NTISthis.com

Evidence Guide: SITTPPD004A - Plan and implement minimal impact operations

Student: __________________________________________________

Signature: _________________________________________________

Tips for gathering evidence to demonstrate your skills

The important thing to remember when gathering evidence is that the more evidence the better - that is, the more evidence you gather to demonstrate your skills, the more confident an assessor can be that you have learned the skills not just at one point in time, but are continuing to apply and develop those skills (as opposed to just learning for the test!). Furthermore, one piece of evidence that you collect will not usualy demonstrate all the required criteria for a unit of competency, whereas multiple overlapping pieces of evidence will usually do the trick!

From the Wiki University

 

SITTPPD004A - Plan and implement minimal impact operations

What evidence can you provide to prove your understanding of each of the following citeria?

Organise environmentally responsible activities.

  1. Develop experiences and activities that combine education and interpretation of the natural environment, and ensure environmental sustainability and cultural sensitivity.
  2. Ensure a positive outcome for the local community and environment, and compliance with ecotourism codes of practice.
  3. Consult with colleagues and other stakeholders regarding issues of responsibility for environmental impact and social impact.
  4. Develop tour procedures to limit potential negative impact and maximise positive impact on the natural environment and local community.
Develop experiences and activities that combine education and interpretation of the natural environment, and ensure environmental sustainability and cultural sensitivity.

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ensure a positive outcome for the local community and environment, and compliance with ecotourism codes of practice.

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Consult with colleagues and other stakeholders regarding issues of responsibility for environmental impact and social impact.

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Develop tour procedures to limit potential negative impact and maximise positive impact on the natural environment and local community.

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conduct activities with minimal impact.

  1. Select and use minimal impacttechniques and procedures appropriate for a given area.
  2. Advise customers politely about acceptable behaviour in different environments and communities prior to entering the area.
  3. Provide a role model for customers and colleagues in relation to minimal impact.
  4. Take appropriate action to address situations where customer behaviour is not acceptable.
Select and use minimal impacttechniques and procedures appropriate for a given area.

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Advise customers politely about acceptable behaviour in different environments and communities prior to entering the area.

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Provide a role model for customers and colleagues in relation to minimal impact.

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take appropriate action to address situations where customer behaviour is not acceptable.

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monitor impact and changes.

  1. Monitor and accurately record changes in the natural environment using appropriate technology.
  2. Collect environmental information on behalf of environmental and social agencies and authorities where appropriate.
  3. Advise appropriate authorities of environmental and social change promptly.
Monitor and accurately record changes in the natural environment using appropriate technology.

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Collect environmental information on behalf of environmental and social agencies and authorities where appropriate.

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Advise appropriate authorities of environmental and social change promptly.

Completed
Date:

Teacher:		 Evidence:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessed

Teacher: ___________________________________ Date: _________

Signature: ________________________________________________

Comments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instructions to Assessors

Evidence Guide

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, the range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of the following is essential:

ability to organise and operate tourism activities with minimal negative environmental and social impact and monitor and report on any impact on the environment

knowledge of general environmental impact and issues in regard to tourism and the particular environments of operation

knowledge of minimal impact practices

planning and implementation of minimal impact operations for multiple delivery environments to ensure that skills can be adapted to different delivery locations and contexts

project or work activities conducted over an operationally realistic period of time so that the monitoring and recording of changes in the natural environment can be assessed.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure:

access to comprehensive and sufficient information about the tourism delivery environment to allow the candidate to plan for minimal impact operations and monitor any environmental impact

conduct and monitoring of a minimal impact tour or activity within appropriate environments, e.g. in an environmentally sensitive area

conduct of a tour or activity and interaction with customer groups of a size and nature that reflect the commercial environment in which the tour or activity operates.

Methods of assessment

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess the practical skills and knowledge required to plan and implement minimal impact operations. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

direct observation of the candidate conducting a tour or activity in an environmentally sensitive area

review of planning and operational activities undertaken as part of industry placement or training with an industry operator

project or case study to analyse appropriate minimal impact approaches for different environments

written and oral questioning or interview to test knowledge of the environmental and social impact of tourism, local environmental issues, minimal impact techniques and procedures and regulatory requirements

review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate.

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:

SITTGDE004A Lead tour groups

SITTGDE006A Prepare and present tour commentaries or activities

SITTPPD005A Plan and develop interpretive activities

SITTPPD006B Plan and develop ecologically sustainable tourism operations.

Assessing employability skills

Employability skills are integral to effective performance in the workplace and are broadly consistent across industry sectors. How these skills are applied varies between occupations and qualifications due to the different work functions and contexts.

Employability skills embedded in this unit should be assessed holistically with other relevant units that make up the skill set or qualification and in the context of the job role.

Required Skills and Knowledge

This section describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level, required for this unit.

The following skills must be assessed as part of this unit:

information collection techniques for monitoring environmental and social impact

high-level communication skills to consult with colleagues and stakeholders on issues of environmental responsibility, inform customers of their minimal impact responsibilities as tour or activity members, and discipline non-compliance when necessary

literacy skills to:

read and interpret complex materials describing environmental regulatory requirements, local land management practices and permit requirements, and industry and ecotourism codes of practice

develop written or verbal tour procedures

numeracy skills to:

record and calculate basic measurements for environmental monitoring, e.g. temperature

count sightings of environmental components, e.g. numbers of animals.

The following knowledge must be assessed as part of this unit:

general and overview knowledge of global environmental issues and ethics

broad working knowledge of the environmental and social impact of tourism

in-depth knowledge of local environmental issues and the social and cultural aspects of the local host community

the key contents of industry ecotourism codes of practice, especially that of the Ecotourism Association of Australia

broad working knowledge of the range of environmental legislation and regulations imposed by relevant land management agencies and federal, state or territory, and local governments

working knowledge of the particular land management practices and permit requirements affecting the area of operations, e.g. those used by national park management

understanding of the biophysical and socio-cultural elements in an environment

minimal impact techniques and procedures in relation to:

waste disposal

use of tracks

energy use

noise

souveniring

setting of camps

interaction with wildlife

group size

activity-specific guidelines

local customs and courtesies.

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 in the performance criteria is detailed below.

Environmental impact may include:

positive:

opportunities for conservation and protection

education of visitors

improvement of sites already impacted

negative:

disturbance of flora and fauna

physical damage

introduction of exotic and feral species

pollution

waste, energy and consumable demands and issues

visual impacts.

Social impact may include:

positive:

economic benefits to local community

improved local facilities

employment

visitor education

greater understanding between host and visitor cultures

negative:

trivialisation of culture

effect on social structures.

Minimal impact techniques and procedures may include:

education on appropriate behaviour

site hardening

technological solutions

education

restricting or limiting access

staged authenticity.

Changes in the natural environment may include:

breeding events

erosion

species sighting

changes to flora

changes to fauna.

Collecting environmental information may involve:

logbooks

sighting forms

basic measurements, including temperature, weather conditions and estimating percentage cover and water

photography.