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.
cultural authorities may include:
Cultural authority refers to the most appropriate senior person/s that is able to speak for particular Country, cultural objects, ceremony and/or materials in a specific place. A cultural authority could be a Traditional Owner, a Native Title Claimant, Aboriginal Culture and Heritage Body, Elder, Aboriginal Land Council, etc.
A ceremonial/cultural manager in terms of Aboriginal customary law means someone who does the work either under the direct supervision of the Aboriginal Owner or does the work that is authorised by the Owner. In a ceremony for example, the ceremonial manager(s) may provide the food and do the performance (work). Traditional roles and responsibilities swap over depending on a person’s status in any given situation - i.e.- whose land / estate one is on for business.
Aboriginal cultural protocols may include:
gender roles in relation to knowledge and cultural practices
information sensitivity and access
appropriate information transfer
negotiations with local Aboriginal Community about information transfer
cultural diversity
natural resources and their importance for economy, religion, spirituality, art, environment, values, beliefs and lore/law
rights and responsibilities associated with cultural knowledge, story, song, Site, and ceremony
Interpersonal ways of relating
the talking of Community politics
repatriation of artefacts
issues of ownership (clans/nations)
ownership of intellectual property
acknowledging participation and ownership
communicating about cultural material
displaying cultural material
handling cultural material
identifying appropriate people to be consulted
occasions when consultation is required
ways in which consultations should be conducted
Aboriginal materials and objects may include:
physical objects such as stone tools, Aboriginal-built fences and stockyards, scarred trees, the remains of fringe camps
material deposited on the land, such as middens
the ancestral remains of Aboriginal people
stones and stone tools
art and artworks
shells
non-human bones and organic materials
cultural landscapes may include:
places and areas made up of living stories that have connections to the past and can include natural resources, objects, customs and traditions (and their contexts)
places of land, sea and air where cultural and natural elements are considered together
Aboriginal-sites may include:
shelters with deposits
open camp site
midden
shelter with midden
shelter with art
isolated find
undefined sites
axe grinding grooves
bora/ceremonial ring
burial site
rock engraving
scarred tree
carved tree
natural mythological site
restricted site
quarry
ochre quarry
fish trap
stone arrangement
mound (oven)
mia mia
waterhole (well)
contact/mission
abraded grooves
Aboriginal Place (declared under NPW Act)
Aboriginal Area (declared under NPW Act)
protected archaeological site
conservation agreement
massacre
reserve
Information Management System (IMS) may include:
Region or State based sites information management systems
Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System (AHIMS)
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Register and Information System (ACHRIS)
Aboriginal Information Management System (AIMS)
Aboriginal Heritage Management System (AHMS)
Cultural Site Management System
Site context may include:
landform
landform unit
vegetation
land use
proximity to water
open
closed
Site information may include:
general information
datum
zone
date recorded
site context
Aboriginal features
site dimensions
site plan
story
ceremony
site Aboriginal Community interpretation
site Aboriginal Community recommendations
site assessment
cultural analysis
scientific analysis
management recommendations
endorsement by cultural authority
Site data may include:
location map
black and white or colour photographs
aerial photographs
slides or videos
Site plans
Site drawings
recording tables
presentations
Features data may include:
type
material
description
dimensions
context
condition
site name
environment
plan
importance
recommended action

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 delivery and assessment of this unit must comply with Community protocols and be carried out in consultation with and in participation with Traditional Owners and/or Elders and custodians of that specific Country.
In accordance with Aboriginal cultural protocols, cultural knowledge copyright considerations and Aboriginal lore/law restrictions, it is essential that this requirement be respected and implemented in the delivery and assessment of Cultural Units to guarantee cultural authenticity and quality control around the delivery of training and assessment for Aboriginal-sites workers.
The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations on Country and satisfy holistically all of the requirements of the performance criteria and required skills and knowledge. Candidates must demonstrate evidence of the ability to:
record details of Aboriginal-sites, objects and cultural landscapes consistent with the requirements of the relevant IMS
record and collate information on Aboriginal culture and history for Country whilst following Aboriginal cultural protocols
use information on sites, objects and cultural landscapes according to Community guidelines and Aboriginal cultural protocols
identify appropriate cultural authorities for a Community, Site and/or story and/or ceremony
identify cultural information, material and cultural expression appropriate to be shared
determine how natural resources relate to cultural protocol, spirituality, art, environment, values, beliefs and lore/law
understand the cultural rights and responsibilities when using Community knowledge, information and material
identify groups to be consulted in relation to owners/custodians of cultural and Community knowledge, information and/or material
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment events must be contextualised to meet the needs of the particular group, including:
a Community, educational or workplace setting on Country
involvement of people approved by cultural authorities and/or Traditional Owners of the relevant local Community
Candidates who have gained relevant knowledge and skills through their life experience
Access restrictions to IMS and confidentiality measures for recording secret, sacred materials
Use of the jurisdictional IMS and/or handheld PDA devices may be included as assessment resources
Method of assessment
A range of assessment methods should be used to assess competency in recognising and recording Aboriginal-sites, objects and cultural landscapes. The primary method of assessment for this unit should include participation on Country by candidates in simulated or actual work practices relevant to Sites work.
The following examples are appropriate for this unit:
observation of the candidate on Country identifying sites, objects and describing cultural landscapes
direct questioning combined with third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance
verbal or written questioning
observation of participation in Ceremony and/or Sites work related to the knowledge and skills outlined in this unit.
Assessment methods should closely reflect workplace demands and the needs of particular client groups (consider the requirements of different age groups, clients with English as a second language, clients with disabilities, remote library users, etc.).
Guidance information for assessment
Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:
AHCASW305A Work with Aboriginal ceremonial secret sacred materials
AHCASW308A Apply cultural significance to Aboriginal-sites and landscapes
AHCASW310A Move and store Aboriginal cultural material
AHCASW301A Protect places of Aboriginal cultural significance
AHCASW311A Apply relevant legislation in Aboriginal-sites work
Assessment for this unit should comprise a combination of theory and practical application. Both aspects of assessment are best conducted on Country for this unit.