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.

Specifications may include:
current system functionality
metrics
project plan
software requirements
technical requirements
user problem statement.
Project may include:
business improvement process
business involved in a total organisational change
ebusiness solution involving the total organisation or part of the organisation
systems-only change.
Development environment may include:
computer language used
development methodology
development tools
operating systems
target environments
version control systems.
Development tools may include:
computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tools
fourth-generation language
program generator
screen generator.
Requirements may relate to:
application
business
database
network
people in the organisation
platform
system.

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
Evidence of the ability to:
coordinate coding, testing, administration and graphical user interface (GUI) design
fulfil technical requirements by successfully managing allocated tasks
understand performance benchmarks and module design
control the testing process.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment must ensure access to:
design specification
software requirement specifications
system requirements
technical specifications
version control standards
appropriate learning and assessment support when required
modified equipment for people with special needs.
Method of assessment
A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:
evaluation of candidate’s project documentation
review of candidate’s tested development environment and documentation
verbal or written questioning to assess candidate’s knowledge of:
software development
project management
testing
direct observation of candidate briefing developers on standards, procedures and schedules.
Guidance information for assessment
Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, where appropriate.
Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate, and suitable to the communication skill level, language, literacy and numeracy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed.
Indigenous people and other people from a non-English speaking background may need additional support.
In cases where practical assessment is used it should be combined with targeted questioning to assess required knowledge.