Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to design and produce desktop published documents.

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 work in a range of environments and require skills in desktop publishing. They may work as individuals providing administrative support within an enterprise, or may be technical or knowledge experts responsible for the production of their own documents.

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. Prepare to produce desktop published documents

1.1. Use safe work practices including addressing ergonomic requirements  and using work organisation strategies 

1.2. Use energy and resource conservation techniques 

1.3. Identify document  purpose, audience and presentation requirements, and clarify with relevant personnel as required

1.4. Identify organisational and task requirements  for desktop published documents to ensure consistency of style and image

2. Set up desktop published document

2.1. Design  content structure and layout  to ensure information and graphics are arranged according to related topics and logical sequences

2.2. Select appropriate formatting and create templates or master pages to ensure consistency of design and layout 

2.3. Confirm layout with appropriate person

3. Create desktop published document

3.1. Prepare, format and enter required text

3.2. Import text from other applications and resolve any formatting issues

3.3. Scan or import graphics from other applications and resolve any formatting issues

3.4. Arrange text and graphics according to organisational and task requirements

4. Finalise desktop published document

4.1. Review text for possible errors and omissions, and resolve any issues

4.2. Check page order, structure and linkages

4.3. Produce completed document in required format

4.4. Name and store  text documents, in accordance with organisational requirements and exit the application without information loss/damage

4.5. Prepare text documents within designated time lines  and organisational requirements for speed and accuracy

4.6. Use manuals, user documentation and online help to overcome problems with document design and production

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

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

Required skills 

• communication skills to clarify requirements of documents
• culturally appropriate communication skills to relate to people from diverse backgrounds and people with diverse abilities
• editing and proofreading skills to check own work for accuracy against original
• keyboarding skills to enter text and numerical data
• literacy skills to read and understand the organisation's procedures and to use models or exemplars to produce a range of documents
• problem-solving skills to edit documents and to resolve issues of consistency of design.

Required knowledge 

• energy and resource conservation techniques
• organisational requirements for ergonomics, work periods and breaks
• organisational style guides
• purposes, uses and functions of desktop publishing software
• styles and their effect on formatting, readability and appearance of document.

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:

• knowledge of document design and layout principles
• producing desktop published documents.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Assessment must ensure:

• access to office equipment and resources in a workplace or simulated environment
• access to samples of relevantworkplace desktop published documents.

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 desktop published documents
• demonstration of techniques
• oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of desktop publishing software functions.

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 IT use 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.

Ergonomic requirements  may include:

• avoiding radiation from computer screens
• chair height, seat and back adjustment
• document holder
• footrest
• keyboard and mouse position
• lighting
• noise minimisation
• posture
• screen position
• workstation height and layout

Work organisation strategies  may include:

• exercise breaks
• mix of repetitive and other activities
• rest periods

Energy and resource conservation techniques  may include:

• double-sided paper use
• recycling used and shredded paper
• re-using paper for rough drafts (observing confidentiality requirements)
• utilising power-save options for equipment

Documents  may include:

• brochures
• calendars
• faxes
• flyers
• forms
• mail merge documents, including labels
• memos
• multi-page letters
• promotional material
• reports
• schedules
• tables

Organisational and task requirements  may include:

• company colour scheme
• company logo
• consistent corporate image
• content restrictions
• established guidelines and procedures for document production
• house styles
• observing copyright legislation
• organisation name, time, date, document title, filename or other fields in headers and footers
• templates

Design  may include:

• balance
• diversity
• relative positioning of graphics, headings and white space
• simplicity
• text flow
• typography

Structure and layout  may include:

• boxes
• colour
• columns
• drawing
• graphics
• headings
• letter and memo conventions
• page layout
• photographs
• typeface
• white space

Consistency of design and layout  may include:

• annotated references
• borders
• bulleted and numbered lists
• captions
• consistency with other business documents
• footnotes and endnotes
• indentations
• page numbers
• spacings
• font styles and point size

Naming and storing  documents may include:

• authorised access
• file and folder names which identify requirements such as the operator, author, section or date
• filing locations
• file names according to organisational procedure
• file names which are easily identifiable in relation to the content
• organisational policy for backing up files storage in folders and sub-folders
• organisational policy for filing hard copies of documents
• security and password protection
• storage on disk drives, USBs, CD-ROM, tape back-up to server

Designated time lines  may include:

• time line agreed with internal or external client
• time line agreed with supervisor or person requiring document
• organisational time line e.g. deadline requirements

Unit sector 

Competency field 

Information and Communications Technology - IT Use

Co-requisite units