufficient knowledge to formulate the correct type of question
In relation to culturally sensitive issues it is required that the Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander officer not volunteer inappropriate information - since that would undermine his or her support in the community - and be prepared to explain to a member of average cross-cultural sensitivity that the information may not be given.

Interdependent assessment of units
This unit can be assessed separately, or in conjunction with other communications or teamwork units or in conjunction with higher level units concerning the provision of liaison or intelligence services.

Underpinning knowledge
Local knowledge and/or knowledge or Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander social structures
This unit presupposes sufficient oral knowledge of English to communicate on ordinary matters and also to relay Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander cultural information
It also presupposes significant cross-cultural knowledge in relating European to non-European approaches to identification

Underpinning skills
Ability to function in two distinct cultural contexts

Resource Implications
If an independent assessment needs to be made (see below) then several days would be required to establish relations with the officer assessed and make on-the-job observations

Consistency in performance
Evidence should be gathered over a period of time in a range of actual or simulated workplace environments

Context of assessment
Evidence should be gathered over a period of time in a range of actual or simulated workplace environments