Elements and Performance Criteria

What specialist information may be relevant to this standard?
Specialist information may cover plants and animals and their characteristics and habitats, weeds, pests and diseases and their control, agricultural, horticultural and/or land management practices, products and treatments, ecological restoration of natural areas and issues related to environmental sustainability and impacts.
Common and botanical names will be used when providing information and recommendations on plants. Common and scientific names may be used where required in describing animal species.

What industry sources of information may be relevant to this competency standard?
Enterprise or public library, websites, suppliers and contractors, enterprise supervisor and team colleagues, and experts in the local area or industry sector. It may also include personal or enterprise reference collection.

What enterprise requirements may be relevant for this standard?
These may include guidelines for compliance with industry best practice standards, client liaison policy, legal requirements, and enterprise OHS policy.

What communication skills are required for this competency standard?
Listening, questioning, illustrating examples for confirmation and providing the client with an accurate and clear description of the service that the enterprise can provide.

What type of client may be relevant to this standard?
Customers, members of the public, other businesses, fellow staff, supervisors, managers, team leaders and government agencies.

What is included under interpersonal skills?
Appropriate body language, summarising and paraphrasing to check understanding of clients message, providing an opportunity for the client to confirm their request, questioning to clarify and confirm the clients needs, and listening actively to what the client is saying.

What client requirements and objectives may influence the development of strategies?
Requirements may include financial, logistical, cultural, aesthetic, legal or environmental considerations, process or product specifications, company policy, OHS, maintenance services for project aftercare, and timelines for the program.

What resources can be used to develop strategies to meet client objectives?
Resources may include appropriate bodies for consultation such as private consultants, industry experts, statutory authorities, government agencies, industry organisations, community action groups, published research and reports, written and oral social and natural histories, enterprise policies, financial resources and budget, and available technologies.

What research may be undertaken into the identified issue?
Research processes may include a site inspection, a linked or off-site inspection, soil, vegetation and water surveys, leaf tissue analysis, individual plant or animal assessment, research into legal implications associated with the issue and collection of data for analysis and assessment.

What organisational requirements may need to be considered when providing information?
Occupational Health and Safety policies, procedures and programs, enterprise policies and guidelines, access and equity principles and practice, quality and continuous improvement processes and standards, job description and available resources.

What types of client feedback may be relevant to this competency standard?
Customer satisfaction questionnaires, audit documentation and reports, testimonials, informal and anecdotal feedback, quality assurance data, lapsed clients and complaints.

What specific knowledge is needed to achieve the performance criteria?

Knowledge and understanding are essential to apply this standard in the workplace, to transfer the skills to other contexts and to deal with unplanned events. The knowledge requirements for this competency standard are listed below:

Products, treatments and/or services relevant to either agriculture, horticulture or conservation and land management workplaces.
Environmental sustainability and land use issues relevant to the industry.
Enterprise policy and procedures for customer service including handling customer complaints.
Service standards and best practice models.
Strategies for planning and monitoring activities.
Consultation methods, techniques and protocols.
Mechanisms to obtain and analyse customer feedback.

What specific skills are needed to achieve the performance criteria?

To achieve the performance criteria, appropriate literacy and numeracy levels as well as some complementary skills are required. These include the ability to:

Develop and maintain specialist knowledge.
Communicate with clients.
Provide a response to client enquiries and needs.

Are there other competency standards that could be assessed with this one?
This competency standard could be assessed on its own or in combination with other competencies relevant to the job function.

Essential Assessment Information
There is essential information about

What processes should be applied to this competency standard? There are a number of processes that are learnt throughout work and life, which are required in all jobs. They are fundamental processes and generally transferable to other work functions. Some of these are covered by the key competencies, although others may be added. The questions below highlight how these processes are applied in this competency standard. Following each question a number in brackets indicates the level to which the key competency needs to be demonstrated where 0 = not required, 1 = perform the process, 2 = perform and administer the process and 3 = perform, administer and design the process.
Communicating ideas and information
Through verbal and written responses to client enquiries on relevant technical matters. (3)

Collecting analysing and organising information
Through documentation of research on technical information in a format that complies with enterprise guidelines. (3)

Planning and organising activities
As a formal response to client enquiries, requirements and problems. (3)

Working with others and in teams
In compiling responses and follow up to client enquiries. (2)

Using mathematical ideas and techniques
Where a client enquiry relates to quantities or costs of product or services. (3)

Solving problems
As a response to client enquiries or complaints of a technical nature. (3)

Using technology
Through the use of communication equipment when providing information to clients. (2)