Application
Technical managers, supervising technicians, project managers, consultants or contractors who have responsibility for conducting a LCA or managing those who conduct an LCA apply the skills and knowledge in this unit. |
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
1. Define and scope project goal | 1.1. Access appropriate sources of information relevant to the LCA project 1.2. Define the goal of the project 1.3. Specify information needed to inform decision-makers 1.4. Determine required level of specificity 1.5. Determine data organisation and display of results 1.6. Define scope of the study 1.7. Determine ground rules for performing the work |
2. Conduct a life cycle inventory (LCI) | 2.1. Generate a life cycle flow diagram 2.2. Develop a data collection plan for the LCI 2.3. Collect the actual data 2.4. Evaluate and document the LCI results |
3. Conduct a life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) | 3.1. Select and define impact categories 3.2. Classify LCI results to the impact categories 3.3. Model LCI impacts within impact categories using science-based conversion factors 3.4. Normalise potential impacts in ways that can be compared 3.5. Assign impact categories by grouping into one or more sets to facilitate the interpretation of the results 3.6. Assign weighting factors to emphasise the most important potential impacts |
4. Interpret and evaluate results from the LCI and the LCIA and communicate them | 4.1. Identify the significant issues based on the LCI and the LCIA 4.2. Evaluate completeness check, consistency check and sensitivity check 4.3. Make recommendations for improving the product, process or service life cycle |
5. Report results of the LCA study | 5.1. Document the results of the LCA study 5.2. Finalise the report with a conclusion and make recommendations as a result of the LCA study |
Required Skills
Required skills |
analytical skills to compare and evaluate effective technical solutions involving life cycle aspects of sustainability, and to critically evaluate data quality communication skills to: prepare a press release regarding the level of achievement of sustainability benchmarks, environmental targets and performance highlights liaise with customers to outline the resulting sustainability benefits adjust communication to suit different audiences respond effectively to diversity work as a member of a team consult on and validate policy literacy skills to: evaluate complex and formal documents such as policy and legislation interpret technical specifications and related sustainability documentation document technical requirements and procedures prepare written reports requiring precise expression, language and structures suited to the intended audience numeracy skills to: determine workforce requirements analyse and confirm capacity requirements calculate budget requirements and limitations perform calculations related to LCA estimate carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions planning and organisational skills to: set out project requirements and priorities make site access and equipment delivery arrangements arrange relevant documentation and approvals problem solving skills to account for unexpected variations to requirements, and to effectively manage different points of view and dissenting stakeholders research skills to: research and present information examine statistical databases gain and maintain relevant and current technical product knowledge technical skills to utilise life cycle assessment software project management skills to undertake or manage a complex LCA project |
Required knowledge |
best practice approaches relevant to own work area environmental and sustainability legislation, regulations and codes of practice applicable to industry and organisation equal employment opportunity, equity and diversity principles and occupational health and safety (OHS) implications of policy being developed policy development processes and practices principles, practices and available tools and techniques of sustainability management relevant to the telecommunications industry quality assurance systems relevant to own organisation relevant industry competency relevant organisational polices, procedures and protocols relevant systems and procedures to aid in the achievement of workplace sustainability ICT power consumption calculations power consumption and energy audit methodology CO2 emissions estimation environmental impacts of products, processes, systems and services |
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 | Evidence of the ability to: undertake a LCA for sustainability undertake scoping and definition of goals of a LCA for sustainability produce a LCI using relevant software and data collection strategies use life cycle assessment and other software for researching and interpreting charts, flowcharts, graphs and other visual data and information evaluate LCI and LCIA results, using completeness, consistency and sensitivity checks make recommendations based on the results of the LCA study. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Assessment must ensure: sites on which planning, design and integration of sustainability may be carried out relevant legislation, standards, guidelines, reports and equipment specifications and drawings a range of workplace documentation and personnel, information and resources (such as compliance obligations, organisational plans, work responsibilities). |
Method of assessment | A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit: review of portfolios of evidence and third party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate review of projects relating to conducting applied research conducted by the candidate direct observation of candidate applying research skills oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of applied research. |
Guidance information for assessment | Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example: ICTSUS8237A Lead applied research in ICT sustainability. Aboriginal people and other people from a non-English speaking background may have second language issues. Access must be provided to appropriate learning and assessment support when required. Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate, and appropriate to the oral communication skill level, and language and literacy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed. In all cases where practical assessment is used it will be combined with targeted questioning to assess required knowledge. Questioning techniques should not require language, literacy and numeracy skills beyond those required in this unit of competency. Where applicable, physical resources should include equipment modified for people with special needs. |
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. | |
Appropriate sources of information may include: | AS/NZS 3598:2000 BS EN 16001:2009 Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) International standards for environmental management - Life cycle assessment AS/NZS ISO 14040:1998 AS/NZS ISO 14041:1999 AS/NZS ISO 14042:2001 AS/NZS ISO 14043:2001 AS/NZS ISO 14048:2003 United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - Life Cycle Assessment: Principles and Practice EPA/600/R-06/060 May 2006. |
Goal may include: | establishing baseline information for a process guiding new product development to reduction of resources and emissions identifying gaps in data providing information on trade-offs of alternative processes, products and materials ranking relative contribution of individual processes selecting best product, process or service with least effect on human health and the environment supporting product certification. |
Information may include: | changes to be made to reduce specific environmental impacts impacts relevant to stakeholders and interested parties products or processes which cause the least environmental impact technologies or processes which cause least detrimental impact: smog acid rain particulates aquatic pollution. |
Specificity may relate to: | enterprise-specific versus generic products internal enterprise use or public purposes product-specific data versus generic data product-specific versus generic study. |
Data organisation may include: | equivalent use as the basis for comparison a functional unit that appropriately describes the function of the product or process being studied volume or weight as the basis for comparison. |
Scope of the study may include: | manufacturing materials manufacture packaging and distribution product fabrication raw materials acquisition recycling and waste management use, re-use and maintenance variants: cradle-to-grave cradle-to-gate economic input-output life cycle assessment (EIOLCA) gate-to-gate well-to-wheel. |
Ground rules may include: | define the systems analysed documenting assumptions or decisions made throughout the project methodology used quality assurance procedures: available time and level of resources internal review external review formal review process reporting requirements setting of boundaries software used for modelling: EcoLab GaBi Software SimaPro stating the basis for comparison. |
Flow diagram may include: | all alternatives under consideration: baseline system alternative systems boundaries mapping inputs and outputs (material and energy) to a process or system subsystems. |
Data collection plan may include | defining the data quality goals developing a data collection worksheet or spreadsheet: data collection procedures data quality measures geographic scope presentation of results purpose of the inventory system boundaries types of data used identifying data sources and types: equipment and process specifications equipment logs journals laboratory test results meter readings from equipment identifying data types: measured modelled non-LCI data (data not intended for use in LCI) non-site specific sampled vendor data identifying data quality indicators: completeness consistency precision. |
Collect the actual data may include: | atmospheric emissions conversion of fuel units into energy units co-product allocation data categories: CO2 emissions reporting emissions required by regulatory agencies reporting of all emissions direct contact with experts efficiency of transportation mode: conversion of tonne-kilometres into fuel units litres (gallons) of diesel fuel emissions generated from combustion of the fuels energy input data energy sources illegal waste disposal included if data is available industrial scrap ISO 14041:6.5.3 (2004) allocation procedure obtain non-specific inventory data products purchase LCI data research specific data versus composite data site visits solid wastes transportation data: conversion to ton-miles or tonne-kilometres distance shipped weight of shipment waterborne wastes. |
Evaluate and document may include: | air emissions data parameter groups within a category data parameters within a group: carbon dioxide (CO2) chlorine (Cl) sulphur dioxide (SO2) define boundaries set define systems analysed describing the methodology used in analysis presentation of information: graphical format tabular format water borne waste solid wastes. |
Impact categories may include: | acidification aquatic toxicity global warming resource depletion stratospheric ozone depletion terrestrial toxicity. |
Classify LCI results may include: | assigning LCI results to impact categories: CO2 emissions attributed to global warming NO2 emissions attributed to ozone formation SO2 emissions attributed to acidification. |
Grouping may include: | sorting of indicators by characteristics, such as: emissions: air water location: global local regional sorting of indicators by a ranking system, such as: high priority medium priority low priority. |
Weighting may include: | determining weights to place on impacts identifying the underlying values of the stakeholders weighting methods: analytic hierarchy process modified Delphi technique decision analysis using multi-attribute theory. |
Evaluate and report LCIA results may include: | definition of systems analysed description of methodology used in the analysis description of the boundaries that were set documentation of limitations verify accuracy of LCIA results. |
Significant issues may include: | essential contributions for life cycle stages to LCI or LCIA results: individual unit processes groups of processes impact category indicators: emissions resource use waste inventory parameters: emissions energy use waste. |
Completeness check may include: | all relevant information and data needed for the interpretation are available and complete develop checklist to indicate each significant area represented in results organise data by: life cycle stage processes type of data represented: environmental release to air raw materials energy transportation. |
Consistency check may include: | comparisons made on inconsistent data sources comparisons made on data from different eras data from plants using different technologies data from technology based on different standards: European US. |
Sensitivity check may include: | evaluation of the reliability of results using: contribution analysis sensitivity analysis uncertainty analysis. |
Results of the LCA study may include: | administrative Information details of the practitioner who conducted the LCA study date of report definition of goal and scope life cycle inventory analysis: data collection calculation procedures life cycle impact assessment: methodology results of the impact assessment performed life cycle interpretation: results assumptions and limitations data quality assessment critical review (internal and external): details of reviewers and their affiliation critical review reports responses to recommendations. |
Sectors
Unit sector | Telecommunications |
Competency Field
Sustainability |
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills. |
Licensing Information
Refer to Unit Descriptor