Elements and Performance Criteria

Process
Process may include:
any operational, manufacturing, logistics, administrative, information technology or business process in a manufacturing value chain (e.g. manufacturer, supplier of goods or services or a customer)
Interactions with the environment
Interactions with the environment may include:
drawing physical resources from the environment
releasing materials to the environment (e.g. emissions)
drawing energy from/releasing energy to the environment
Environmental sensitivities
Environmental sensitivities may include:
fragile areas and rare or threatened species
heritage or religious issues
hazardous emissions
regulated emissions or other regulatory issues
community perceptions or other issues
Sustainability issues
Sustainability issues may include:
resource footprint (e.g. carbon and water) of product and process
current and future availability of raw materials
current and future availability of energy
waste generation and disposal
efficiency of process
the extent to which the production process and product affects the environment, including effects on:
climate
quality of local air and water
ecology
noise
relationship with the local and broader community (e.g. effect of operations on aesthetic appearance, preservation of heritage, and proximity to schools and religious facilities)
extent of regulatory oversight and cost of compliance
Desirability ranking
Desirability ranking includes:
direct dollar benefit/cost
customer benefit
stakeholder perception:
shareholders
employees
community
financial community
other
life cycle improvements

Overview of assessment
A person who demonstrates competency in this unit must be able to evaluate the sustainability impact of a whole process or internal or external value chain, determine root cause for sustainability issues and propose and rank solutions.
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:
identifying steps in the process and portion of manufacturing value chain
determining ecological and sustainability impacts of processes
determining root causes of impacts
evaluating solution and mitigation strategies.
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 other relevant units addressing sustainability at the enterprise level or other units requiring the exercise of the skills and knowledge covered by this unit.
The competencies covered by this unit would be demonstrated by an individual working alone or as part of a team.
Method of assessment
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