Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit will provide participants with an awareness of the issues surrounding community cultural protocols and familiarise them with cultural processes, whilst considering their impact on heritage and the local Aboriginal community and defines the standard required to: relate key components of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander societies and activities as they relate to heritage and cultural protocols; identify Aboriginal beliefs and cultural protocol; relate Aboriginal protocols to community consultation; identify the main principles of Intellectual Property (IP)and copyright.

Application of the unit 

This unit applies to following cultural protocols and details the specific sensitivities of working in communities with diverse cultural requirements.

Prerequisite units 

Employability skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Relate key components of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander societies and activities to heritage and cultural protocols

1.1. Identify the significance of gender roles.

1.2. Document elements of the cultural diversity within Aboriginal communities and relevant management practices that impact on the economy and spirituality.

1.3. Describe the key components of Aboriginal societies relating to land, sea, water, air, flora and fauna.

2. Identify Aboriginal beliefs and cultural protocol

2.1. Identify and document the importance of Aboriginal beliefs and sites.

2.2. Document protocols within a community.

3. Relate Aboriginal protocols to community consultation

3.1. Identify and record key protocols required for community consultation.

3.2. Document significant factors and practices which could damage the level of trust and respect between negotiating parties and the community.

3.3. Describe strategies to establish and maintain a harmonious relationship between all parties involved.

4. Explain the main principles of IP and copyright

4.1. Describe IP as an economic right.

4.2. Document processes and procedures in order to acquire IP.

4.3. Identify and record the rights of land owners to recognise knowledge and land management practises (e.g. bush tucker, medicinal properties of plants and animals, traditional agriculture).

4.4. Describe the general rule/s governing the length of IP.

4.5. Research current legislation which identifying intellectual property and copyright.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.

Required skills 

• respect for cultural diversity and sensitivity to social, cultural and professional values and beliefs
• using technology to access written, oral or visual source material
• library and internet research
• comprehension of written, oral or visual source material
• interpretation of written, oral or visual source material
• listening skills
• oral communication skills
• the ability to relate to people from a range of social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and physical and mental abilities
• exercising discretion and confidentiality
• sustainable environmental practices
• occupational health and safety requirements
• use numeracy skills to estimate, calculate and record routine workplace measures
• use interpersonal skills to work with and relate to people from a range of cultural, social and religious backgrounds and with a range of physical and mental abilities.

Required knowledge 

• knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage, cultural values and protocols
• knowledge of Aboriginal cultural information/material/expression able to be accessed and shared.

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

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 

The following evidence is critical to the judgement of competence in this unit:

• identification of cultural information, material and cultural expression appropriate to be shared
• description of elements of cultural diversity within Aboriginal communities
• description of natural resources and how they relate to general economy, religion and spirituality, art, environment, values, beliefs and lore
• description of the cultural rights and responsibilities when using community knowledge, information and material
• identification of groups to be consulted in relation to owners/custodians of cultural and community knowledge, information and/or material
• description of cultural protocols for contacting appropriate people in a specific community

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Any assessment events must be contextualised to meet the needs of the particular group, including:

• a community, educational or workplace setting
• involvement of people approved by Elders of the relevant local community
• candidates who have gained relevant knowledge and skills through their life experience.

RANGE STATEMENT 

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole.

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander heritage and cultural protocols may refer to:

• gender roles in relation to knowledge and cultural practices
• information sensitivity and access
• appropriate information transfer
• negotiations with local Aboriginal community about information transfer
• cultural diversity
• natural resources and their importance for economy, religion, spirituality, art, environment, values, beliefs and lore.

Aboriginal beliefs may relate to:

• connection to country
• creation
• structure of community such as elders and custodians
• practicality and purpose
• appropriate behaviour, protocols and restrictions
• spiritual value of knowledge and stories
• communal ownership of some knowledge and material
• intergenerational ownership of some knowledge and material
• oral tradition of passing on knowledge
• roles as custodians of specified knowledge, ceremony, designs, information
• kinship and relationships
• storytelling.

Cultural protocols may relate to:

• symbols
• sites
• stories
• local customs - respect and responsibility to local customs
• who can hold information and why
• information which is commonly owned within the community
• the talking of community politics
• repatriation of artefacts
• issues of ownership (clans/nations)
• ownership of intellectual property.

Community consultation may require understanding of:

• the need to gain permission from local Aboriginal Land Councils for access to sites
• adequate consultation with elders and custodians/community
• repatriation of artefacts
• issues of ownership and boundaries
• respecting restrictions on who can speak about certain topics or information, e.g. gender issues
• acceptance that some material may not be able to be accessed, shared or published.

Who in a specified community needs to be contacted may relate to a range of people, including:

• elders
• elders' councils
• residents
• custodians of local cultural knowledge
• land councils
• women's groups
• men's groups
• aboriginal organisations
• relevant individuals
• local government groups
• aboriginal advisory groups
• DECC (National Parks and Wildlife).

Unit sector 

Indigenous land management

Co-requisite units 

Competency field