Unit of Competency Mapping – Information for Teachers/Assessors – Information for Learners

MSS405014A Mapping and Delivery Guide
Develop a communications strategy to support operations

Version 1.0
Issue Date: April 2024


Qualification -
Unit of Competency MSS405014A - Develop a communications strategy to support operations
Description This unit of competency covers the skills and knowledge required to develop and implement a communications strategy to support employees in a production or operational environment where competitive systems and practices are being implemented.
Employability Skills This unit contains employability skills.
Learning Outcomes and Application This unit applies to a person (who may be a manager, technical specialist or other person) who is required to analyse, plan, and determine and implement required communication strategies for production or operational employees engaged in implementing competitive systems and practices. The unit can also apply to planning and then implementing modifications to an existing strategy.The unit applies to not only communicating information required to gain and maintain support for competitive systems and practices but also strategies that assist with the achievement of competitive systems and practices outcomes, such as visualisation strategies for layouts and employee information stations.This unit primarily requires the application of skills associated with developing effective communication strategies. Problem solving, initiative and enterprise, and planning and organising are required to ensure communications are targeted and meet the needs of stakeholders. This unit also requires aspects of self-management and learning to ensure improvement of own communication effectiveness.
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 Student Learning Resources Handouts
Activities 		Slides
PPT 		Assessment 1 Assessment 2 Assessment 3 Assessment 4
Elements of Competency Performance Criteria              
Element: Determine information needs of employees and production or operations systems
  • Examine competitive systems and practices strategy and determine broad information framework
  • Examine the production or operational processes and their requirements and determine the information needs of employees in these areas
  • Examine operational support areas and determine the information needs of employees
  • Discuss information used and desired with employees at all relevant levels, and involve team and other key personnel in strategy development to ensure awareness, learning and commitment
  • Examine control systems to determine their data needs
       


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.

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 the ability to:

analyse competitive systems and practices implementation and determine information flow requirements

communicate information verbally and in writing across different levels of complexity using a variety of methods and mediums

monitor outcomes of communication strategies against KPIs

plan and implement strategies to make gains from competitive systems and practices apparent and easily understood to different audiences

determine communication needs during contingencies and non-conformances.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment of performance must be undertaken in a workplace using or implementing one or more competitive systems and practices.

Access may be required to:

workplace procedures and plans relevant to work area

specifications and documentation relating to planned, currently being implemented, or implemented communication strategies and procedures relevant to the assessee

reports from supervisors/managers

case studies and scenarios to assess responses to contingencies.

Method of assessment

A holistic approach should be taken to the assessment.

Competence in this unit may be assessed by using a combination of the following to generate evidence:

demonstration in the workplace

workplace projects

suitable simulation

case studies/scenarios (particularly for assessment of contingencies, improvement scenarios, and so on)

targeted questioning

reports from supervisors, peers and colleagues (third-party reports)

portfolio of evidence.

In all cases it is expected that practical assessment will be combined with targeted questioning to assess underpinning knowledge.

Where applicable, reasonable adjustment must be made to work environments and training situations to accommodate ethnicity, age, gender, demographics and disability.

Guidance information for assessment

Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate and appropriate to the oracy, language and literacy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed.

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

Required skills include:

identifying the competitive systems and practices strategies being implemented in the organisation and stage of implementation

using formal problem solving procedures, such as root cause analysis (RCA)

analysing and planning for communication needs of production and operations employees

developing formal and informal communication procedures with employees in production and operational areas using a variety of media and formats

linking communication strategy key performance indicators (KPIs) to KPIs for implementation of competitive systems and practices

establishing feedback, control and monitoring arrangements to gauge the success of communication strategies

briefing key personnel on the communication strategies

interpreting documents, procedures and instructions for others

giving presentations and briefings

Required knowledge

Required knowledge includes:

strategic requirements of own organisation

common techniques used in competitive systems and practices and key concepts required to be communicated to employees

communication media, relevant software and standard formats

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.

Competitive systems and practices

Competitive systems and practices may include, but are not limited to:

lean operations

agile operations

preventative and predictive maintenance approaches

monitoring and data gathering systems such as Systems Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) software, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, Materilas Resource Planning (MRP) and proprietary systems

statistical process control systems, including six sigma and three sigma

Just in Time (JIT), kanban and other pull-related operations control systems

supply, value, and demand chain monitoring and analysis

5S

continuous improvement (kaizen)

breakthrough improvement (kaizen blitz)

cause/effect diagrams

overall equipment effectiveness (OEE)

takt time

process mapping

problem solving

run charts

standard procedures

current reality tree

Competitive systems and practices should be interpreted so as to take into account:

the stage of implementation of competitive systems and practices

the size of the enterprise

the work organisation, culture, regulatory environment and the industry sector

Operations support areas

Operations support areas refers to areas other than production and may be located in the organisation or be in an external organisation that provides support services as part of its business. Examples include:

office

logistics

sales

marketing

insurance

legal

training and utilities providers

Information access requirements

Information access requirements include:

timing of access (e.g. occasional, periodic and continual)

method of access (e.g. visual/auditory/tactile access)

online/hard copy access

access locations

Communication media

Communication media include:

terminals, computers, and so on, with built in memory

internet

hard copy manuals, such as standard operating procedures, occupational health and safety (OHS) and training manuals

verbal briefings and informal conversations

circulars and letters

signage

instruction displays

tags and isolations/lockouts

permits to work/clearances

visual factory type displays

painted walkways

Stakeholders

Stakeholders may include:

team members

personnel officers

industrial officers

union delegates

production and operations management

human relations management

financial management

engineering/technical personnel

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
Examine competitive systems and practices strategy and determine broad information framework 
Examine the production or operational processes and their requirements and determine the information needs of employees in these areas 
Examine operational support areas and determine the information needs of employees 
Discuss information used and desired with employees at all relevant levels, and involve team and other key personnel in strategy development to ensure awareness, learning and commitment 
Examine control systems to determine their data needs 

Forms

Assessment Cover Sheet

MSS405014A - Develop a communications strategy to support operations
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

Feedback to student

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessor name:

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Assessment Record Sheet

MSS405014A - Develop a communications strategy to support operations

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

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:

Student signature:

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