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.

End-user requirements may include:
how and what the organisation wants in regard to:
work environment
problem solution processes
preventative maintenance and diagnostic policy
roles and technical responsibilities in the IT department
vendor and product service level support agreements.

Hardware may include:
servers
workstations
personal computers
modems
IP phones
routers
switches
multi-layer switches
other connectivity devices
wireless devices
networks
cable/DSL modems
remote sites.

Software may include:
commercial software applications
organisation-specific software
packaged software
in-house or customised software
networking device operating systems
communications software.

Network may include:
large and small LANs
virtual private networks (VPNs)
national WANs
the internet
the use of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) for dial-up modems only
private lines
data and voice.

Requirements:
may vary from a simple addition or upgrade to a major new installation
may be in reference to the business, system, application, network or people in the organisation.

Document may follow:
ISO, IEC and AS standards
audit trails
naming standards
version control
project management templates and report writing
maintaining equipment inventory
client training and satisfaction reports.

Converged networks may include:
SIP
H323
H225
H320
H450
MGCP
Megaco.

Factors may include:
latency
protocol incompatibility
codec choice
compression
QoS issues
packet reordering.

Gatekeepers may include:
media gateway
media gateway controller (call agent)
signalling gateway (SG)
call manager.

Convergent terminal equipment may include:
analogue telephone adapter (ATA)
single line adapter
soft phones, such as WiFi, PDA, etc.
IP phones.

Real-time multimedia communications may include:
instant messaging (IM)
presence
directory look-up
file exchange
email
video conferencing.

Voice and video conferencing hardware may include:
multi-point control unit (MCU)
set-top box, Session Border Controller (SBC).

Network congestion solutions may include:
monitoring network traffic and protocols
changing configurations
upgrades.

Attacks may include:
man-in-the-middle attacks
voicemail compromises
viruses
brute force and dictionary attacks
illicit servers
unsolicited calls.

Man-in-the-middle attacks include:
packet sniffing
TP connection hijacking
registration hijacking.

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.
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Assessment must confirm the ability to:

design and implement the infrastructure for enterprise VoIP and UC systems to meet business requirements using converged networks
plan, design and implement VoIP infrastructure, evaluate network traffic protocols and bandwidth considerations, configure a UC network, assess the performance of convergent networks and test and verify security access levels.
The breadth, depth and complexity of skills and knowledge in this unit would cover a broad range of varied activities or application in a wider variety of contexts, most of which are complex and non-routine. Leadership and guidance would be involved when organising activities of self and others as well as contributing to technical solutions of a non-routine or contingency nature.
Performance of a broad range of skilled applications, including the requirement to evaluate and analyse current practices, develop new criteria and procedures for performing current practices and provision of some leadership and guidance to others in the application and planning of the skills would be characteristic.
Applications may involve responsibility for, and limited organisation of, others.

Assessment candidates should produce evidence of the following:

demonstrating understanding of a broad knowledge base incorporating some theoretical concepts
applying solutions to a defined range of unpredictable problems
identifying and applying skill and knowledge areas to a wide variety of contexts, with depth in some areas
identifying, analysing and evaluating information from a variety of sources
taking responsibility for own outputs in relation to specified quality standards
taking limited responsibility for the quantity and quality of the output of others.

Additionally, an individual demonstrating competency in this unit would be able to:

select appropriate software
configure network components
select a network component for a particular task
interpret available information and request clarification where needed
take responsibility for outputs in work and learning.

Context of, and specific resources for assessment

To demonstrate competency in this unit the person will require access to:

network design documentation
equipment specifications
network components (routers, switches, multi-layer switches and VoIP devices)
live network
organisational guidelines
networked computers.
Networks may include LANs, simulated WANs, as well as wireless networks.

It is essential that this unit covers both skills and knowledge aspects of a broad variety of network components both hardware and software, ranging for example from small office home office (SOHO) LANs and business requirements, such as:

servers
routers
switches
multi-layer switches
VoIP devices
firewalls
gateways to large country-wide WLANs.

Guidance information for assessment
The purpose of this unit is to define the standard of performance to be achieved in the workplace. In undertaking training and assessment activities related to this unit, consideration should be given to the implementation of appropriate diversity and accessibility practices in order to accommodate people who may have special needs. Additional guidance on these and related matters is provided in ICA05 Information and Communications Technology Training Package.
Competency in this unit should be assessed in a range of contexts to ensure consistency of performance. However, simulated activities must closely reflect the workplace to enable full demonstration of competency.

Assessment of this unit will usually include:

observation of LAN and WAN configuration and equipment selection for a variety of scenarios
observation of real or simulated work processes and procedures and/or performance in a project context, as well as questioning on underpinning knowledge and skills.
The questioning of team members, supervisors, subordinates, peers and clients where appropriate may provide valuable input to the assessment process. The interdependence of units for assessment purposes may vary with the particular project or scenario.
Access must be provided to appropriate learning and assessment support when required.
Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate, and appropriate to the verbal communication skill level, and language and literacy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed.
In all cases where practical assessment is used it will be combined with targeted questioning to assess underpinning knowledge.