Application
This unit applies to the planning and management of an emergency response to a disease or plant pest outbreak. |
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
1. Plan emergency disease or plant pest control program | 1.1. Effective strategies to control emergency disease or plant pest are identified to support the emergency disease or plant pest control. 1.2. All components of emergency disease or plant pest control program comply with relevant standards and protocols, jurisdiction's nationally approved response plan, relevant state/territory and commonwealth legislation, and emergency management principles. 1.3. Expert advice is sought and used to identify source of emergency disease or plant pest and gauge its likely spread. 1.4. Declared areas are identified in line with expert advice and available evidence of presence of emergency disease or plant pest. 1.5. Plans are developed to effectively and efficiently control emergency disease or plant pest. 1.6. Plans are submitted to appropriate authorities for approval. 1.7. Likely developments and consequences of emergency disease or plant pest outbreak are identified and appropriate personnel are advised according to established lines of command and control. |
2. Oversee emergency disease or plant pest control program | 2.1. Emergency disease or plant pest control plans are implemented and monitored. 2.2. Information recording and dissemination are monitored to ensure compliance with standards and protocols. 2.3. Reports are sent, received and acted upon according to relevant standards and protocols. 2.4. Relevant organisations/agencies and personnel are briefed in relation to management of emergency disease or plant pest. |
3. Monitor and review the emergency disease or plant pest control program | 3.1. Emergency disease or plant pest control strategies are monitored continually to ensure that they are achieving the intended outcomes. 3.2. Emergency disease or plant pest control plans are amended as appropriate in line with expert advice, standards and protocols. 3.3. Resource requirements are monitored continually to ensure strategies are achieved. |
4. Revise emergency disease or plant pest control program | 4.1. Emergency disease or plant pest control strategies and/or plans are revised as required. Changes to emergency disease or plant pest control strategies are communicated to appropriate personnel. |
Required Skills
Required skills |
accessing relevant standards and protocols such as Australian Veterinary Emergency Plan (AUSVETPLAN) or Australian Emergency Plant Pest Response Plan (PLANTPLAN) to determine requirements for a specific emergency disease or plant pest response demonstrating flexibility by modifying priorities and procedures in response to new findings developing briefing materials for use by others to communicate sensitive and complex information in an appropriate manner making effective judgements to achieve a balance of taking authority and delegating appropriately managing a team of people under stressful conditions managing collection, analysis and dissemination of data to guide the ongoing emergency disease or plant pest response operating effectively under stress while performing tasks requiring high-level problem solving and decision making preparing or commissioning a detailed plan to manage an emergency disease or plant pest response, including identifying an outbreak of the emergency disease or plant pest, monitoring its presence, investigating its source and pattern of infection, estimating its likely spread and implementing measures and planning procedures for its control or eradication 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 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 |
detailed knowledge of relevant state, territory and commonwealth Acts of parliament with respect to emergency disease or plant pest control, emergency powers and notification of appropriate authorities extensive knowledge of emergency disease or plant pest control strategies for emergency disease or plant pest situations extensive knowledge of standards and protocols, such as AUSVETPLAN or PLANTPLAN extensive knowledge of where to source technical information and/or expert advice and expertise to effectively manage an emergency disease or plant pest incursion knowledge of common reactions and behaviours under stress knowledge of relevant public sector policies, practices and constraints in relation to emergency disease or plant pest management knowledge of occupational health and safety requirements, particularly when managing personnel in an emergency under stressful conditions. |
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 | Competency is demonstrated in this standard if the candidate is able to: plan for contingencies plan, oversee and monitor a response to an emergency disease or plant pest incursion build, maintain and motivate a team in response to an emergency disease or plant pest incursion prioritise allocation of resources implement best options for problem solving based on risk assessment. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | For valid assessment, one must have opportunities to participate in a range of exercises, case studies and other real and simulated practical and knowledge assessments that demonstrate the skills and knowledge required to plan and oversee an emergency disease or plant pest control program. The candidate must also have access to a functioning control centre, or a control centre established for an emergency disease or plant pest response simulation exercise. |
Method of assessment | Assessment for this unit of competency is to be largely practical in nature and will most appropriately be assessed in an emergency disease or plant pest response simulation exercise or in responses to an emergency disease or plant pest incursion. |
Guidance information for assessment | To ensure consistency in one's performance, competency should be demonstrated on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances, cases and responsibilities, and where possible, over a number of assessment activities. The skills and knowledge required to plan and oversee an emergency disease or plant pest control program must be transferable to a range of work environments and contexts, including the ability to deal with unplanned events. For example, this could include work within control centres established for other emergency diseases or plant pest incursions. |
Range Statement
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. | |
Strategies to control the emergency disease or plant pest may include: | application of plant pesticides cleaning and decontamination collecting samples commonwealth, state, territory and industry response agreements destruction disinfestation disposal emergency management approach epidemiological assessments movement control quarantine tracing and surveillance vaccination vector control whole of government approach wild animal control measures |
Emergency diseases or plant pests may include: | diseases that may affect animals, fish and other marine animals including: disease that is exotic to Australia serious infectious disease of unknown or uncertain cause variant of an endemic disease severe outbreak of a known endemic disease that is considered to be of national significance with serious social or trade implications species, biotype or strain of invertebrate pest or pathogen injurious to plants or plant health. |
Relevant standards and protocols may include: | directions from state control headquarters emergency disease or plant pest response agreements such as: Emergency Animal Disease Response Agreement (EADRA) Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed (EPPRD) emergency disease or plant pest specific guidelines and manuals included in the relevant national response plan such as AUSVETPLAN and PLANTPLAN emergency management principles standard operating procedures state and territory legislation defining legal powers in an emergency disease or plant pest incursion state response plans. |
Declared areas may include: | areas in which defined conditions apply to the access or egress of specified plants, animals, fish and other marine animals or things control areas dangerous contact premises and suspect premises infected premises quarantine premises restricted areas stand still areas any other areas declared. |
Information recording and dissemination requirements may include: | electronic systems mapping systems message systems, including: records of conversation telephone messages task requests event logs record keeping systems. |
Relevant organisations may include: | community organisations industry organisations local, commonwealth and state or territory government agencies, including emergency service organisations whole of government. |
Sectors
Unit sector | Biosecurity |
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills. |
Licensing Information
Not Applicable