Elements and Performance Criteria
- Determine system requirements
- Define specific water quality and environmental parameters required by stock
- Determine optimum number and sizes of culture or holding systems required to achieve stocking and harvest objectives
- Identify types of recirculating aquaculture systems that would provide the appropriate environment for cultured or held stock
- Research mechanisation or automation of process or activity, including the use of specialised contract services
- Define system inputs and outputs
- Document design or upgrade specifications and decisions into plans, specifications, procedure manuals and records or reports
- Draw up work plans or schedules in consultation with senior personnel, taking budgeting, planning and operational requirements into consideration
- Design, locate and orientate culture or holding structures or systems to conserve natural resources
- Organise independent or specialist verification of design output against workplace objectives
- Develop a construction plan according to accepted design principles and workplace requirements
- Evaluate own and work team knowledge and skills against construction plan and work schedules to determine the need for external expertise or assistance
- Determine capital expense budget
- Determine and document materials, resource and supply provision requirements, including contingency options, from work plans, schedules and specifications
- Document estimated labour requirements based upon documented work plans or schedules, allowing for variances
- Negotiate and confirm external labour and hire equipment contracts with management, if required
- Attribute costs based upon quoted information from suppliers to each component
- Allow for contingencies for supply of materials, equipment and services in budget
- Determine operating expense budget
- Determine operating expense budget, indicating all input and output expenses for proposed system, including commissioning or start-up costs
- Incorporate a break-even analysis and a sensitivity analysis of effects of changes in input and output costs in budget
- Allow for contingencies for low or lost production in budget
- Review and finalise system design and budgets
- Finalise selection of individual and combined components to provide optimal conditions for stock, and reliable and flexible systems for intended production inputs and culture or holding activities
- Review, update and finalise work plans or schedules, design specifications, construction plan or commissioning or start-up procedures
- Review budgets for capital and operating expenses and revise, as required, to meet changing circumstances
- Examine relationship between capital and operating costs, including a review of alternative water and energy sources
- Benchmark work plans or schedules, design specifications and system inputs and outputs against appropriate existing operations
- Review overall operation and output of proposed system to ensure that it meets the long-term directions and purposes of the business and is economically sustainable