Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to receive and distribute incoming mail, and to collect and despatch outgoing mail.

No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement.

Application of the unit 

This unit applies to individuals who perform a range of routine tasks in the workplace, using a limited range of practical skills and fundamental knowledge of mail handling in a defined context, under direct supervision or with limited individual responsibility.

Prerequisite units 

Employability skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the required skills and knowledge section and the range statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Receive and distribute incoming mail

1.1. Ensure that incoming mail  is checked  and registered  in accordance with organisational policies and procedures

1.2. Identify titles and locations of company personnel and departments

1.3. Identify and distribute urgent and confidential mail  in accordance with organisational requirements

1.4. Sort  and despatch mail to nominated person /location  in accordance with organisational requirements

1.5. Record and/or report damaged , suspicious or missing items  and take appropriate action  in accordance with organisational policies and procedures

2. Collect and despatch outgoing mail

2.1. Collect, check and sort outgoing mail to ensure all items are correctly prepared for despatch  in accordance with organisational policies and procedures

2.2. Record  and process  outgoing mail for despatch  in accordance with organisational requirements 

2.3. Despatch mail to meet designated time lines

3. Organise urgent and same day deliveries

3.1. Evaluate delivery options  and select best option 

3.2. Prepare items for urgent delivery in accordance with organisational requirements and carrier specifications

3.3. Organise lodgement or pick up of emergency deliveries and follow-up if necessary

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

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

Required skills 

• communication skills to receive instructions of several steps to complete task, to give information to others, and to consult with or question supervisor and peers to clarify information
• literacy skills to keep records, to check accuracy of written material and to follow policies and procedures
• numeracy skills to check weights and addresses; and to sort, collate and estimate time for mail despatches and bulk mail outs
• problem-solving skills to choose appropriate method for urgent delivery
• technology skills to use electronic mail.

Required knowledge 

• Australian geography and postal codes
• key provisions of relevant legislation from all forms of government that may affect aspects of business operations, such as:

• anti-discrimination legislation
• ethical principles
• codes of practice
• privacy laws
• occupational health and safety (OHS)

• organisational policies and procedures specific to handling electronic mailprocedural requirements for receiving/despatching and prioritising correspondence
• range of mail services available.

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 

Evidence of the following is essential:

• working with a variety of incoming and outgoing mail
• applying carriers' and organisational requirements (e.g. postal and courier)
• knowledge of relevant legislation.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Assessment must ensure:

• access to an actual workplace or simulated environment
• access to office equipment and resources
• examples of correspondence and parcels for sorting and despatch.

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:

• direct questioning combined with review of portfolios of evidence and third party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate
• review of incoming and outgoing mail registers
• analysis of responses to case studies and scenarios
• demonstration of techniques
• oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of procedural requirements for receiving/despatching and prioritising correspondence.

Guidance information for assessment 

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

• general administration units
• other information management units.

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.

Incoming mail  may include:

• confidential/personal
• electronic (e.g. faxes, emails to central address)
• external
• internal
• journals/magazines
• letters
• paper-based
• urgent
• other forms of correspondence

Checking mail  may include:

• enclosures
• mail marked confidential, urgent or personal
• mail sent express post or registered
• mail that has been damaged
• mail that looks suspicious

Registering mail  may include:

• assigning file number
• addressee
• condition of mail item (e.g. damaged, no return address)
• contents e.g. cheque
• date received
• sender
• subject

Distributing urgent and confidential mail  may include:

• immediate, hand delivery, express post, registered
• separating and prioritising urgent mail

Sorting  mail may include:

• adding a circulation slip
• separating by order of importance for each individual
• separating internal (organisational) mail and external mail
• separating junk mail
• separating urgent mail to be distributed first
• sorting by departments
• sorting by location
• sorting by seniority of personnel
• sorting invoices, cheques and accounts

Nominated person /location  may include:

• administrative support person
• department
• individual addressee

Damaged , suspicious or missing items  may include:

• mail exposed to weather (e.g. water damage from rain)
• mail roughly handled (e.g. broken contents, torn address labels)
• mail that looks like it has been interfered with (re-sealed mail)
• mail that looks unusual
• mail that makes noises
• mail that smells strange
• pilfered mail (contents may be missing, parcels slit open)

Appropriate action  in relation to damaged, missing or suspicious items may include:

• immediately calling supervisor or security staff
• contacting sender to ensure everything sent was received
• filling out forms for sender's insurance company
• negotiating replacement of missing or damaged items with sender
• not touching or moving suspicious mail

Correctly preparing items for despatch  may include:

• checking enclosures
• checking letter and envelope are addressed to same person
• checking the address is not obscured
• checking letter has been signed
• checking return address is included
• checking address details and layout are correct
• determining most appropriate carrier
• ensuring correct requirements for chosen carrier are being followed
• preparing bulk mail outs

Recording  outgoing mail may include:

• electronic (specialist software, database, spreadsheet systems)
• paper-based (mail book, form, file)

Processing mail for despatch  may include:

• calculating and paying for postage
• DX mail
• registering mail

Processing  in accordance with organisational requirements  may include:

• addressee/organisation
• appropriate carrier (courier, normal mail, express post)
• date of despatch
• receipts attached where appropriate
• reference number
• sender
• sender's department

Delivery options  may include:

• courier
• express mail
• overnight bag

Best option  may include:

• cost
• delivery location
• nature of contents (bulky, fragile, confidential)
• quantity of delivery items
• time constraints

Unit sector 

Competency field 

Knowledge Management - Information Management

Co-requisite units