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. 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.
Requirements of the quality system may include:
control of documents, data and quality records
coverage of contracts, purchasing, supply, processing, handling, storage, packaging, preservation, storage and delivery of meat and meat products
definition of management responsibilities
design and process controls
inspecting and testing, control of non-conforming product, preventative and corrective action, and auditing
management of links and impacts on all systems within the enterprise
production identification and traceability
training.
Quality systems may include:
Australian, and Australian and New Zealand standards
food and meat safety
industry specific standards
international standards (e.g. ISO 9000 series)
Meat Safety Enhancement Program (MSEP)
Meat Safety Quality Assurance (MSQA)
Personal Qualities Assessment (PQA)
trade description and certification systems.
Systems components and procedures include:
correction (e.g. disposition, corrective action, liability management and customer complaint resolution)
prevention (e.g. training, operator feedback, manuals, technology and equipment reliability and maintenance, statistical collection and information, supplier QA, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and work instructions).
Where the quality system relates to food safety, relevant documentation may include:
amendment registers
Critical Control Points (CCP) monitoring forms and additional monitoring requirements and supporting programs
critical control point work instructions
HACCP audit table
HACCP team register, product description and use
process flow charts, factory floor plan and hazard analysis table
schedules relating to hygiene, cleaning and sanitation procedures, work instructions, approved chemicals, calibration, pest control, training, and product identification and recall.
Audits of performance may include:
compliance with regulatory requirements
external reviewers
human resource performance
QA, including meat and food safety
safety, energy and environment.
Performance measures for the total quality cost may include:
quality cost per kg of product
quality cost per dollar of direct production costs.
Monitoring and analysis may be:
periodic (e.g. hourly, daily and weekly)
in real time (electronically).
Stakeholders may include:
company owners, directors, shareholders and financiers
competitors
management and employees
suppliers, customers and consumers
unions and employer associations.
Systems for the communication of quality outcomes may include:
development of quality teams
newsletters, bulletins and awards
problem-solving teams and sessions
quality meetings or circles
training.
Certification may include:
AUS-MEAT certification
importing country requirements
Meat Standards Australia (MSA) certification
State, territory or public health requirements.
Statistical data analysis may include:
correlation and regression analysis, bi-variate and multi-variate analysis
distribution
estimating and hypothesis testing
management
probability and statistical inference
process stability, capability and management
reliability planning
sampling
statistical process control requirements and charting applications
variations and variation monitoring.
Quality tools may include:
cause and effect and fish bone diagrams
control charts
data points
flow charts
histograms
prioritisation matrices
process improvement models
process capability
pareto charts
team structures.
Data management systems may be manual or computerised, cover data collection, data monitoring and data analysis and interpretation, and may include:
bar coding, identification, tagging and traceback systems
calculators
charting and graphing materials
computer software packages (e.g. spreadsheets and statistical analysis packages)
computerised equipment
manual measuring equipment (e.g. thermometers, pressure gauges and scales)
monitoring sheets and records.
Data analysis and interpretation may include:
Acceptable Quality Level (AQLs)
Chemical Lean (CL) levels
microbiological analysis (e.g. Total Viable Counts (TVC) and e-coli counts)
process capability analysis
process variation analysis
product monitoring
statistical process control
temperature (e.g. cooling and chilling rates).
Communication may:
be with culturally, ethnically and socially diverse individuals and groups
involve information and communications technology (e.g. databases, internet search and e-commerce services)
occur in a variety of sensitive, conflictive, collaborative and supportive environments
be formal or informal and involve face to face, technological and electronic methods
require analysis and presentation of complex concepts, technical information, mathematical information and other data in simple or complex formats
require preparation of reports which may be complex, contain information from a range of technical sources and include mathematical and graphic information and data.
Mathematical skills may relate to:
complex actual and hypothetical technical and financial modelling
calculations and interpretation and analysis
mathematical information, such as:
product and product quality
financial operations
personnel
operations
sales and turnover
exports.
Regulatory requirements may include:
animal welfare
commercial law, including fair trading and trade practices
consumer law
corporate law, including registration, licensing and financial reporting
environmental and waste management
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), anti-discrimination and sexual harassment
Export Control Act
hygiene and sanitation requirements
industrial awards and agreements
relevant regulations
state and territory regulations regarding meat processing
taxation.
OHSrequirements may include:
enterprise OH&S policies, procedures and programs
OH&S legal requirements
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):
coats and aprons
ear plugs or muffs
eye and facial protection
head-wear
lifting assistance
mesh aprons
protective boot covers
protective hand and arm covering
protective head and hair covering
uniforms
waterproof clothing
work, safety or waterproof footwear
requirements set out in standards and codes of practice.
Workplace requirements may include:
enterprise-specific requirements
OH&S requirements
QA requirements
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
the ability to perform the task to production requirements
work instructions.
Monitoring systems and strategies may include:
audits and reviews
feedback from stakeholders
inspection and testing procedures and regimes, including chemical and microbiological testing procedures, for validation and verification
statistical collection and analysis.
Quality costs include:
appraisal (e.g. design appraisal, inspection, depreciation of quality equipment, process control and end product testing)
failure (e.g. scrap and waste, reinspection or retesting, disposal, down time, product downgrading, product liability, loss of custom, returned product and complaints)
prevention (e.g. training, auditing, process control engineering, testing, reporting and recall systems).
Third-party certification may include:
Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) accountabilities and inspection stamps/seals
customer requirements and specifications, including importing country requirements
licensing or registration requirements
national or international quality endorsement
product description and certification.
Audit processes include:
planning
establishing controls
developing the team
conducting entry/exit meetings
controlling caucus meetings
issuing corrective action requests
preparing reports
giving feedback and input into the improvement of the system.
Process capability includes:
operational capability (e.g. resources, risks, opportunities and commitments)
technical capability (e.g. personnel, equipment, systems and suppliers).

EVIDENCE GUIDE
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
The meat industry has specific and clear requirements for evidence. A minimum of three forms of evidence is required to demonstrate competency in the meat industry. This is specifically designed to provide evidence that covers the demonstration in the workplace of all aspects of competency over time.
These requirements are in addition to the requirements for valid, current, authentic and sufficient evidence.

Three forms of evidence means three different kinds of evidence - not three pieces of the same kind. In practice it will mean that most of the unit is covered twice. This increases the legitimacy of the evidence.

All assessment must be conducted against Australian meat industry standards and regulations.
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Competency must be demonstrated through sustained performance over time, at an appropriate level of responsibility and authority under typical operating and production conditions for the enterprise.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Resources may include:
a real work environment
customer specifications
establishment's quality system, performance data
relevant documentation, such as:
manufacturer instructions or operations manuals
manufacturer requirements
regulatory requirements
workplace policy and procedures
relevant equipment and materials.
Method of assessment
Recommended methods of assessment include:
third party referee report of sustained performance at an appropriate level of authority and responsibility
assignment focusing on understanding and application of principles and theory to workplace operations
workplace projects which focus on the company environment and conditions.

Assessment practices should take into account any relevant language or cultural issues related to Aboriginality or Torres Strait Islander, gender, or language backgrounds other than English. Language and literacy demands of the assessment task should not be higher than those of the work role.
Guidance information for assessment
A current list of resources for this unit of competency is available from MINTRAC www.mintrac.com.au or telephone 1800 817 462.