Assure quality processes and procedures for scientific or technical activities
Overview
This standard covers the competences you need to assure
quality processes and procedures for scientific or technical
activities in accordance with approved procedures and
practices.
You will be required to demonstrate that you can identify
and agree the business and scientific or technical
requirements of your role in the workplace. You will
establish clear and precise criteria for assuring the quality
of processes and procedures for workplace activity,
ensuring the correct methods or techniques are used for
quality assurance procedure required. You will present
your results of work completed to other relevant people
within the organisation recommending any improvements in
accordance with workplace procedures.
The activity is likely to be undertaken by someone in a
science related work setting, including individuals working
in hospitals, scientific laboratories, schools and universities.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
P1 ensure that your work is carried out in accordance with
workplace procedures
P2 use safe practices and the appropriate personal
protection equipment (PPE) where scientific or technical
activities are performed
P3 identify and agree the business and scientific or
technical requirements of your role in the workplace
P4 establish processes that deliver scientific or technical
outcomes based on organisational goals and aims
P5 establish clear and precise criteria for assuring the
quality of processes and procedures for activities
P6 identify suitable quality assurance methods and
techniques
P7 ensure that the specified quality assurance processes
and procedures are implemented correctly
P8 obtain accurate information from valid sources on the
processes and procedures being quality assured
P9 assess accurately the required processes and
procedures quality against actual execution
P10 recommend improvement to the quality of the
processes and procedures and/or the activities
P11 identify and determine appropriate quality monitoring
arrangements for the processes and procedures
P12 present the results of the work done to the appropriate
people, in accordance with departmental and organisational
procedures
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
K1 the health and safety requirements of the area in which
you are carrying out the scientific or technical activities
K2 the implications of not taking account of legislation,
regulations, standards and guidelines when conducting
scientific or technical activities
K3 the scientific or technical techniques and processes you
must use correctly in the workplace.
K4 the importance of wearing protective clothing, gloves
and eye protection for scientific or technical activities
K5 the importance of correct identification, and any unique
workplace coding system
K6 the organisational requirements for maintaining the
security of the workplace and keeping confidential
documents
K7 the workplace business aims and goals and the
planning process
K8 the workplace organisational structure, its values and
culture
K9 how your scientific or technical activities add value
through delivering workplace products, services and
processes
K10 the lines of communication and responsibilities in your
department, and the links with the rest of the organisation
K11 the limits of your own authority and to whom you
should report if you have problems that you cannot resolve
K12 how to identify and assess the scientific or technical
requirements of your work roles
K13 the different ways in which you are set your agreed
personal work objectives
K14 the different perspectives and approaches that are
important when exercising autonomy or judgement about
scientific or technical activities used
K15 the types of investigation initiated and used to review
the effectiveness or appropriateness of methods, action
and results of your scientific or technical work
K16 the quality criteria that could be used for different types
of scientific or technical processes and procedures
K17 the quality assurance methods that are available
K18 the methods used for recording and analysing scientific
or technical processes and procedures
K19 the relevant sources of valid information on scientific or
technical processes and procedures
K20 who should be involved in the scientific or technical
quality assurance process
K21 the type of impact that poor quality assurance could
have on the organisation
K22 who requires information on scientific or technical
quality assurance, and the procedures for informing them
K23 how to obtain quality information on resources used by
the scientific or technical activities
K24 how to determine the resources that are necessary to
ensure that quality methods and procedures are applied
K25 how to determine the availability and suitability of
resources
K26 the regulations and guidelines relevant to your area of
responsibility
K27 how to obtain and interpret information on regulations
and guidelines
K28 the types of recommendation that could emerge from
the quality assurance process
K29 methods of presenting scientific or technical quality
assurance recommendations for improvements
1. carry out all of the following activities:
1.1 establish clear criteria as the basis of the quality
assurance process
1.2 obtain accurate information from appropriate sources
for consideration in the process
1.3 assess and specifying the quality requirements for the
scientific or technical activities
1.4 identify suitable quality assurance methods, techniques
and procedural improvements
1.5 assess the implications of implementing the quality
assurance improvements
1.6 present recommendations for improvements to the
quality assurance process to the appropriate people
2. assess the quality requirements for two of the following:
2.1 new project/process/procedure/scheme of work
2.2 workflow or service change/new facility
2.3 revisions to existing project/process/procedure/scheme
of work
2.4 new equipment being introduced
2.5 legislative/external quality standard requirement
2.6 practical investigation for examinations/learning
assessments
3. use four of the following sources when quality assuring:
3.1 examination/learning assessment guidelines
3.2 international/national standards
3.3 equipment manuals/specifications
3.4 legal/patent information
3.5 work process/activity specifications
3.6 workplace operating procedures
3.7 sector specific regulations and guidelines
3.8 customer requirements
4. record and communicate details of the work done, to the
appropriate people, using:
4.1 verbal report plus one method from the following:
4.2 written or typed report
4.3 computer-based record
4.4 specific workplace documentation
4.5 electronic mail