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.

Requirements may relate to:
application
business
database
network
people in the organisation
platform
system.
Development platform may include:
computer language used
development methodology
development tools
operating systems
target environments
version control systems.
Technical specification may include:
system functionality
technical requirements
user problem statement.
Quality standards include:
AS3925.1-1994 Software quality assurance - plans
AS4042-1992 Software configuration management plans
AS4043-1992 Software configuration management
AS/NZS 14102:1998 Information technology - guideline for evaluation and selection of CASE tools
AS/NZS4258:1994 Software user documentation process
AS/NZS ISO/IEC 12207:1997 Information technology - Software life cycle processes
Note: International and Australian standards are updated and changed on a regular basis. It is therefore important to check the Standards Australia website on a regular basis for new standards.
Program documentation may include:
architecture documentation
code comments
design documents
in-code documentation
internal module documentation
release documents
requirement documents
test documents
user manuals.
Development tools may include:
computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tools
fourth-generation language
program generator
screen generator.
Components may include:
CD and DVD drives
central processing unit (CPU)
complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) battery
CPU upgrades
drives
fax or modem cards
interface cards
motherboards
random access memory (RAM) upgrades.
Hardware may include:
modems and other connectivity devices, such as asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) modems
networks
personal computers
remote sites
servers
workstations.

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:
meet technical requirements by successfully preparing the development environment.
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 completed development environment
review of candidate’s documented configuration
verbal or written questioning to assess candidate’s knowledge of software development environments.
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.