Overview of assessment

This unit of competency could be assessed on its own or in combination with other units relevant to the job function, for example units CPPSIS5016A Design a stormwater system, CPPSIS5018A Conduct an engineering survey, CPPSIS19A Conduct an engineering surveying project, and CPPSIS5027A Carry out a precision survey.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

A person who demonstrates competency in this unit must be able to provide evidence of:

matching objectives with resources to ensure the design of a road or railway proceeds in an organised and timely manner

ensuring that achievement of required accuracy has been attempted by:

accessing and interpreting design information to identify the components to be measured and monitored

applying solutions to a range of problems

documenting and reporting

organising and prioritising activity

performing measurements

planning resources

reducing and manipulating survey data

ensuring that non-conformity aspects are recorded and reported

taking responsibility for own outputs in work and learning.

Specific resources for assessment

Resource implications for assessment include access to:

assessment instruments, including personal planner and assessment record book

assignment instructions, work plans and schedules, policy documents and duty statements

registered training provider of assessment services

relevant guidelines, regulations and codes of practice

suitable venue and equipment.

Access must be provided to appropriate learning and assessment support when required.

Where applicable, physical resources should include equipment modified for people with disabilities.

Context of assessment

Holistic: based on the performance criteria, evidence guide, range statement, and required skills and knowledge.

Method of assessment

Demonstrated over a period of time and observed by the assessor (or assessment team working together to conduct the assessment).

Demonstrated competency in a range of situations, that may include customer/workplace interruptions and involvement in related activities normally experienced in the workplace.

Obtained by observing activities in the field and reviewing induction information. If this is not practicable, observation in realistic simulated environments may be substituted.

Guidance information for assessment

Assessment requires that the clients' objectives and industry expectations are met. If the clients' objectives are narrowly defined or not representative of industry needs, it may be necessary to refer to portfolio case studies of a variety of spatial information services requirements to assess competency.

Oral questioning or written assessment and hypothetical situations (scenarios) may be used to assess underpinning knowledge (in assessment situations where the candidate is offered a preference between oral questioning or written assessment, questions are to be identical).

Supplementary evidence may be obtained from relevant authenticated correspondence from existing supervisors, team leaders or specialist training staff.

All practical demonstration must adhere to the safety and environmental regulations relevant to each State or Territory.

Where assessment is for the purpose of recognition (recognition of current competencies [RCC] or recognition of prior learning [RPL]), the evidence provided will need to be authenticated and show that it represents competency demonstrated over a period of time.

In all cases where practical assessment is used it will be combined with targeted questioning to assess the underpinning knowledge.

Assessment processes will be appropriate to the language and literacy levels of the candidate and any cultural issues that may affect responses to the questions, and will reflect the requirements of the competency and the work being performed.

This section describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level, required for this unit.

Required skills:

ability to relate to people from a range of social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and with a range of physical and mental abilities

analytical skills

ability to translate requirements into design

communication skills to:

consult effectively with clients and colleagues

impart knowledge and ideas through oral, written and visual means

computer skills (high technical user level) to complete business documentation

instrument use (high level)

literacy skills to:

assess and use workplace information

locate and interpret legislation and other written documentation

prepare and manage documentation

read and write technical reports

research and evaluate

negotiation skills

numeracy skills to:

analyse errors

conduct image analysis

interpret and analyse statistics

perform mental calculations

record with accuracy and precision

undertake high level computations

organisational skills to:

coordinate technical and human resource inputs to research activities

prioritise activities to meet contractual requirements

perform road alignment design or stormwater system and associated computations

spatial skills to:

exercise precision and accuracy in relation to spatial and aspatial data design

perform spatial data archival and retrieval and train others in this task

perform spatial data management and manipulation and train others in this task

perform file management and train others in this task

solve problems relating to height, depth, breadth, dimension, direction and position in actual operational activity and virtual representation

understand implications of height, depth, breadth, dimension and position to actual operational activity and virtual representation

working in a team.

Required knowledge and understanding:

advanced data reduction

calibration of specialised surveying equipment

data formats

errors, accuracy and precision in design

high-level, relevant engineering-related tasks and associated computations

industry standards

limitations of equipment

organisational policies and guidelines, such as OHS guidelines

planning and control processes

road alignment design or stormwater system and associated computations

safe work practices

surveying computation skills (high level)

surveying reference systems

surveying data capture and data set out methodologies.

Organisational guidelines may include:

appropriate timelines

code of ethics

company policy

final product formats

formal design parameters

legislation relevant to the work or service function

manuals

OHS policies and procedures

personnel practices and guidelines outlining teamwork, work roles and responsibilities

requirements for data processing.

Manufacturer specifications may include:

equipment specifications

operator manuals.

Objectives may include:

agreed client requirements

written survey specifications.

Principal work activities may include the survey design of:

railway construction

road construction.

Constraints may include:

coverage

datum

environmental factors

industry requirements

legal and statutory

financial

resource availability

time.

Client requirements refer to description of outputs and may be contained in:

contracts

memos

tender briefs

verbal instructions

written instructions.

Relevant personnel may include:

colleagues

registered surveyors

site personnel

staff or employee representatives

supervisors or line managers

suppliers

users.

Techniques may include:

field

office procedures.

Road or railway type may include:

expressways

motorways

pavement width and type

relation to speed

requirement of:

overtaking distance on straights and curves

stopping distance

sight distance

road design:

berm

carriageway

chainage

crossfall

curve radii

grade

kerb and gutter

relation to speed sight distances

safety issues

super-elevation

table drain

rural

railway:

connection to existing

underground

urban.

Appropriate calculations may include:

calculations for a two lane rural road, which may include:

cross-sections

grades and levels on grades

grade intersections

high and low points and levels in cross-sections

vertical curves, including levels and length

calculations for an urban road, which may include cut and fill volumes

calculation types, including:

graphical and mechanical (planimeter) methods

mathematical rules such as:

mid-ordinate

trapezoidal and offsets at regular and irregular intervals from traverse to irregular boundaries

radiation for irregular boundaries

volume from contours and spot heights

volume from cross-sections: mean area and end area using trapezoidal, prismoidal and Simpson's rules

volume of regular objects such as cone, cylinder, pyramid, wedge, frustum and sphene.

Design type may include:

design details:

digital information

hard copy plans

maps

written instructions

railway

rural road

urban road.

OHS may include:

Australian standards

development of site safety plan

identification of potential hazards

inspection of work sites

training staff in OHS requirements

use of personal protective clothing

use of safety equipment and signage.

Legislative requirements may include:

Australian standards

award and enterprise agreements

certification requirements

codes of practice

equal employment opportunity (EEO)

quality assurance requirements.

Legal and statutory standards may include:

local government requirements

national standards

state statutes and regulations.

Surveying data components may include:

depth

dimension

direction

flow rates

position

slope.

Clients may include:

customers with routine or special requests

external to organisation

internal to organisation

regular and new customers, including:

members of the public

business enterprises

government agencies

suppliers.

Documentation may include:

electronic or paper-based correspondence with client

field records

final report

records of conversation

survey plots

organisational work activity sheets.