CSCORG507A Manage projects in justice and offender services

Revision Number: 2

CSCORG507A Manage projects in justice and offender services

Modification History

CSCORG507A Release 2:	Layout adjusted. No changes to content.

CSCORG507A Release 1:	Primary release.

Unit Descriptor

This unit of competency describes the outcomes required to manage the work of substantial complex projects that are essential to the strategic objectives of the project sponsor and the organisation. It involves supervising a project team, monitoring progress of a project, developing strategies to maintain the quality of the project and maintaining communication with key people.

This is a generic management unit that will need to be significantly contextualised for the specific requirements and context of the organisation and work unit. It should be assessed on the basis of evidence gathering through direct workplace applications.

Application of the Unit

This unit applies to candidates with both general and specialist competencies from a range of occupational areas.

In practice, managing projects will overlap with other generalist or specialist work activities, such as coordinating resource allocation and usage, managing activities to meet client requirements, establishing and maintaining networks, providing leadership in justice services, etc.

Licensing/Regulatory Information

Not applicable.

Pre-Requisites

Not applicable.

Employability Skills Information

This unit contains employability skills.

Elements and Performance Criteria Pre-Content

Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.	Performance criteria describe the required performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the required skills and knowledge and/or the range statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide.

Elements and Performance Criteria

ELEMENT	PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
1 Supervise project team.	1.1 Develop project plan according to organisational policies and procedures. 1.2 Select project management tools and allocate tasks to project team in ways that make best use of team resources. 1.3 Motivate team members to fulfil the tasks allocated to them with commitment and enthusiasm. 1.4 Refine the project plan in consultation with team members and provide up-to-date information appropriate to their project role and responsibilities. 1.5 Maintain team leadership by providing opportunities for team members and key people to contribute to the development of the project. 1.6 Identify strategies for dealing with problems experienced by team members. 1.7 Provide support to team members to allow them to achieve their objectives throughout the timeframe of the project.
2 Monitor progress of the project.	2.1 Monitor and evaluate the progress of the project against the schedule of activities and milestones identified in the project plan. 2.2 Identify emerging risks and obstacles and their causes and take appropriate action. 2.3 Ensure all stages of work have clear authorisation to ensure that activities begin, progress and finish according to plans. 2.4 Control project activities and resources in line with project plan and consistent with the project's scope and definition. 2.5 Record changes to activities, resources and plans and provide them to the necessary people. 2.6 Involve the project sponsor in any review of the project scope and definition, or significant changes to the project plan.
3 Maintain project quality.	3.1 Consult team members and key people for their measures of the quality of the work of the project and solutions to identified problems. 3.2 Use quality improvement methods to enhance the work of the project and introduce change in a way that minimises disruption and team harmony. 3.3 Identify problems promptly and analyse issues for potential causes and solutions. 3.4 Implement agreed improvements in a way that makes efficient and effective use of the resources available and maintains the support of team members and key people.
4 Maintain communication with key people.	4.1 Provide key people with timely and relevant information that is consistent with the project plan and helpful to the project achieving its goals. 4.2 Distribute information effectively ensuring the information meets the needs of key people while maintaining agreements on confidentiality. 4.3 Present information in styles and formats most appropriate to the needs and interests of key people. 4.4 Seek information from key people and from sources with an interest in the project and assess it for its implications.

Required Skills and Knowledge

This section describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level, required for this unit.
Required skills: accessing and using legislation and guidelines that may impact on the project and management of the project using project planning techniques related to projects that may be reasonably complex in terms of scope, degree of risk, and political, cultural and social factors detailing requirements, writing recommendations and preparing plans requiring precision of expression negotiating timelines, roles and responsibilities with stakeholders and project team members scheduling project activities communicating with key people using a range of communication styles to suit different audiences and purposes using project management tools suited to reasonably complex projects using communication strategies involving exchanges of often complex oral information applying risk-management techniques in project management maintaining the commitment, motivation and support of team members using team-building strategies responding to diversity in the workplace.
Required knowledge: legislation, regulations, policies and procedures that might have an impact on the project Environmental or sustainability legislation, regulations and codes of practice applicable to industry legal and statutory obligations associated with project management in the context of the organisation and its services role and relationship of projects and their management within the strategic objectives and purposes of the organisation and the wider justice system current project management and quality assurance methods organisation's recent experience with project management and constraints arising methods of analysing and costing resource capacity and use methods of control and accountability of processes and resources principles of team leadership and team development objectives and methods for effective negotiation recording and reporting requirements opportunities for training, professional skills development and learning activities conflict resolution techniques justice system structures and political influences equal employment opportunities, equity and diversity principles.

Evidence Guide

The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, the range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.
Overview of assessment	This unit should be assessed against actual work activities. Assessment in simulated activities should only be used to confirm or extend the variables evident in the real work activities. Evidence should be gathered over time and drawn from the range of routine and required work activities relevant to the performance criteria, the range statement and the organisational environment.
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit	In addition to integrated demonstration of the elements and their related performance criteria, look for evidence that confirms: the knowledge requirements of this unit the skill requirements of this unit application of employability skills as they relate to this unit ability to manage projects in a range of (two or more) contexts or occasions, over time.
Context of and specific resources for assessment	Valid assessment of this unit requires: a workplace environment or one that closely resembles normal work practice and replicates the range of conditions likely to be encountered when managing projects in justice and offender services, including coping with difficulties, irregularities and breakdowns in routine copies of legislation, policies, procedures and guidelines relating to project management access to appropriate learning and assessment support when required.
Method of assessment	Evidence must include observation and information generated in the workplace as well as observation of performance in routine work functions or, where this is not possible, in a simulated exercise only where necessary to confirm the transferability of the competencies. The following assessment methods are suggested: observation of performance in routine workplace activities within a range of agreed responsibilities and in various work locations written and/or oral questioning to assess knowledge and understanding completion of workplace documents and reports produced as part of routine work activities third-party reports from experienced practitioners completion of performance feedback from supervisors and colleagues scenarios simulations or role plays.
Guidance information for assessment	Assessment methods should reflect workplace demands, and any identified special needs of the candidate, including language and literacy implications and cultural factors that may affect responses to the questions. In all cases where practical assessment is used it will be combined with targeted questioning to assess the underpinning knowledge.

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 in the performance criteria is detailed below. Add any 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.
Project plan should include some or all of:	roles of the project sponsor roles and responsibilities of project team information and communication strategy inclusions and exclusions from project expected outcomes and measurable benefits of the project project objectives, activities and milestones required resources resource management strategies evaluation criteria quality assurance and improvement methods budget and financial management strategy cost estimates project implementation strategy.
Policies and procedures may include:	federal, and state or territory legislation and local government regulations affecting organisational administration, such as: public sector management occupational health and safety equal employment opportunities anti-discrimination financial management and accounting legislation and regulations privacy legislation organisational guidelines and procedures relating to: project governance resourcing strategic plans risk management procurement guidelines regulations specific to the area of work operational procedures reporting and recording procedures performance management protocols contracts environmental and sustainable practices.
Project management tools may include:	organisational project governance framework communications plan reporting framework risk analysis project management software and other tools: Gantt and bar charts program evaluation and review technique (PERT) charts recording systems spreadsheets cost analysis.
Team leadership should include:	transparent selection and delegation processes open and democratic decision making fair and equitable distribution of work and responsibilities constructive performance appraisal and skills development supported opportunities to extend experience and performance clear and accurate information exchange and communication methods promotion and recognition for the value of diversity and individual differences.
Projects should include a significant range of the following components:	strategic implications for the sponsor substantial resource implications for the sponsor a high level of complexity in components of the plan, range of team members, technical requirements of process and objectives involving senior and specialist key people involving external organisation.
Resources may include:	human physical financial technological and information resources.
Key people may include:	team members senior management specialist and professional service providers contracted service providers technical experts representatives of service or product consumers.
Quality improvement methods may include:	changes to process and schedules involvement of additional key people recruitment of additional and different resources skills development strategic focus on removing obstacles reviewing scope and definitions changes to the content and distribution of information streamlining processes to produce more immediate risk assessment.

Unit Sector(s)

Organisational administration and management.

Competency field

Not applicable.