Application
This unit of competency covers the skills and knowledge required to manage the organisation through a crisis.
This unit of competency applies to managers, senior managers and those in similar roles who are required to assess the crisis and related risks, plan for contingencies, implement, monitor and adjust the crisis management plan, and manage resources and post-crisis operations in order to minimise impact of the crisis.
A crisis is an incident of a magnitude that affects the integrity and effectiveness of the organisation or is liable to cause a significant problem to the business.
This unit of competency applies to an individual who is in control of personnel during an incident. At all times they would be liaising and cooperating with other members of the management team, other teams and, where appropriate, external organisations.
No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. | ||
1 | Define the crisis | 1.1 | Assess crisis and probable implications |
1.2 | Identify and monitor secondary threats to situation | ||
1.3 | Assess and evaluate data to determine process/system status | ||
1.4 | Receive, collate and assess external information | ||
1.5 | Identify probable cause of crisis from available information and resources | ||
1.6 | Identify, allocate and confirm roles of personnel in the crisis management process | ||
2 | Implement contingency plans | 2.1 | Determine appropriate contingency plans for the organisation |
2.2 | Identify additional resources required | ||
2.3 | Coordinate the development of alternative contingency plans to cater for variations in the crisis | ||
3 | Establish communications | 3.1 | Activate communication systems |
3.2 | Establish communication with appropriate stakeholders, including customers and suppliers | ||
3.3 | Activate reporting processes and ensure continuous monitoring and evaluation of incident | ||
3.4 | Establish/activate command and control facilities | ||
4 | Assess the crisis | 4.1 | Conduct a risk assessment of all factors impacting upon the response |
4.2 | Conduct an initial assessment of resources required | ||
4.3 | Identify constraints which may impede the response | ||
4.4 | Identify and assess initial response options | ||
5 | Implement crisis management plan | 5.1 | Identify appropriate crisis management plans, including contingency plans, if required |
5.2 | Manage response in accordance with plan and available personnel/equipment | ||
5.3 | Prioritise responses taking into account needs of stakeholders | ||
5.4 | Modify plan and deploy additional resources as required | ||
5.5 | Monitor, evaluate and adjust restoration strategies as required | ||
6 | Document and review crisis and response | 6.1 | Ensure recording occurs in a timely manner |
6.2 | Record and analyse feedback from stakeholders/witnesses | ||
6.3 | Identify and record root cause/cause tree of crisis | ||
6.4 | Generate and distribute required reports and findings to appropriate personnel | ||
7 | Manage post crisis operations | 7.1 | Account for and demobilise resources |
7.2 | Initiate post-incident recovery | ||
7.3 | Evaluate and document effectiveness of operations | ||
7.4 | Debrief all relevant people | ||
7.5 | Recommend improvements to the crisis management process |
Evidence of Performance
Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy the requirements of the elements and performance criteria and include the ability to:
interpret information from a range of sources to assess the crisis
determine, implement, monitor and adjust contingency plans and crisis management plan to meet changing crisis situation/conditions
minimise escalation of the crisis
source and manage resources
communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders under stress
complete records and accurately document
identify and resolve problems
manage post-crisis recovery and debriefings
evaluate effectiveness of crisis operations and recommend improvements
document reviews and outcomes.
Evidence of Knowledge
Evidence must be provided that demonstrates knowledge of:
regulatory framework and specific compliance requirements that apply to the organisation
organisational procedures, including those covering:
safety, hazards and hazard control
incident, fire and accident
environmental protection
risk assessment/risk management
relevant facility fire management and safety systems
communication systems
emergency response plans
release of information to external bodies
crisis management plans
crisis management principles
contingency planning
types of incidents that can arise in the work environment and related hazards, risks, responses and equipment
regulatory agency obligations and expectations
welfare obligations and responses.
Assessment Conditions
Competency must be achieved before performing this work unsupervised. Therefore this unit will typically be assessed off the job. Where assessment is undertaken on the job, appropriate supervision and safety precautions must be provided.
The unit should be assessed holistically and the judgement of competence based on a holistic assessment of the evidence.
The collection of performance evidence:
should provide evidence of the ability to perform over the range of situations which might be expected to be encountered, including typical disruptions to normal, smooth work conditions
must include managing a simulated crisis, the use of appropriate tools, equipment and safety gear requiring demonstration of preparation, operation, completion and responding to problems
may use industry-based simulation particularly where safety, lack of opportunity or significant cost is an issue.
Off the job assessment must sufficiently reflect realistic operational workplace conditions that cover all aspects of workplace performance, including environment, task skills, task management skills, contingency management skills and job role environment skills.
Assessment in a simulated environment should use evidence collected from one or more of:
walk-throughs
demonstration of skills
industry based case studies/scenarios
‘what ifs’.
Knowledge evidence may be collected concurrently with performance evidence (provided a record is kept) or through an independent process, such as workbooks, written assessments or interviews (provided a record is kept).
Assessment processes and techniques must be appropriate to the language, literacy and numeracy requirements of the work being performed and the needs of the candidate.
Conditions for assessment must include access to all tools, equipment, materials and documentation required, including relevant workplace procedures, product and manufacturing specifications associated with this unit.
Foundation skills are integral to competent performance of the unit and should not be assessed separately.
Assessors must satisfy the assessor competency requirements that are in place at the time of the assessment as set by the VET regulator.
In addition, the assessor or anyone acting in subject matter expert role in assessment must demonstrate both technical competency and currency. If the assessor cannot demonstrate technical competency and currency they must assess with a subject matter expert who does meet these requirements.
Technical competence can be demonstrated through one or more of:
relevant VET or other qualification/Statement of Attainment
appropriate workplace experience undertaking the type of work being assessed under routine and non-routine conditions
appropriate workplace experience supervising/evaluating the type of work being assessed under routine and non-routine conditions
Currency can be demonstrated through one or more of:
being currently employed undertaking the type of work being assessed
being employed by the organisation undertaking the type of work being assessed and having maintained currency in accordance with that organisation’s policies and procedures
having consulted/had contact with an organisation undertaking the type of work being assessed within the last twelve months, the consultation/contact being related to assessment
conducting on-the-job training/assessments of the type of work being assessed
being an active member of a relevant professional body and participating in activities relevant to the assessment of this type of work
Foundation Skills
This section describes those language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills that are essential to performance.
Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.
Range Statement
This field allows for different work environments and conditions that may affect performance. Essential operating conditions that may be present (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) are included. | |
Regulatory framework | The latest version of all legislation, regulations, industry codes of practice and Australian/international standards, or the version specified by the local regulatory authority, must be used, and include one or more of the following: legislative requirements, including work health and safety (WHS) industry codes of practice and guidelines environmental regulations and guidelines Australian and other standards licence and certification requirements All operations to which this unit applies are subject to stringent health, safety and environment (HSE) requirements, which may be imposed through state/territory or federal legislation, and these must not be compromised at any time. Where there is an apparent conflict between performance criteria and HSE requirements, the HSE requirements take precedence. Duty of care responsibilities under general work health and safety (WHS) Acts and regulations and state/territory and national standards applying to hazardous substances, dangerous goods and major hazards must be met. |
Procedures | All operations must be performed in accordance with relevant procedures. Procedures are written, verbal, visual, computer-based or in some other form, and include one or more of the following: emergency procedures work instructions standard operating procedures (SOPs) safe work method statements (SWMS) formulas/recipes batch sheets temporary instructions any similar instructions provided for the smooth running of the plant |
Incident | An incident is an unintended event, or an unintended consequence of an intended event, including one or more of the following: fire and explosion loss of containment excursions above/below acceptable limits for emissions or plant conditions excursions above occupational hygiene or biological exposure limits non-compliance with regulatory requirements security breaches failure to follow procedures complaints vehicle incidents on/off-site incidents |
Incident response | Incident response includes one or more of the following: deployment of site incident response personnel containing/controlling the incident at source and/or its spread search and rescue operations engagement of external emergency services (such as fire, ambulance, rescue and military) liaison with other agencies (such as environmental, clean-up and specialised troubleshooters) evacuation hazard control Incident response actions must: be in accordance with and relevant organisation procedures use appropriate response equipment, where required prioritise the safety and/or successful recovery of personnel and others affected by the incident response not inhibit effectiveness of the incident response or further contribute to the incident |
Communication systems | Communication systems include one or more of the following: mobile phones satellite phones HF/VHF radio flags flares operating logs intercoms pager two-way radio electronic equipment other communication methods/equipment defined in organisation procedures |
Assessment of crisis | Assessment of a crisis includes consideration of: type of incident risk to life, property and environment hazards capability of assigned personnel adequacy of allocated equipment information gathered from existing plans/databases forecasts meteorological profiles |
Constraints | Constraints that may impede the response to the crisis must be considered and include one or more of the following: legislation and organisation procedures resources (e.g. time, financial, personnel and organisational) prevailing weather and seasonal factors restrictions on duration of work or the conditions under which personnel may be employed sacred sites, other areas of environmental and cultural significance, wilderness areas, hazardous areas and other restricted areas |
Evaluate effectiveness | Evaluating the effectiveness of operations includes consideration of one or more of the following: inappropriate or lack of contingency planning lack of commitment by the organisation to training and incident response exercises deviations from standard operating procedures or incident response plans loss of personnel in either practices or incidents strategic failures in communications |
Sectors
Competency Field
Incident readiness and response