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
environmental management plan, site information about applicable legislative requirements and approval requirements
information about community engagement, management of stakeholder relations and communication protocols
information about site processes and work schedules
monitoring/inspection procedures and management actions to prevent/control environmental impacts or risks
procedures for emergency preparedness and response
Environmental issues and problems
Environmental issues and problems may include:
developing/negotiating land use and other site agreements, including making changes to these
identifying and addressing cultural heritage issues
managing site amenity and access issues
designing/conducting environmental monitoring baseline studies and social risk/impact assessments
managing expectations and addressing community concerns about impacts, community development and local employment opportunities
responding to community or stakeholder complaints
responding to environmental exceedances (e.g. noise, dust and water quality) and adverse audit findings
investigating/responding to environmental incidents or adverse audit findings
informing interested parties about changes to site/project operations
involving interested parties in site/project closure planning
developing a site rehabilitation program
Information
Information may include:
legislation, regulations, guidelines, standards, codes of practice, licence conditions and approval processes
environmental management case studies, research findings and models of good practice
enterprise environmental management policies and procedures
site/project initial advice statements, risk/impact assessments and environmental management plans
records of site consultations with interested parties
site/project environmental reports (e.g. weekly and monthly monitoring)
environmental data sets, such as
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
community surveys
maps (road and topographical) and aerial photos
site utilities/services (e.g. water, sewer, electricity and gas)
Sources of information
Sources of information may include:
government departments and agencies (e.g. environment, climate change, agriculture, mining and land use/planning)
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
internet, library/archive collections, annual reports and community newsletters
Information collection methods
Information collection methods may include:
accessing external publications
conducting internet searches
accessing enterprise files and reports
conducting interviews with enterprise personnel, government representatives and interested parties
consulting with external experts
holding discussion groups, learning circles, workshops, reference groups and community consultative committees
conducting community/stakeholder surveys
External expert opinion
External expert opinion may include:
government regulators
environmental consultants
contractors
solicitors
environmental scientists, engineers and planners
professional groups and organisations
community leaders, tribal elders and traditional owners
Strategies and activities to encourage effective participation in decision making
Strategies and activities to encourage effective participation in decision making may include:
one-on-one informal or impromptu discussions
formal interviews
regular briefings
public meetings, focus groups and workshops
a site/project visitor centre, open days and site visits
hotline or 24 hour contact numbers to record issues or complaints
websites
direct mail or newsletters
links with community liaison or advisory groups
translation of key information into local languages
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:
applying enterprise decision-making procedures
identifying and obtaining sufficient information to make valid decisions and/or sound recommendations
consulting effectively with interested parties and keeping them informed about the decision-making process
analysing information rigorously to provide a reliable basis for informed decision making
making decisions and/or providing recommendations in sufficient time to inform decision making and enable effective action to be taken
communicating decisions clearly.
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:
MSS027001A Coordinate environmental management activities.
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/program history
relevant legislation, codes, standards, enterprise environmental management policies, plans, procedures and checklists
access to a computer, internet, maps, data sets, enterprise reports, published case studies and research.
Method of assessment
The following assessment methods are suggested:
review of environmental decisions and/or recommendations made and the supporting documentation provided by the candidate
review of information developed by the candidate about the issue/problem for interested parties
feedback from managers and/or stakeholder representatives that the candidate is able to contribute effectively to environmental decision making within scope of responsibility
oral/written tests involving environmental management terms, principles and procedures, enterprise procedures and strategies for community engagement and decision making, and techniques for analysing information
analysis of case studies involving issues/problems within scope of responsibility
observation of the candidate representing the enterprise to interested parties and collecting or providing information.
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