Elements and Performance Criteria

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
Legislation, standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements
Legislation, standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements may include:
federal legislation, such as:
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
Australian Heritage Council Act 2003
Native Title Act 1993
state/territory government legislation and regulations and local government by-laws, policies, and plans dealing with:
land use, acquisition, planning and protection
environmental protection
cultural/heritage protection
vegetation management
nature conservation and wildlife/plant protection
water, water management
soil conservation
pollution and contaminated sites
fisheries, forestry and mining operations
Australian and international standards, such as:
AS/NZS ISO 14000 Set:2005 Environmental management standards set
enterprise or regulator procedures for sampling, monitoring and in-field testing
equipment manuals and standard operating procedures
material safety data sheets (MSDS)
safe work procedures
Background information
Background information may include:
site or project history
client history
records of consultations with stakeholders
emergency plans and safety procedures
site access protocols and permits
site utilities/services (e.g. water, sewer, electricity and gas)
maps (e.g. road, topographical and survey marks)
existing data sets (e.g. vegetation, topography, soils and regional ecosystem maps)
hazards and safety risks
Specifications
Specifications may include:
purpose of data collection
detailed descriptions of spatial and environmental data requirements:
positional data, metadata, calculated information
environmental measurements
sampling
data processing requirements
data quality requirements
data presentation/reporting requirements
Equipment
Equipment may include:
any handheld GPS receiver
sampling and environmental monitoring equipment
communications equipment (e.g. radio and phone)
safety equipment
Project parameters
Project parameters may include:
coordinate systems
datum
display formats
information displays
data outputs, formats and protocols
Verifying data
Verifying data may include checking the quality of environmental data by:
comparison with expected or reference values
conducting repeat tests, and using duplicate samples or locations
Required documentation
Required documentation may include:
map of GPS data locations
sampling, monitoring or in-field test data and results
records of vehicle/equipment use
records of time spent and approved expenditure
emails and correspondence
records of site consultations
final report/briefing
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

Overview of assessment
Competency must be demonstrated in the ability to perform consistently at the required standard.
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Assessors must be satisfied that the candidate can competently and consistently apply the skills covered in this unit of competency in new and different situations and contexts. Critical aspects of assessment and evidence include:
planning and conducting data collection efficiently and safely
setting up and operating handheld GPS equipment and environmental instruments correctly
collecting spatial and environmental data that meet specifications
recognising and recording atypical data
conducting basic troubleshooting of equipment
processing, presenting and storing data reliably
completing required documentation accurately.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
This unit of competency is to be assessed in the workplace or a simulated workplace environment.
Assessment should emphasise a workplace context and procedures found in the candidate’s workplace.
This unit of competency may be assessed with:
environmental monitoring units, such as:
MSL974007A Undertake environmental field-based monitoring
MSS024008A Recognise common geological landforms and samples
MSS024011A Navigate in urban, regional and remote areas.
The competencies covered by this unit would be demonstrated by an individual working alone or as part of a team.
Resources may include:
GPS receivers and related GPS software
environmental monitoring instruments, digital camera and sampling equipment
site/project history, maps and aerial photos
guidelines, codes, regulations and enterprise procedures governing data collection.
Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
review of data and results obtained by the candidate
feedback from supervisors and peers
observation of candidate collecting data with a focus on:
general site reconnaissance and observations
set-up and use of equipment
accurate data recording
problem solving/troubleshooting
safe work practices
oral and/or written questions to assess understanding of enterprise procedures, use of equipment and interpretation of data.
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.
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.
Guidance information for assessment