Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit of competency relates to functions involved in providing inputs to strategic management, strategy, formulation, corporate or organisation planning and applies to the evaluation of factors having an impact on the business, monitoring and reporting on trends to inform decision making.

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

Application of the unit 

All enterprise or workplace procedures and activities are carried out according to relevant government regulations , licensing and other compliance requirements , including food safety and hygiene regulations and procedures  and ecologically sustainable development  (ESD ) principles .

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. Identify and evaluate business factors  impacting on the organisation

1.1. Information  relating to the immediate business environment is gathered from key informants, opinion groups or technical experts.

1.2. Evaluation  of likely positive and negative impacts on parts or functions of the business is conducted in conjunction with key personnel.

1.3. Evaluation of business conditions  is timely and consistent with optimum strategic management.

1.4. Capability of the organisation to respond effectively to change is analysed and tested.

2. Analyse business threats and opportunities

2.1. Information regarding factors affecting current or potential operations is gathered.

2.2. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats are identified using analytical techniques.

2.3. Remedial action or contingency plans are developed to provide flexibility in response to risks, obstacles and/or opportunities.

3. Monitor and report on issues and trends affecting the business

3.1. Trends and/or developments are monitored in a manner which meets enterprise response capability.

3.2. Recording and reporting of information is timely and supports internal decision making processes.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

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

Required skills 

• communication verbally with work teams and colleagues
• consulting with external stakeholders
• implementing strategies
• interpreting regulations
• maintaining awareness of business issues
• managing change
• managing staff
• strategic and organisational planning.

Literacy skills used for :

• compiling complex forms
• reading and interpreting complex documents
• writing and reading detailed correspondence.

Numeracy skills used for :

• calculating foreign exchange rates
• calculating percentages and averages
• establishing pricing data
• estimating margins and mark-up
• preparing detailed reports
• reading and analysing complex financial data.

Required knowledge 

• business environment, including:

• consultative processes
• continuous improvement systems
• environmental management requirements
• food safety standards
• government policy
• industry and international standards
• labour management
• occupational health and safety (OHS) requirements

• market forces, including:

• consumer trends
• export and import requirements
• product evaluation
• quality systems
• threats and opportunities

• principles relating to business operation, including:

• human resources management
• physical resource management
• strategic and business planning.

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 evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit 

Assessment must confirm the ability to:

• perform tasks necessary to ensure that all factors relevant to the successful operation of the business are regularly monitored to identify those which might present threats or opportunities and that strategies are developed to address them in a timely manner.

Assessment must confirm knowledge of:

• acquisition and use of information
• consultative processes both internal to the enterprise and external
• current and emerging trends in the business environment and the likely positive or negative effects
• information gathering systems
• legislation, codes and national standards relevant to the enterprise
• management principles to achieve change, goals and results
• organisational planning methods
• product evaluation methods
• quality and continuous improvement processes and standards.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Assessment may be conducted in the workplace or in a simulated work environment.

Resources may include:

• access to the candidate's peers and/or managers
• copies of reports or analyses developed by the candidate
• historical information relating to the enterprise
• legislation, codes and/or regulations impacting on the enterprise.

Method of assessment 

The following assessment methods are suggested:

• case studies
• demonstration in the workplace
• third-party reports.

Guidance information for assessment 

This unit may be assessed holistically with other units within a qualification.

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.

Relevant government regulations , licensing and other compliance requirements  may include:

• business or workplace operations, policies and practices:

• commercial law, including fair trading and trade practices
• consumer law
• corporate law, including registration, licensing and financial reporting
• disability policies and practices
• equal opportunity, anti-discrimination and sexual harassment
• industrial relations and awards, individual employment contracts and share of catch agreements
• jurisdictional variations
• superannuation
• taxation
• trade practices
• warnings and dismissals
• worker's compensation

• ESD principles, environmental hazard identification, risk assessment and control
• fisheries or aquaculture regulations, permits, licences, quotas, catch restrictions and other compliance requirements, including:

• Australian Exclusive Economic Zone
• international treaties and agreements

• food safety, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), hygiene and temperature control along chain of custody
• imports quarantine and inspection, and importing approved arrangements for Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS), Australian Customs Service (ACS) and Biosecurity Australia (BA)
• occupational health and safety (OHS) hazard identification, risk assessment and control
• product quality assurance:

• correct naming and labelling (e.g. country of origin, Australian Fish Names Standard and eco-labelling)
• correct quantities, sizes and other customer requirements
• third-party certification (e.g. Australian Grown and ISO 14001:2004 Environmental management systems).

Food safety and hygiene regulations and procedures  may include:

• Australian Shellfish Sanitation program
• display, packaging and sale of food, including seafood and aquatic products
• equipment design, use, cleaning and maintenance
• exporting requirements, including AQIS Export Control (Fish) orders
• handling and disposal of condemned or recalled seafood products
• HACCP, food safety program and other risk minimisation and quality assurance systems
• location, construction and servicing of seafood premises
• people, product and place hygiene and sanitation requirements
• Primary Products Standard and the Australian Seafood Standard (voluntary)
• processing, further processing and preparation of food, including seafood and aquatic products
• product labelling, tracing and recall
• receipt, storage and transportation of food, including seafood and aquatic products
• requirements set out in Australian and New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) Food Standards Code and state and territory food regulations
• temperature and contamination control along chain of custody.

ESD principles  may include:

• controlling the use and recycling of water, and managing water quality and quantity
• managing, controlling and treating effluents, chemical residues, contaminants, wastes and pollution
• managing environmental hazard identification, risk assessment and control
• managing imported products quarantine and inspection, facility biosecurity, translocation of livestock and genetic material, and health certification
• minimising noise, dust, light or odour emissions
• preventing genetically modified organisms and live cultured or held organisms from escaping into environment
• reducing energy use, introducing alternative energy sources.

Business factors  may include:

• enterprise goals, objectives, plans, systems and processes
• government policy
• industry policy
• resources which may require negotiation prior to purchase or release
• wider business environment.

Information  may include:

• business and performance plans
• database searches
• economic and statistical trends and forecasts
• field intelligence
• market research
• product benchmarking
• technical literature.

Evaluation  may include:

• authority
• limitations
• reliability.

Business conditions  may include:

• community standards
• competition
• ethical standards
• government intervention
• international influences
• predictability
• turbulence.

Unit sector 

Seafood processing

Co-requisite units 

Competency field