ACMCAN401A
Implement collection management

This unit of competency covers the process of contributing to and implementing regional collection plans within a captive animal facility, by ensuring breeding environments and programs are monitored carefully and the transportation of animals between captive animal facilities is managed effectively.No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

Application

The unit is applicable to senior or more experienced keepers with extensive zoo keeping or related experience.

In addition to legal and ethical responsibilities, all units of competency in the ACM10 Animal Care and Management Training Package have the requirement for animals to be handled gently and calmly. The individual is required to exhibit appropriate care for animals so that stress and discomfort is minimised.


Elements and Performance Criteria

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1. Action collection plans

1.1. Regional and institutional plan objectives are reviewed and implemented within own area of responsibility.

1.2. In-house husbandry manuals and studbooks are prepared and/or updated as requested or required.

1.3. Communication with relevant internal and external personnel is maintained to ensure appropriate breeding environments.

1.4. Breeding programs are monitored and reviewed in accordance with the collection plan objectives.

1.5. Accurate section records are maintained in accordance with institutional policies and procedures.

2. Identify and transport animals between facilities

2.1. Identification techniques are selected and applied correctly to identify animals.

2.2. Animal transactions and security are managed in accordance with the Australasian Species Management Program (ASMP), International Air Transport Association (IATA), regulations and occupational health and safety (OHS) requirements.

2.3. Accurate records of transactions are kept in accordance with institutional policies and procedures.

3. Contribute to collection planning policies

3.1. Species management and collection planning policies are analysed.

3.2. Contribution to collection planning policies and procedures is provided as required.

3.3. Endorsed policies are discussed and disseminated to staff in accordance with institutional policies and procedures.

Required Skills

Required skills

access technical advice

analyse information and write proposals

develop, interpret and review studbooks and husbandry manuals

follow institutional policies and procedures

interpret studbook data and run basic analysis

maintain section records

manage demographics within populations

operate appropriate species management databases

record data using approved animal keeping information systems and/or software

literacy skills to read and implement institutional policies and procedures, including OHS and waste management; interpret studbook data; record accurately and legibly information collected; and select and apply procedures to a range of defined tasks

communication skills/language to fulfil the job role as specified by the institution, including questioning techniques, active listening, asking for clarification from supervisors and consulting with supervisors

numeracy skills to estimate, calculate and record routine workplace measures and interpret studbooks

interpersonal skills to work with and relate to people from a range of cultural, social and religious backgrounds

problem-solving skills to interpret breeding coefficients.

Required knowledge

animal husbandry manual requirements

animal identification to the sup-species level

ASMP and ASMP Regional Census and Plan

ASMP guidelines and criteria for studbook keeping

breeding control methods

collection planning requirements

concepts of inbreeding and out breeding

database programs for recordkeeping and data analysis

genetic principles for the management of captive animal populations

importance of breeding coefficients

institutional collection planning policies and procedures and other relevant policies and procedures, including OHS and emergency procedures

principles and constraints of wildlife conservation

principles of animal welfare and ethics

principles of taxonomy and relevance to population management

relevant international, federal and state or territory legislation and codes of practice

report formats for captive animal management plans

role of the Australasian Regional Association of Zoological Parks (ARAZP)

small population biology

species stocking policies

working knowledge of international agreements and conventions, including the World Zoo Conservation Strategy and the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources conservation status categories.

Evidence Required

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 competence in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy all of the requirements of the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge and the range statement of this unit. Assessors should ensure that candidates can:

analyse collection plans and contribute to their review and implementation

communicate effectively with staff on breeding programs

develop and review husbandry manuals and studbooks

manage the transportation of animals between captive animal facilities

maintain accurate records.

The skills and knowledge required to implement collection management must be transferable to a range of work environments and contexts and include the ability to deal with unplanned events.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment of this unit is to be practical in nature and will be most appropriately assessed in a captive animal workplace. Workplaces may include small or large captive animal facilities, traditional or open-range type facilities and mobile or theme park environments.

There must be access to the appropriate equipment and/or resources to enable one to demonstrate competence.

Method of assessment

To ensure consistency in one's performance, competency should be demonstrated, to industry defined standards, on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances and where possible, over a number of assessment activities.

The assessment strategy must include practical skills assessment. Suggested strategies for this unit are:

written and/or oral assessment of candidate's required knowledge

observed, documented and first-hand testimonial evidence of candidate's application of practical tasks

simulation exercises that reproduce normal work conditions

third-party evidence

workplace documentation

portfolio.

This unit may be assessed in a holistic way with other units of competency relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role.

Guidance information for assessment

Assessment methods should reflect workplace demands (e.g. literacy and numeracy demands) and the needs of particular target groups (e.g. people with disabilities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, people with a language background other than English, youth and people from low socioeconomic backgrounds).


Range Statement

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.

Collection plans are:

developed at regional or institutional level and need to consider:

species management plans

regional captive management plans

interpretive plans

available facilities

conservation issues

education programs

visitors' experiences of particular captive animal facilities.

Husbandry manuals and studbooks may include:

husbandry manuals:

how to house individual species

details of their biology, behaviour and requirements in captivity

reproductive biology

distribute

appropriate capture and restraint methods

studbooks may include identifiers, such as:

sex

identities of both parents

birth and death dates

and may also include:

full transaction history

any information unique to the species, such as any data on the reproductive potential of living animals.

Internal and external personnel may include:

husbandry coordinators

keepers within the section, in other sections and keepers in charge

management

record keepers

species contacts (in-house and regional)

studbook keepers

Taxon Advisory Group (TAG) contacts and coordinators

veterinarians.

Identification techniques may include:

banding

branding

ear tagging

microchipping

banding

tattooing.

OHS risks when working with animals may include:

animal bites, envenomation, kicks, scratches and crush injuries

biological hazardous waste and sharps disposal

handling of chemicals and medicines

inhalation of aerosol particles

intraocular contamination

manual handling, including carrying, lifting and shifting

needle pricks and cuts from other sharps

release of infective agents (animal and human)

slippery or uneven work surfaces

zoonoses.

Contributions may include:

feedback from staff on draft policies and procedures

individual research into and evaluation of current policies and procedures

providing feedback on draft institutional and regional collection plans

undertaking professional development roles with the ASMP.


Sectors

Unit sector

Captive animals


Employability Skills

This unit contains employability skills.


Licensing Information

Not applicable.