Unit of competency

Modification History

Application

This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to prepare arborist reports with specific arboricultural content at consultant level.

This unit applies to individuals who take personal responsibility and exercise autonomy in undertaking complex work, to analyse and synthesise information and design and communicate solutions to complex problems. They provide professional services in arboricultural report writing involving tree assessment and risk, tree management, arboricultural impact, tree pathology and structural tree problems.

Preparing arboricultural reports involves the self-directed application of knowledge with substantial depth in some areas such as tree identification, tree assessment techniques and reporting methods.

No occupational licensing, legislative or certification requirements are known to apply to this unit at the time of publication.

Pre-requisite Unit

Nil.

Unit Sector

Arboriculture (ARB)

Elements and Performance Criteria

Foundation Skills

Foundation Skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.

Range of Conditions

Unit Mapping Information

New unit - no equivalent.

Links

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=c6399549-9c62-4a5e-bf1a-524b2322cf72

Assessment requirements

Modification History

Performance Evidence

The candidate must produce a body of work compiling evidentiary data, research material, data, observations and test results into a stylised presentation of custom format using component industry conventions. The candidate must be assessed on their ability to integrate and apply the performance requirements of this unit in a workplace setting. Performance must be demonstrated consistently over time and in a suitable range of contexts.

The candidate must provide evidence for and demonstrate:

• determining the client brief and manage client expectations
• determining client need for evidentiary data records
• determining statutory requirements for report
• establishing specific focus points within report topic
• establishing report limits and assumptions
• determining arboricultural content required by evaluation of all relevant requirements and limitations
• determining the textual and visual content of report
• researching information about topic and specific focus points
• assessing primary and secondary sources of research material
• inspecting and recording details and observations of site, trees, location and matters relevant to focus points and topic
• recording relevant visual evidence using photographic equipment
• obtaining and recording information from test results
• collating observations, test results, research material and inspection data into a body of evidentiary data
• backing up and storing data for later retrieval
• determining presentation style of report to meet client and statutory outcomes
• determining requirements for specific document content and layout using accepted arboriculture industry conventions
• obtaining necessary permissions for use of tables, diagrams or other copyright information
• utilising appropriate custom document templates, logo, tables, charts, and art required to produce word-processor documents
• inserting required document elements such as title, page numbers, table of contents, footers and headers and watermark
• incorporating collated data, information and evidentiary data into formatted body of the report
• operating computer and software application to edit document for language use, text content, spelling, grammar and punctuation appropriate for consulting arborists
• assessing a body of evidentiary data
• determining value of supporting and contradictory evidence
• using considered viewpoints to make an informed decision
• formulating a conclusive determination
• informing client whether or not determination can meet the client brief
• developing a set of recommendations based on that determination in accordance with the client brief
• preparing a draft document based on brief, method, observation, conclusion and recommendations system
• evaluating the impact of using active and passive voice
• seeking feedback on prepared report
• responding to feedback and editing report based on feedback provided
• drafting final sections of report document
• developing summary of report
• producing final version of arboricultural report
• delivering final report to client and statutory authority
• formulating a glossary of arboricultural terminology and industry jargon.

Knowledge Evidence

The candidate must demonstrate knowledge of:

• client briefs
• management of client expectations
• client need for evidentiary data records
• statutory reporting requirements
• specific focus points within report topics
• limits and assumptions of reports
• required arboricultural content
• textual and visual content of report
• information research
• assessment of primary and secondary sources of research material
• methods of determining information validity and reliability
• site inspections
• photographic equipment for recording of visual evidence
• collation of observations, test results, research material and inspection data into a body of evidentiary data
• data collection, collation, backup, storage and retrieval
• reporting and presentation styles for statutory and client outcomes
• requirements for specific document content and layout using accepted arboriculture industry conventions
• permissions for use of tables, diagrams or other copyright information
• custom document templates, logo, tables, charts, and art required to produce word-processor documents
• document elements such as title, page numbers, table of contents, footers and headers and watermark
• computer and software application to edit documents
• language use, text content, spelling, grammar and punctuation
• consulting arborist terminology
• assessment of a body of evidentiary data
• evaluation of supporting and contradictory evidence
• consideration of different viewpoints in making informed decisions
• decision-making processes
• formulation of conclusive determinations
• draft document preparation
• system of brief, method, observation, conclusion and recommendations
• evaluation of impact of using active and passive voice
• report editing based on feedback provided
• development of a report summary
• final report formulation, formatting and writing
• production of a glossary of arboricultural terminology and industry jargon.

Assessment Conditions

Assessment must be demonstrated consistently over time in a suitable range of contexts and have a productivity-based outcome. No single assessment event or report is sufficient to achieve competency in this unit.

Assessment may be conducted in a simulated or real work environment, however determination of competency requires the application of work practices under work conditions.

The mandatory equipment and materials used to gather evidence for assessment include:

• equipment:

• computer
• digital camera/phone camera
• internet connection
• word processing software
• trees

• materials:

• arborist report
• glossary of arboricultural terminology

Assessors must satisfy current standards for RTOs in the assessment of arboriculture units of competency.

Assessment must be conducted only by persons who have:

• arboriculture vocational competencies at least to the level being assessed
• current arboriculture industry skills directly relevant to the unit of competency being assessed

Links

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=c6399549-9c62-4a5e-bf1a-524b2322cf72