Assessor Resource

AHCORG502A
Prepare the enterprise for organic certification

Assessment tool

Version 1.0
Issue Date: May 2024


This unit applies to farmers who are preparing a production enterprise for compliance with the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS), accredited certification bodies and the National Standard for Organic and Biodynamic Produce.

This unit covers the preparation of the enterprise for organic certification and defines the standard required to: identify requirements for organic certification and apply them to one's enterprise; identify critical points in supply chain at which the organic integrity of one's product may be compromised; implement and monitor effective risk management for those parts of supply chain under one's control; identify practices and strategies to minimise the risk of contamination and non conformance with organic standards; develop an operational plan for conversion to organic production.

You may want to include more information here about the target group and the purpose of the assessments (eg formative, summative, recognition)

Employability Skills

This unit contains employability skills.



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

The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy holistically all of the requirements of the performance criteria and required skills and knowledge and include achievement of the following:

identify requirements for organic certification and apply them to one's enterprise

identify critical points in supply chain at which the organic integrity of one's product may be compromised

implement and monitor effective risk management for those parts of supply chain under one's control

identify practices and strategies to minimise the risk of contamination and non conformance with organic standards

develop an operational plan for conversion to organic production.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

For valid assessment, one must have opportunities to participate in exercises, case studies and other real and simulated practical and knowledge assessments that demonstrate the skills and knowledge required to prepare an enterprise for organic certification.

The candidate must also have access to the following resources:

National Standard for Organic and Biodynamic Produce

documented requirements of appropriate organic certification body.

Submission Requirements

List each assessment task's title, type (eg project, observation/demonstration, essay, assingnment, 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

conducting and documenting a risk assessment

preparing an Organic Management Plan (OMP)

reading and interpreting the National Standard for Organic and Biodynamic Produce

researching and evaluating information

use literacy skills to fulfil job roles as required by the organisation. The level of skill may range from reading and understanding documentation to completion of written reports

use oral communication skills/language competence to fulfil the job role as specified by the organisation including questioning, active listening, asking for clarification, negotiating solutions and responding to a range of views

use numeracy skills to estimate, calculate and record complex workplace measures

use interpersonal skills to work with others and relate to people from a range of cultural, social and religious backgrounds and with a range of physical and mental abilities.

Required knowledge

certification process

chain of custody

HACCP principles and risk management

health and food safety issues

labelling requirements for domestic and export markets

market for organic produce, including the organic movement and organic industry

National Standard for Organic and Biodynamic Produce

principles of organic agriculture

procedures and responsibilities in the case of product recall

procedures for conducting and documenting a risk assessment

regulatory requirements and their domestic and international contexts

requirements of an OMP, including record keeping

role of quality management systems in organic industry

working knowledge of the regulated organic industry, including the role of AQIS, certification bodies and inspectors.

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole.

Enterprises may include:

dairies

cropping

production horticulture

transport

poultry

livestock

post-harvest handling

storage

packaging

labelling and selling to wholesalers, retailers or direct to consumers.

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
Contact is established with other organic producers and marketers of organic products. 
Other sources of support and advice, including agricultural extension officers and training programs, are identified and accessed. 
Literature, industry publications and internet sources of information to support decision-making are assessed for usefulness and reliability. 
Certification process requirements are obtained from certification bodies. 
Roles and responsibilities of inspector, certifier and accreditation bodies, including role of AQIS, are investigated. 
Previous land use and chemicals applied on the site are identified and documented. 
Risk assessment for potential on-farm contaminants is undertaken and documented. 
Potential contamination risk from off-farm land use and agricultural practices is assessed. 
Risk management procedures to minimise potential contamination from internal and external sources are incorporated into a certification preparation plan. 
Production processes and activities, and those sections of supply chain under one's control, are identified and documented according to enterprise procedures, certification bodies' requirements and the National Standard for Organic and Biodynamic Produce. 
Quality, organic and statutory product standards to be met are identified, documented and compared to actual standards achieved by product and enterprise. 
Corrective actions or improvements to processes and activities are identified and documented. 
Procedures and processes for monitoring and annual review are developed and implemented. 
Procedures are developed and implemented to obtain, analyse and respond to customer feedback on quality and integrity of organic product. 
Product recall procedures are developed, communicated to relevant parties and monitored. 

Forms

Assessment Cover Sheet

AHCORG502A - Prepare the enterprise for organic certification
Assessment task 1: [title]

Student name:

Student ID:

I declare that the assessment tasks submitted for this unit are my own work.

Student signature:

Result: Competent Not yet competent

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Assessment Record Sheet

AHCORG502A - Prepare the enterprise for organic certification

Student name:

Student ID:

Assessment task 1: [title] Result: Competent Not yet competent

(add lines for each task)

Feedback to student:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall assessment result: Competent Not yet competent

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Student signature:

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