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.
Institutional policies and procedures may include:
institution's quality assurance manual and procedures:
biosecurity
breeding processes
OHS
recycling and re-use guidelines
restraint, handling, euthanasing and disposal of animals
safe handling, storage and thawing of frozen genetic material
standard operating procedures
use, storage and transport of equipment and drugs used during procedures
waste disposal
project objectives and production schedules.
Relative legislative requirements may include:
Australian Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes
Federal Gene Technology Act 2000
NHMRC guidelines
relevant state or territory legislation and regulations such as those relating to:
animal research
animal welfare
prevention of cruelty to animals
quarantine
the practice of veterinary surgery
the administration and storage of therapeutic and controlled substances.
OHS risks associated with animal technician procedures include:
animal bites, kicks or scratches
biological hazardous waste and sharps disposal
handling of chemicals and medicines
gas leakage
inhalation of aerosol particles
intraocular contamination
manual handling, including carrying, lifting and shifting
needle pricks and cuts from other sharps
release of infective agents (animal and human)
zoonoses.
Genetics may include:
genetic concepts:
advanced punnet squares
allele
autosomes
cell differentiation and genetic integrity
creation of transgenic, knock in and knockout lines
chromosomes and inheritance
coefficient of inbreeding
defining the differences between knock in, knock out, transgenic and genetic drift
genotype
heterozygosity
homozygosity
locus
nomenclature
phenotype
polygenic
recessive and recombinant genes
segregation
sex-linked genes.
Breeding program may include:
information about:
number of breeders required
selection criteria for breeders and retiring breeders
breeding system to be used:
backcross
inbred
outbred
mating system to be used
fostering requirements
identification system to be used
record systems to be used:
books
cards
computer
data to be collected about:
parent information
generation development (e.g. litter numbers, numbers born and sex ratios)
sex and weaning rates.
Subject to research requirements animals may include:
on most occasions the animal species will be common laboratory animals:
guinea pigs
mice
rabbits
rats
on some occasions animal species may include:
amphibians, fish and reptiles
dogs and cats
fish
invertebrates
livestock (e.g. sheep, cattle and pigs)
native wildlife (e.g. marsupials and birds)
primates
poultry.
animals may be housed in an experimental or teaching facility and typically, but not always, in a laboratory setting.
Stages of oestrus cycle may include:
induced ovulation species
mono-oestrus
representative polyoestrus.
Appropriate environment may consider:
the species involved
the specific requirements of the breeding program:
day or night cycle
humidity
seasonal effects
special dietary requirements
temperature.
Mating systems and methods may include:
mating systems:
breeding of mutant and transgenic strains
controlled outbreeding
cross breeding
hybrid breeding
inbreeding
mating methods:
artificial insemination
dominant mutant
hand mating
paired mating
stud mating
the harem system.
Post-weaning management may include:
phenotype care and the selection of future breeding animals or research stock based on:
genotyping
health or history
supplement feeding.
Breeding records should include:
breeding history
parents information
date of birth
numbers born
stillborn
missing or found dead
sexes born
number weaned
strain, genotype and phenotype information.
Types of animals that may be identified include:
chromosomal aberration
congenic
genetically modified
hybrid
inbred
recombinant.

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:
establish breeding programs for multiple generation production lines in accordance with institutional policies and procedures, including AEC and legislative requirements
select animals for breeding and apply appropriate breeding systems and mating methods and perform appropriate post-mating procedures in accordance with the breeding program and institutional standard operating procedures
identify and record animal type and genetic and strain names where appropriate
review, revise, maintain and update records in accordance with regulatory and project documentation requirements.

The skills and knowledge required to carry out advanced breeding procedures 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 an animal research facility or an environment that reproduces normal work conditions that has a scientific establishment licence and access to an approved AEC.

There must be access to a range of research animals and the relevant information, materials and documentation 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 two occasions over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances, cases and responsibilities and 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
practical simulation exercises that reproduce normal breeding work-related conditions
case study analysis
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).