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.

Peripheral may include:
Bluetooth device
firewire (IEEE 1394) device
hard drive
keyboard
laptop
mobile phone
modem
mouse
multimedia kit
pen
personal digital assistant (PDA), such as palmtop
printer
scanner
speaker
tape cartridge
touch pad
universal serial bus (USB) device
wireless fidelity (wi-fi) router.
Client may include:
external organisations
individuals
internal departments.
Organisational standards may include:
communication methods
content of emails
dispute resolution
document procedures and templates
downloading information and accessing particular websites
financial control mechanisms
opening mail with attachments
personal use of emails and internet access
virus risk.
Appropriate person may include:
authorised business representative
client
help-desk person
subject matter expert
supervisor
system administrator.
Equipment inventory may include detailed lists of peripherals, including:
hard drives
hubs
modems or other connectivity devices
monitors
other peripheral devices
personal computers
PDA
printers
switches.
Store may include:
anti-static packaging
controlled humidity
controlled temperature
secure storage area
shock and vibration minimisation
silica gel desiccant
stacking limits.
Environmental considerations may include:
recycling of packaging:
cardboard
paper
polystyrene
recycling or disposal of ewaste:
cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors
printed circuit boards
redundant hardware.
OHS standards may include:
electrical safety
safe lifting methods
ventilation.
Operating system may include:
GNUs Not Unix (GNU)
Linux
Mac OS X
Microsoft Windows
Unix-like operating systems:
HP-UX
IBM AIX
Silicon Graphics IRIX
Sun Solaris.

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:
safely connect several different types of hardware peripherals to the system according to vendor instructions with a minimum of downtime using known routines and procedures
locate, interpret and use vendor documentation related to connection and storage of hardware peripherals
test operation of newly installed hardware peripherals and confirm client satisfaction
adhere to OHS regulations when working with electrical equipment.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment must ensure access to:
sites with a representative range of workstations, hardware peripherals, internet connections, cabling, and software to be installed, interconnected and configured
hardware and software currently used in industry
technical documentation, including organisational hardware blueprint
vendor support
appropriate learning and assessment support when required.
Where applicable, physical resources should include equipment modified for people with special needs.
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 candidate installing, connecting and configuring hardware peripheral devices
review of reports that document client requirements and peripherals completed for different scenarios and situations
verbal or written questioning to assess candidate’s ability to locate, use and interpret vendor documentation
direct observation of candidate testing hardware peripherals added to a system.
Guidance information for assessment
Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, where appropriate.
Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate, and suitable to the communication skill level, language, literacy and numeracy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed.
Indigenous people and other people from a non-English speaking background may need additional support.
In cases where practical assessment is used it should be combined with targeted questioning to assess required knowledge.