Application
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to interact with clients at a management level.
It applies to individuals working as management personnel in a range of information and communications technology (ICT) areas who are responsible for maintaining client relationships.
No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. |
1. Review client’s business domain | 1.1 Research organisational service standards, values and culture to understand the organisational environment 1.2 Investigate and document the goods and services provided by the organisation 1.3 Review current service level agreements (SLAs) if appropriate |
2. Develop new business with client | 2.1 Research client service needs and preferred level of service 2.2 Research opportunities for new business with client 2.3 Develop draft proposals to cover these new initiatives |
3. Negotiate new business initiatives | 3.1 Conduct a session with the client to present the new opportunities 3.2 Present proposals to the client in a clear, concise and comprehensive manner 3.3 Present proposed cost and timeframes to the client 3.4 Negotiate terms with the client and record alterations if required 3.5 Clarify areas of uncertainty or disagreement 3.6 Document agreement negotiated with the client |
4. Monitor, adjust and implement procedures to maintain client focus | 4.1 Assess progress in achieving new client initiatives 4.2 Gather client feedback to improve the proposals 4.3 Adjust service provided to the client based on client feedback and in line with organisational guidelines 4.4 Document changes to new provisions |
Evidence of Performance
Evidence of the ability to:
assemble a proposal for a new business initiative
develop a strong awareness of the clients business
present and negotiate a proposal with the client
formulate and implement new business
monitor and maintain client relationship and requirements of service.
Note: If a specific volume or frequency is not stated, then evidence must be provided at least once.
Evidence of Knowledge
To complete the unit requirements safely and effectively, the individual must:
discuss business practices relevant to understanding client needs, including:
change management
information gathering techniques
planning process, including development of information and communications technology (ICT) business solutions
preparation of reports
identify current industry accepted hardware and software products relevant to client services and support, including:
general features and capabilities
vendor product directions
identify and interpret legal principles of commercial contracts and service level agreements (SLAs)
interpret organisational policies, plans and procedures, including contracting
summarise the concepts of negotiation and the process for building business relationships.
Assessment Conditions
Gather evidence to demonstrate consistent performance in conditions that are safe and replicate the workplace. Noise levels, production flow, interruptions and time variances must be typical of those experienced in the general ICT industry, and include access to:
organisational policies, procedures and SLAs for the ICT industry
contexts for negotiating agreements and contracts
current ICT hardware and software products.
Assessors must satisfy NVR/AQTF assessor requirements.
Foundation Skills
This section describes language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills incorporated in the performance criteria that are required for competent performance.
Skill | Performance Criteria | Description |
Reading | 1.1-1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 4.1, 4.2 | Identifies, analyses and evaluates a range of complex information to identify relevant and key information |
Writing | 2.3, 3.6, 4.4 | Uses plain English, appropriate grammatical structures and specialised terminology, diagrams and flow charts, logical document structures and formatting relevant to the job role and organisation to record document proposals and agreements |
Oral Communication | 1.1-1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1-3.5, 4.1, 4.2 | Uses open questioning and effective listening techniques to elicit information, clarify requirements and conduct effective negotiations Uses appropriate vocabulary, grammatical structure, voice tone, body language and reflective responses to build business relationships and present proposals |
Numeracy | 1.2, 1.3, 2.3, 3.3-3.5, 4.3, 4.4 | Interprets numerical information and applies mathematical calculations and financial functions relating to time durations and projected costs |
Navigate the world of work | 1.3, 4.3 | Recognises and responds to both explicit and implicit protocols within familiar work contexts and appreciates the importance of identifying and responding to organisational procedures |
Interact with others | 3.1, 3.2, 3.4 | Invests considerable time and energy in building and maintaining effective working relationships within and beyond immediate work context, recognising and intuitively responding to the subtle and complex mix of factors at play in every interaction |
Get the work done | 1.1, 1.2, 2.1-2.3, 4.1 | Takes responsibility for defining key aspects of own workload, balancing own needs and priorities with new opportunities Makes decisions quickly and intuitively in familiar situations requiring immediate attention, drawing on past experience to identify key variables, consider possible implications of different courses of action and determine the best course of action Demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of principles, concepts, language and practices associated with the digital world Demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of expectations, social protocols and online etiquette, intuitively selecting the appropriate channel, content and tone for diverse purposes and audiences |
Sectors
General ICT