ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1. Model high standards of performance.

1.1. Model appropriate professional techniques and strategies for effective performance.

1.2. Reflect individual responsibilities and accountabilities in personal work goals and plans in accordance with organisational and legal requirements.

1.3. Promote practitioner's role with clients, colleagues and the public.

2. Determine personal development needs.

2.1. Assess personal skills and knowledge against industry competencies and other relevant benchmarks to determine development needs and priorities.

2.2. Use feedback from colleagues and clients to identify personal learning needs and areas of professional development.

2.3. Identify future career options and career development pathways.

2.4. Seek advice on personal development needs from relevant personnel.

3. Participate in professional development activities.

3.1. Identify and pursue development opportunities suitable to personal learning style to support continuous learning and maintain currency of professional practice.

3.2. Participate in professional networks to support continuous learning and to maintain professional practice.

3.3. Maintain regular communication with relevant networks, organisations and individuals.

4. Reflect on and evaluate professional practice.

4.1. Research developments and trends impacting on professional practice and integrate these into work performance.

4.2. Use feedback from colleagues and clients to identify and introduce improvements into work performance.

4.3. Identify and apply innovative and responsive approaches for improving professional practice.

Required skills

self-evaluation skills to:

identify gaps in skills or knowledge

obtain competencies to meet current and future professional requirements

communication skills to:

participate in professional networks

consult with colleagues and clients

interpersonal skills to:

participate in industry events and activities

build professional relationships

time management skills to:

organise professional development activities

analyse and identify career options

create a balance between work, study, personal and recreation activities.

Required knowledge

client expectations and requirements, including NAATI accreditation

personal and professional goals and objectives

processes, procedures and opportunities relating to professional development

range of continuous improvement techniques and processes and their application

types and availability of professional development activities and opportunities.

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

Candidates must show that they have the ability to manage their personal professional performance and to take responsibility for their professional development including:

participating in relevant industry and professional development networks, events or activities

identifying and prioritising individual professional development needs

using networks to gain information and other support appropriate to workplace or work role

showing how feedback was used to identify areas for development

using reflection strategies to identify new ways of improving performance.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Evidence for assessment of this unit of competency will make use of scenarios, case studies, experiences and, where possible, examples of interactions with colleagues and clients which illustrate examples of activities undertaken to maintain standards of professional practice.

Resources for assessment include:

Candidates may provide the following products for evidence:

documented personal learning needs

examples of developments and trends researched

examples of continuous improvement techniques and processes used

evidence based on simulations and experiences during training.

Candidates may provide evidence through responding to questions of:

how practice standards were accessed and applied within assignment requirements

how and why personal development needs were identified

how feedback was obtained from clients and colleagues and used to improve work performance

how and why professional practice was reflected on and evaluated.

Resources may include:

relevant professional, business and legal documentation

access to relevant benchmarks

access to networks, technology, communication.

Evidence for assessment should be gathered to demonstrate a range of experiences with applying professional standards to maintain practice in different requirements and conditions. Evidence could include examples of negotiations with client expectations, using the resources of professional associations or employers, and should also include evidence of decision making where there are ethical, business and professional issues influencing decisions.

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.

Professional techniques and strategies may include:

strategies for presenting a confident and assured manner in challenging situations

maintaining ethical practice in the face of opposition

modelling behaviour and personal presentation standards

time management

strategies for acknowledging and respecting the attitudes and beliefs of others

Organisational and legal requirements may include:

risk identification and management, including OHS

quality and continuous improvement processes and standards, including validation systems

financial management and reporting

recognition of competencies required for assignments

client contracts and conditions

copyright and intellectual property

collaborative arrangements

confidentiality and privacy requirements

ethical standards

defined resource parameters

administrative and records management system, for example:

recording requirements and arrangements

maintenance, retention, archiving, retrieval, storage and security of business and assignment information

document version control

Feedback may include:

formal and informal performance appraisals

obtaining comments from supervisors and colleagues

obtaining comments from clients

personal reflective behaviour

routine organisational methods for monitoring service delivery

Relevant personnel may include:

education and training advisers

professional associations

NAATI

Development opportunities may include:

undertaking further higher education and VET qualifications

undertaking professional development in specific areas of practice

internal training and development programs

relevant conferences, seminars and workshops

reading relevant journals and literature

networking with internal and external colleagues

coaching and mentoring

Currency of professional practice may include:

vocational competency and technical expertise in subject matter and languages

professional practice as a translator and interpreter

Professional networks may include:

informal networks with:

other practitioners

people working in allied industry and vocational areas

contacts in professional associations

formal networks such as:

local, national and international networks

interest and support groups

regional, specialist and peak associations

professional and occupation associations

communities of practice