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. Add any 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.


Concepts and principles of aid effectiveness and community development include:
Ownership, including:
using delivery processes that support partner countries to exercise effective leadership over their development policies and strategies
coordinating development actions
involving communities and local government in decision making, implementation, monitoring and evaluation
encouraging community's and local government's contribution to problem solving
Alignment, involving maintaining a comprehensive understanding of partner countries' national development strategies, institutions and procedures to guide program delivery
Harmonisation:
actively seeking to collaborate with other Official Development Assistance (ODA) partners to create added value and greater development effectiveness
Managing for results, including continuous improvement of systems to:
manage for development results
support evidence-based decision making
Mutual accountability, involving demonstration of:
full transparency and accountability for the use of development resources in program delivery


Factors that may impact the situation may include:
Lack of or inability to access resources and technology
Local policies, infrastructure and existing systems relating to technical support of the situation
Political factors
Community resistance
Community ability and motivation to maintain introduced resources
Instability or volatility - e.g. in social, physical, political and/or economic environment
Ability to fund and support technology as part of ongoing solution
Cultural sensitivities
Principles of aid effectiveness


Key stakeholders may include:
Community members
Multi-disciplinary team members
Other workers on the project or program
Project or program manager
Funding bodies


Culturally sensitive issues refer to:
Many ways in which cultures vary
While very different cultures present obvious challenges to those moving into them, cultures which, on the surface, appear to be more closely related can also be challenging because the differences are more subtle
Culturally sensitive issues may include:
clothing preferences
cultural imperialism
decision making processes
directness in conversation (or not
disadvantage and disability
evangelism or proselytism
food and drink preferences
form of government
gender of interviewed
gender of interviewer
gifts
greetings
identification (with self, family, community, religion, cultural or ethnic group and country)
introductions
options for expressing disagreement or disapproval
preferences relating to positions offered to women or elders
requirement of single or multiple gender team
role of political parties
role of religious authorities
role of royal family or traditional rulers
role of the military
sensitive topics for conversations


Monitor and evaluate may include:
How identified ethical issues are considered and incorporated in the program designFor instance, in designing a project in a conflict environment, considering if provision of aid will:
have a positive effect on the conflict (i.e. help people to stop fighting) or
add to the conflict (i.e. increase competition and mistrust)
How identified culturally sensitive issues are considered and incorporated in the program designFor instance, in designing a program efforts are made to ensure that:
the program assists the affected people without political, religious or gender discrimination
programs are carried out in a way that uses and enhances local knowledge and skills
Program goal and purpose
Program outputs
Project activities
Implementation plan and schedule,
Program inputs or resources required
Program impacts,
Management of risks
Constraints and assumptions
Program sustainability
Management structure and staffing requirements
Addressing principles of development and/or aid effectiveness
Financial management and use of resources


Implications may include:
Misunderstanding and conflict
Real and important needs of target community may not be addressed
Image and reputation of the organisation may be affected
Program procedures may be less efficient and effective
Lack of participation of affected communities

EVIDENCE GUIDE

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate this unit of competency:
The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills
The application of competency is to be assessed in the workplace or realistically simulated workplace
Assessment is to occur under standard and authorised work practices, safety requirements and environmental constraints
Consistency of performance should be demonstrated over the required range of situations relevant to the workplace
The circumstantial or unsolicited testimony of project participants, governments or other non-government organisations regarding ethical behaviour should be considered as significant evidence in relation to this unit


Access and equity considerations:
All workers in development and humanitarian assistance should be aware of access, equity and human rights issues in their own area of work
All workers should develop their ability to work in a culturally diverse environment
In particular workers should be aware of cultural, historical and current issues facing the people and culture in which they are working
Assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues relating to the culture in which they are working


Context of and specific resources for assessment:
This unit may be assessed independently, however holistic assessment practice with other related units of competency is encouraged
Assessment of essential underpinning knowledge, other than confirmatory questions, will usually be conducted in an off-site context
Resources required for assessment include access to:
workplace location or simulated workplace
specifications and work instructions
policy manuals and procedure manuals (international and local, including sector specific manuals)
relevant documents (such as project documents, trip reports, staff assessments, memos, leave records and performance reviews)
relevant equipment (such as vehicles, office equipment and communications equipment)
managers, co-workers and other staff


Method of assessment:
Assessment needs to take into consideration the practical difficulties associated with attempting on-job assessment in the field
Given the nature of this unit, candidates should be expected to present evidence from within a real field environment
If this is not possible, demonstration of some performance criteria in this unit may be achieved through observing the behaviour and responses of the candidate under a stressful situation similar to those likely to be encountered in the field
While it is unethical and inappropriate to place a candidate in real danger, a life-like simulation may provide the best opportunity to observe 'near-real' responses
Underpinning knowledge may be assessed through:
written assignments
project reports
debriefings
action learning projects
Assessment should be supported by supplementary evidence from a wide range of sources, preferably including evidence from one or more field situations