Assessor Resource

ICAS5104B
Determine maintenance strategy

Assessment tool

Version 1.0
Issue Date: March 2024


This unit defines the competency required to determine and operationalise maintenance strategies and supporting processes to achieve continuity of IT operations and business functions.

The following units are linked and form an appropriate cluster:

ICAS5111B Review and manage delivery of maintenance services

No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

You may want to include more information here about the target group and the purpose of the assessments (eg formative, summative, recognition)

Prerequisites

ICAT3025B

Run standard diagnostic tests


Employability Skills

This unit contains employability skills.




Evidence Required

List the assessment methods to be used and the context and resources required for assessment. Copy and paste the relevant sections from the evidence guide below and then re-write these in plain English.

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 following is essential:

Assessment must confirm the ability to determine maintenance strategies and support processes for maintaining the continuity of IT operations and business functions that relate directly to the core and other business support functions.

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

Systems architecture documentation

Warranty documents

Context of and specific resources for assessment

This competency provides for both the determination of an appropriate level of IT technical support and re-evaluation of the current service agreement for a client. The underlying principle is one of quality assurance and service provision to the client.

The breadth, depth and complexity covering planning and initiation of alternative approaches to skills or knowledge applications across a broad range of technical and/or management requirements, evaluation and coordination would be characteristic.

The demonstration of competency may also require self-directed application of knowledge and skills, with substantial depth in some areas where judgement is required in planning and selecting appropriate equipment, services and techniques for self and others.

Assessment must ensure:

Applications involve participation in development of strategic initiatives as well as personal responsibility and autonomy in performing complex technical operations or organising others. It may include participation in teams including teams concerned with planning and evaluation functions. Group or team coordination may also be involved.

Method of 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 Section 1.

Competency in this unit should be assessed using summative assessment to ensure consistency of performance in a range of contexts. This unit can be assessed either in the workplace or in a simulated environment. However, simulated activities must closely reflect the workplace to enable full demonstration of competency.

Assessment will usually include 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.

Guidance information for assessment

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:

ICAS5111B Review and manage delivery of maintenance services

An individual demonstrating this competency would be able to:

Demonstrate understanding of a broad knowledge base incorporating theoretical concepts, with substantial depth in some areas

Analyse and plan approaches to technical problems or management requirements

Transfer and apply theoretical concepts and/or technical or creative skills to a range of situations

Evaluate information, using it to forecast for planning or research purposes

Take responsibility for own outputs in relation to broad quantity and quality parameters

Take some responsibility for the achievement of group outcomes

Maintain knowledge of industry products and services


Submission Requirements

List each assessment task's title, type (eg project, observation/demonstration, essay, assingnment, checklist) and due date here

Assessment task 1: [title]      Due date:

(add new lines for each of the assessment tasks)


Assessment Tasks

Copy and paste from the following data to produce each assessment task. Write these in plain English and spell out how, when and where the task is to be carried out, under what conditions, and what resources are needed. Include guidelines about how well the candidate has to perform a task for it to be judged satisfactory.

Required skills

Problem solving skills for a range of unpredictable problems involving IT-based equipment used for client's business activities

Ability to analyse current system practices and system composition and to suggest improvements to them, as part of the development of strategic initiatives

Communication skills in relation to analysis, evaluation and presentation of information

Teamwork skills involve the contribution to solutions and goals of a non-routine or contingency nature, such as problems that may appear in a networked PC environment (LAN and WAN), particularly with newly installed equipment

Presentation skills in relation to providing information (e.g. reporting and making recommendations on new models of component maintenance schedules in response to perhaps pre-existing inadequate measures)

Negotiation skills in relation to clients and applied to a defined range of predictable problems related to maintenance of client equipment

Report writing skills for business, involving analysis and evaluation of information in such areas as maintenance schedules for IT equipment, level of service required, SLA, cost and viability, response time levels, escalation procedures with clients, warranty conditions with suppliers and presenting proposals for improvements to the servicing system in general

Change management skills in relation to maintaining the continuity of IT operations and business functions, in carrying out upgrading of the system in its service levels or repair or replacement of equipment or software, in order to avoid unnecessary disruption to client business activities

Customer service skills in relation to maintaining the continuity of IT operations and business functions.

Communication and conflict resolution skills for handling difficult clients

Risk analysis skills in relation to maintaining the continuity of IT operations and business functions

Required knowledge

Broad knowledge of help desk and maintenance practices, such as general composition and operation of information database for tracking hardware, software and operational issues, such as troubleshooting, repair and warranty. Also, knowledge of determining level of support to a client (e.g. support levels one to four)

Current industry-accepted hardware and software products, with broad knowledge of general features and capabilities and detailed knowledge in areas pertaining to particular client business activity. (e.g. help desk software, including a database for storing hardware and software details, product warranty and service difficulty records, such as repair, replacement and reconfiguration)

General knowledge of the relationships between the stakeholders and the service provider. This includes knowing the rights of the stakeholder and the obligations of the learner inferred by the contract of service

Broad knowledge of the client business domain and of the features of the IT system that support the client's business activity

Detailed knowledge of how the system has been set up to process data and what data elements are stored

Broad knowledge of quality assurance practices with reference to maintenance, warranty and repair of network equipment and software

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.

Client may include but is not limited to:

internal departments

external organisations

individual people

employees

Equipment may include but is not limited to:

workstations

personal computers

modems or other connectivity devices

printers

DSL modems

hard drives

monitors

switches

hubs

personal digital assistant (PDA)

other peripheral devices

Systems architecture may include but is not limited to:

Operating system: Novell NetWare 5 or above or operating system that has multi-user ability, Linux, Mac OS, Windows 2000 or above

Database software: Oracle, Sybase, Microsoft SQL server, Ingres, DB2, Informix, mSQL, MySQL, SQL server

Configuration: small memory model, large memory model, requests per second

Software may include but is not limited to:

commercial, in-house, packaged or customised software

Components may include:

motherboards

CMOS battery

central processing unit (CPU)

CD and DVD drives

interface cards

drives

fax/modem cards

RAM upgrades

CPU upgrades

Service-level agreement

May exist for many different infrastructure services, including communications carriers, ISPs, ASPs and SLAs for vendor products.

SLAs should consider business processes and requirements, clearly specify and quantify service levels, identify evaluation or audit of service levels. May include workload and performance considerations, expectations regarding servicing, penalties, charge back to business units.

Appropriate person may include:

supervisor

teacher

authorised business representative

client

Copy and paste from the following performance criteria to create an observation checklist for each task. When you have finished writing your assessment tool every one of these must have been addressed, preferably several times in a variety of contexts. To ensure this occurs download the assessment matrix for the unit; enter each assessment task as a column header and place check marks against each performance criteria that task addresses.

Observation Checklist

Tasks to be observed according to workplace/college/TAFE policy and procedures, relevant legislation and Codes of Practice Yes No Comments/feedback
Identify risks to business continuity due to system malfunction including quantification of possible loss 
Identify core business functions and determine the service requirements for those functions 
Develop a maintenance philosophy to meet business needs and apply it to dealings with the client 
Review systems architecture and configuration documentation for currency 
Conduct an equipment and/or software audit if appropriate information is not available 
Determine and document the warranty status of components and/or software according to vendor, project or organisational requirements 
Identify critical components and/or software and document recommendations regarding possible service arrangements 
Determine the views and requirements of the client in order to identify maintenance requirements 
Prepare service-level agreements to match client user and business requirements 
Examine maintenance options against cost constraints, risks to business continuity and service-level agreements 
Identify a specific maintenance strategy based on cost, business and service-level agreements requirements 
Create a preventative maintenance schedule based on cost, business and service-level agreements requirements 
Negotiate a maintenance strategy with client and make changes to service-level agreements where necessary 
Document the recommended procedure for approval from appropriate person according to organisational requirements 
Negotiate and create reporting procedures for service requests with client and suppliers 
Determine response time standards with client and suppliers 
Create escalation procedures with client and suppliers 
Set-up the help desk or other support function in accordance with agreed standards and procedures and in line with industry best practices 

Forms

Assessment Cover Sheet

ICAS5104B - Determine maintenance strategy
Assessment task 1: [title]

Student name:

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I declare that the assessment tasks submitted for this unit are my own work.

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Result: Competent Not yet competent

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Assessment Record Sheet

ICAS5104B - Determine maintenance strategy

Student name:

Student ID:

Assessment task 1: [title] Result: Competent Not yet competent

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Feedback to student:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall assessment result: Competent Not yet competent

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