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

Assessors must be satisfied that the candidate can competently and consistently:

identify, plan and establish engineering and organisation requirements for the project or operation

establish resources required, including labour, materials, equipment within budgets, and procedures

investigate and validate performance analysis, modelling and simulation software

commence project or operation management, including establishing support team and responsibilities

overcome constraints and contingencies to achieve schedules and budgets as contained in business plan

undertake appropriate internal and external reporting

manage continuous improvement.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

This unit may be assessed on the job, or a combination of both on and off the job assessment based on appropriate project and simulation activities. Where assessment occurs off the job, that is, the candidate is not in productive work, then a simulated working environment must be used where the range of conditions reflects realistic workplace situations. The competencies covered by this unit would be demonstrated by an individual working alone or as part of a team.

Where applicable, reasonable adjustment must be made to work environments and training situations to accommodate ethnicity, age, gender, demographics and disability.

Access must be provided to appropriate learning and/or assessment support when required. Where applicable, physical resources should include equipment modified for people with disabilities.

Method of assessment

Assessment must satisfy the endorsed Assessment Guidelines of the MEM05 Metal and Engineering Training Package.

Assessment methods must confirm consistency and accuracy of performance (over time and in a range of workplace relevant contexts) together with application of underpinning knowledge.

Assessment methods must be by direct observation of tasks and include questioning on underpinning knowledge to ensure its correct interpretation and application.

Assessment may be applied under project-related conditions (real or simulated) and require evidence of process.

Assessment must confirm a reasonable inference that competency is able not only to be satisfied under the particular circumstance, but is able to be transferred to other circumstances.

Assessment may be in conjunction with assessment of other units of competency where required.

Guidance information for assessment

Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate and appropriate to the language and literacy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed.

Required skills

Required skills include:

ensuring project or operations activities are accurately identified and implemented in priority order in accordance with implementation schedules

investigating and validating the suitability of performance analysis, modelling and simulation software

identifying potential implications for the project or operation from non-engineering contexts, including:

competitive environment for the organisation

customer and supplier relationships

labour and skill supply and demand

industrial relations

regulatory environment

managing complex engineering-related projects and operations

managing the interrelationships between concurrent engineering techniques, electronic data control and supervisory systems

managing roles, responsibilities and levels of authority, and delegating, as appropriate, to team members and in accordance with project and operation schedules

evaluating projects and operations for feasibility against business plan, including relevant engineering and financial calculations and analysis

communicating, negotiating and reviewing actions with relevant stakeholders and team members

Required knowledge

Required knowledge includes:

personal authorities and priorities for projects or operations

current options and trends in performance analysis, project and financial modelling, engineering-related modelling and simulation software, including underpinning program and software validation techniques

budget and control measurement and analysis techniques for project or operations management

project plan and schedule from project design activities

physical resource availability for project or operations

human resource/skills availability for engineering-related projects

accountability – audit, recording and implementation requirements for projects or operations, such as tenders, contracts, schedules, budgets, personnel and resource allocations, and financial management procedures and standard operating procedures, including maintenance procedures

technical documentation management, graphics and specifications and records of meetings, communications, negotiations, and decisions and agreements with stakeholders

sources of information and resources, including:

professional services

finance

accounts

taxation

legal

insurance

human resources

trade and industry contacts

contemporary contingency and constraints management approaches

implications for engineering projects or operations associated with typical financial planning and accounting processes which may relate to an engineering project or operation such as:

capital flow and liquidity

assets and liabilities

depreciation

balance sheet

costing

budgeting and cost control

break-even analysis

profit and loss

capital investment and return on investment

financial record keeping procedures for expenditures

typical legal requirements for engineering-related projects or operations

OHS requirements, codes of practice, regulations, standards and regulatory requirements for project or operations

risk management and reduction, current safe work methods statements, material safety data sheets (MSDS) and work permits

professional and ethical practice

tendering and contracts requirements and processes, including agreement on design and specification, negotiations and optimisations, provisions for variations, delays and penalties

work organisation and management theory

conflict resolution, problem solving and decision making

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.

Engineering-related projects or operation

Engineering-related projects or operations may occur in a wide variety of industries, for example:

manufacturing

defence

transport and logistics

health

utilities

The distinguishing feature for the engineering-related project or operation, as it applies to this unit, is that the project or operations management requires high level para-professional engineering skills in an established engineering discipline or area

Business plan

Business plan means a plan for either a time-defined project or an ongoing engineering-related operation that:

is approved by the client or management of the organisation

contains budgets and which has financial and performance targets

specifies a project or operational schedule

specifies stakeholder reporting/approval mechanisms and degree of autonomy for decision making

specifies any legal requirements or other resources available or required to be established

Appropriate technical and professional assistance

Appropriate technical and professional assistance may include:

technical support and advice relating to elements which have intrinsic dangers, for example:

high pressure

energised fluid vessels

high temperatures and heat energy capacity

wiring or devices with high current or voltages above extra low voltage

professional support for technologies, such as:

specialist electric motor drives and controllers

specialist materials, plastics, metal alloys and nano materials

special processes, foundry, alloy welding, heat treatment, sealing and fastening

professional services for:

finance, accounts and tax

insurance and legal

training and human resources (HR)

OHS requirements, codes of practice, regulatory requirements and enterprise procedures

OHS, codes of practice, regulatory requirements and enterprise procedures may include:

OHS Acts and regulations

relevant standards

codes of practice from Australian and overseas engineering and technical associations and societies

risk assessments

registration requirements

safe work practices

state and territory regulatory requirements

Appropriate modelling and analysis software

Appropriate modelling and analysis software may include:

project tracking

financial modelling, analysis and tracking

process modelling and analysis

engineering simulation and modelling

manufacturing operation simulation

Records of operations or project

Records of operations include:

tenders, contracts and schedule

personnel, resource allocations and financial management procedures

standard operating procedures, including maintenance procedures

OHS committee minutes and actions

risk management and mitigation

documentation and records of current safe work methods statements

MSDS, work permits, standards and codes of practice

Audits

Meetings and communications

graphics and specifications

Manage constraints and contingencies

Contingencies arising during operations or improvement projects are responded to in the context of constraints. Contingencies may threaten operations or improvement projects and planning for contingencies may be essential to maintain resources, skilled labour and schedules. Each contingency will have constraints on possible solutions. These may be:

financial, organisation procedural or culture constraints

physical constraints, such as limits to resources, limits to site access or logistical limitations

Legislative requirements

Legislative requirements may include:

industrial law and awards

customer protection law

restrictive trade practice

environmental protection

workers compensation

equality and anti-discrimination

contract law

Continuous improvement

Continuous improvement may relate to plant, products, processes, systems or services, including design, development, implementation or manufacture, commissioning, operation or delivery and maintenance.

Improvement processes may include techniques such as:

balanced scorecard

current and future state mapping

measuring performance against benchmarks

process improvement, problem solving and decision making

data management, generation, recording, analysing, storing and use of software

training for improvement systems participation

technical training