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 and 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
material safety data sheets (MSDS)
enterprise environmental management plans for sites and projects
safe work procedures
Maps
Maps may include:
topographic
land use and land title maps
vegetation, soils and regional ecosystem maps
air photos
satellite imagery
thematic maps produced using GIS software, such as Mapinfo and Arcview
Environmental features of sites
Environmental features of sites may include:
hills, mountains, plains and cliffs
waterways, dams, lakes, oceans, estuaries and deltas
vegetation and fauna
soil and rock types
buildings, such as houses, schools, police stations, hospitals, churches, factories and industrial plants
roads, railways, tracks, jetties, piers and other infrastructure
utility services
property boundaries, shire boundaries and electoral boundaries
mining leases, local catchment areas and nature reserves
population and demographics
Enterprise site information
Enterprise site information may include:
site or project history
client history
records of consultations with stakeholders
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
External sources of data
External sources of data may include:
government departments and agencies (e.g. environment, climate change, agriculture and mining)
utility authorities/companies (e.g. water, gas and electricity)
land title office and Valuer General
local government records
Geoscience Australia
Australian Social Science Data Archive
companies providing environmental services
Data sets
Data sets may include:
textual, graphical, spatial and temporal in hard/soft copy
satellite imagery and remote sensing data
geophysical, geochemical, geological, hydrological and meteorological data
ecological data, such as distribution of vegetation, fauna and pests
social science data, such as demographic and census information
land use data, zoning and property classifications
historical records and photographs
Field techniques
Field techniques may include:
on site surveying
hand mapping
comparing site features with existing site information
collection of samples and field measurements
Field equipment and supplies
Field equipment and supplies may include:
GPS
tapes and pegs
compass
clinometer
portable computer, palm pilot or data logger
communication equipment
Standard map elements
Standard map elements may include:
latitude and longitude
grid reference systems (old and new and their relation to one another)
north point, elevation, scale and legend
Integrity of data
Integrity of data may include:
accuracy, currency and completeness
scale and resolution
confidence limits for data
quality (e.g. age/condition of hard copy documents)
Disparities between data sets
Disparities between data sets may involve:
datum and projection
currency
Supporting information
Supporting information may include:
graphs, tables, equations and parameters
explanatory notes
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:
sourcing existing environmental information and data sets that meet quality requirements
collecting reliable spatial and environmental data at the site
using available data to produce maps that meet the client’s specifications and timeframe
working safely.
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:
MSS024003A Apply an understanding of environmental principles to a site.
The competencies covered by this unit would be demonstrated by an individual working alone or as part of a team.
Resources may include:
site/project history, maps and aerial photos
guidelines, codes, regulations, and enterprise procedures governing data collection
relevant field equipment, GPS receivers and related GPS software
relevant computer software and hardware.
Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
review of maps produced by the candidate
feedback from clients, supervisors and peers about the candidate’s ability to source, assess and use existing data sets to produce maps
observation of candidate collecting field 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 underpinning knowledge of mapping principles.
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