This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to develop administrative and technical procedures throughout the life cycle of a system, network, software and documentation project.
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills.
Learning Outcomes and Application
This unit applies to individuals working in a variety of information and communications technology (ICT) areas who are required to develop and manage tasks that facilitate the development of a system, such as version control and naming standards.
Duration and Setting
X weeks, nominally xx hours, delivered in a classroom/online/blended learning setting.
Prerequisites/co-requisites
Not applicable.
Competency Field
Development and validation strategy and guide for assessors and learners
Establish identification standards for naming and version control of system, network, software and documentation to align with organisational needs
Establish tools and procedures for the required level of integration into the programming, system or network environment
Determine responsibilities for configuration management within the project and for ongoing support, including approval of changes
Determine the appropriate points for configuration of particular items
Element: Establish control mechanisms
Establish methods for identification and recording of change requests in line with organisational guidelines
Establish acceptance criteria, test and acceptance processes and processes for approval of change requests in line with organisational guidelines
Establish security, access and management control criteria and quality benchmarks
Determine necessary audit trails and alerts for variations or non-conformance
Element: Establish monitoring mechanisms
Establish mechanisms to identify software status throughout the software life cycle, or the status of the system or network during upgrading or reconfiguration
Determine management of records and status reports, including the history of baselines and their links to backups
Define target audiences and determine the level of detail required in the status reports
Integrate configuration management into general project management processes for monitoring and control purposes
Document control and monitoring mechanisms
Element: Manage the release of the product to clients
Determine physical and functional completeness of items prior to release
Determine requirements for formal control of software products and documentation
Determine policies for retention of baseline and master copies in line with safety, security and legislative requirements and organisational guidelines
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 ability to:
develop technical and administrative procedures for use during the software life cycle, system or network reconfiguration or the upgrade process, including:
quality processes
audit trials
version control
configuration management procedures.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment must ensure access to:
CASE tools
future organisational business processes
organisational standards for documentation and version control
project budget and timeframe
project-management process and hierarchy
legislation and organisational guidelines
technical specifications
test plans
appropriate learning and assessment support when required
modified equipment for people with special needs.
Method of assessment
A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:
direct observation of candidate determining the tools and procedures for integration
verbal or written questioning to assess candidate’s knowledge of control and monitoring mechanisms
review of requirements for formal control of software products and documentation determined by candidate
evaluation of candidate’s documented control and monitoring mechanisms.
Guidance information for assessment
Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, where appropriate.
Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate, and suitable to the communication skill level, language, literacy and numeracy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed.
Indigenous people and other people from a non-English speaking background may need additional support.
In cases where practical assessment is used it should be combined with targeted questioning to assess required knowledge.
Submission Requirements
List each assessment task's title, type (eg project, observation/demonstration, essay, assignment, 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
communication skills to:
facilitate groups
present information and gain consensus on concepts
literacy skills to:
develop administrative procedures for integration
identify legislative and organisational requirements
identify target groups
write technical and business reports
planning and organisational skills to:
determine responsibilities for configuration management
determine scope, time, cost, quality, communications and risk management for a project
estimate function point analysis and other skills for use across a range of predictable project contexts, either varied or highly specific
integrate configuration management into general project management processes for monitoring and control purposes
problem-solving skills to develop strategic initiatives
research skills to specify, analyse and evaluate broad features of a particular business domain and best practice in software development methodologies
technical skills to develop technical procedures.
Required knowledge
benchmarking methodologies
configuration management
control mechanisms, such as acceptance criteria, test and acceptance processes, and security, access and management control criteria
monitoring mechanisms
organisational guidelines
project planning methodologies and tools
quality assurance and quality processes
safety, security and legislative requirements
software development methodologies.
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.
Standards may include:
International Organization for Standardization (ISO), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and Australian Standards (AS)
organisational
project.
System may include:
application service provider (ASP)
applications
databases
gateways
internet service provider (ISP)
operating systems
servers.
Network may include:
data
large and small local area networks (LANs)
private lines
internet
use of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) for dial-up modems only
virtual private networks (VPNs)
voice
wide area networks (WANs).
Software may include:
commercial
customised
in-house
packaged.
Documentation may follow:
audit trails
client training and satisfaction reports
ISO, IEC and AS standards
maintaining equipment inventory
naming standards
project-management templates and report writing
version control.
Project may include:
business improvement process
ebusiness solution involving the total organisation or part of the organisation
systems-only change
total organisational change.
Organisational guidelines may include:
communication methods
content of emails
dispute resolution
document procedures and templates
downloading information and accessing particular websites
financial control mechanisms
opening mail with attachments
personal use of emails and internet access
virus risk.
Acceptance criteria may include:
cost implications
technical and logistical considerations
timeframe.
Test and acceptance processes may vary according to:
AS4006-1992 Software test documentation
International Organization for Standardization (ISO), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and Australian Standards (AS) that are updated and changed on a regular basis
size and type and scope of the project.
Quality benchmarks may include:
benchmarks that cover:
cost savings
performance
quality
technical matters
documented standards for addressing quality in quality-certified organisations
international and Australian standards that are updated and changed on a regular basis, including:
AS/NZS14102:1998 Information technology - guideline for evaluation and selection of computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tools
AS/NZS4258:1994 Software user documentation process
AS/NZS ISO/IEC 12207:1997 Information technology - Software life cycle processes.
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
Establish identification standards for naming and version control of system, network, software and documentation to align with organisational needs
Establish tools and procedures for the required level of integration into the programming, system or network environment
Determine responsibilities for configuration management within the project and for ongoing support, including approval of changes
Determine the appropriate points for configuration of particular items
Establish methods for identification and recording of change requests in line with organisational guidelines
Establish acceptance criteria, test and acceptance processes and processes for approval of change requests in line with organisational guidelines
Establish security, access and management control criteria and quality benchmarks
Determine necessary audit trails and alerts for variations or non-conformance
Establish mechanisms to identify software status throughout the software life cycle, or the status of the system or network during upgrading or reconfiguration
Determine management of records and status reports, including the history of baselines and their links to backups
Define target audiences and determine the level of detail required in the status reports
Integrate configuration management into general project management processes for monitoring and control purposes
Document control and monitoring mechanisms
Determine physical and functional completeness of items prior to release
Determine requirements for formal control of software products and documentation
Determine policies for retention of baseline and master copies in line with safety, security and legislative requirements and organisational guidelines