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
Standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements
Standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements may include:
information directories (organisational structure and telephone)
online database
CD-ROMs
workplace documents, such as:
equipment manuals
laboratory records
National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) requirements
Australian standards
certified laboratory reports
analysis report sheets (past and present)
organisational charts
standard operating procedures (SOPs)
enterprise procedures governing, for example:
receipt of requests
release of information and results and confidentiality needs of clients and customers
sample collection protocols and techniques for preserving sample integrity
handling and collection of native fauna and flora (based on animal welfare legislation and codes of practice)
filing systems, databases and laboratory records
Items of equipment or systems
Items of equipment or systems may include:
telephone
fax
email
computer software
databases
spreadsheets
Auslan
Information sources
Information sources may include personnel, such as:
scientists
technical experts
quality managers
laboratory and production personnel
customer service
Customers
Customers may include:
internal and external customers
members of the public
authorities, including regulatory authorities
other enterprises, municipalities
engineers
scientists
other specialist staff
Information provided
Information provided may refer to:
a local situation
a person with a disability
a person from a particular cultural group
material classification and characteristics
technical and/or manufacturing knowledge of procedures
analysis and/or test results and their interpretation where authority permits
risk assessment, monitoring and minimisation
cost, quantity and time estimation
contractual variations and claims
site assessment and problems
data analysis and statistical interpretation
Manufacturing and food processing sector variables
Manufacturing and food processing sector variables may include:
assessing requests for changes to formulations and alterations to production processes
determining variations and their significance for compliance with relevant standards
Biomedical and environmental sector variables
Biomedical and environmental sector variables may include:
providing responses to inquiries regarding sample collection and recollection protocols from:
patients, doctors, nurses and environmental health officers
collection staff and couriers
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:
correctly assess and prioritise requests for information
locate and synthesise the required information using appropriate sources
provide authorised information that is accurate, relevant, and in the required format
uses technical terminology appropriate to the customer and avoid jargon
communicate in an efficient and polite manner, taking into account the needs of the customer
maintain security and confidentiality of information as required by enterprise procedures
record and file records of the request and information provided as required by enterprise procedures.

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 any relevant technical unit of competency.
Resources may include:
information directories and databases
workplace documents
equipment, such as telephone, fax and computer equipment (email or online information systems).

Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
examination of written records of advice and information given to a range of customers
feedback from customers that the information/advice provided was accurate, timely and in a useful format
feedback from supervisors that enterprise procedures were followed.
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 illustrate the practical application of this unit of competency and to show its relevance in a workplace setting.
Manufacturing
A sales office representative submitted a sample from a customer who had complained that the product was contaminated. A technical officer discussed the problem with the representative and traced the history of the product sample from production batch to the customer's tank. It was found that the product had been delivered to a distributor, who had then sold it to the customer. The technical officer was able to show that the sample should be taken from the distributor's tank rather than the customer's. With a clear understanding of sampling protocols and procedures, the technical officer was able to ensure effort was not wasted on analysing a sample that would not identify the cause of the problem. Direct communication with the representative made sure there were guidelines to prevent the problem happening again.
Biotechnology
A technical officer in a government analytical laboratory often provides information to others about how a sample should be collected, received, labelled and its receipt recorded. This may occur when samples are collected:
for forensic analysis from a crime scene
at sporting events for the purpose of testing urine for performance enhancing drugs
for blood-alcohol determination.
The technical officer conveys instructions using a minimum of jargon about the method and times of collection, the holding temperature, chain of custody requirements and documentation of the sample source. In some cases, the officer may also specify additional requirements governing the safe storage and transport of infectious or hazardous materials.
Food processing
A food processing company has a team of laboratory personnel that perform analysis of food products both for the company and on a fee-for-service basis for other enterprises. The laboratory often receives phone requests for the early release of results when they are needed urgently. Sometimes when this occurs, the individual who performed the analyses is unavailable and no one else is sufficiently informed to provide a verbal report on the data. The laboratory personnel realise that they should organise the way they record their results so that everyone can access, understand and report them quickly. The team develops a centralised system of recording and filing the results. They also organise a series of brief training sessions to share information about the analyses that they perform.