Providing technical guidance to others
Overview
This standard identifies the competences you need to provide guidance to others on work-related technical matters, in accordance with approved procedures. You will be expected to provide technical guidance to others who may be involved in a range of activities, such as design, production, operational support, maintenance, or product/process capability/performance measurement. You will be required to identify suitable opportunities for offering technical guidance, to plan and apply appropriate methods for providing guidance and to keep your methods under review so that you can modify your approach when necessary.
Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures when providing the technical guidance and to report any problems with these activities that you cannot personally resolve, or are outside your permitted authority, to the relevant people. You will be expected to work with a minimum of supervision, taking personal responsibility for your own actions and for the quality and accuracy of the guidance that you give.
Your underpinning knowledge will provide a good understanding of your work and will provide an informed approach to the methods, techniques and procedures for providing technical guidance. You will understand the design and/or manufacturing processes being used and their application, in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for giving technical guidance at the appropriate times.
You will understand the safety precautions to be observed in the workplace where you provide technical guidance. You will be required to demonstrate safe working practices throughout and will understand the responsibility you owe to yourself and others in the workplace.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- work safely at all times, complying with health and safety, environmental and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
- follow relevant instructions and specifications for the technical guidance
- assess work methods and procedures for their suitability and technical feasibility
- anticipate potential problems and choose which action/s to take to deal with them
- provide colleagues with valid and current technical information, advice and guidance
- analyse problems and choose effective solutions to maintain the quality and progress of the work
- deal promptly and effectively with problems within your control and report those that cannot be solved
- ensure that work records are completed, stored securely and available to others, as per organisational requirements
- leave the work area in a safe condition on completion of the activities, as per organisational and legal requirements
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- the specific safety precautions to be taken whilst carrying out the activities (including any specific legislation, regulations or codes of practice relating to the activities, equipment or materials)
- the health and safety requirements of the work area and the activities, and the responsibility these requirements place on you
- the hazards associated with the activities and how to minimise them and reduce risks
- the personal protective equipment and clothing (PPE) to be worn during the activities
- how to obtain information on regulations, directives and guidelines
- how to obtain and interpret drawings, charts, specifications and other documents that can be used when giving technical guidance
- the organisational processes and procedures regarding intellectual property of the guidance
- how to identify opportunities for providing technical guidance and support
- how to plan and prepare for providing technical guidance
- the methods and techniques involved in problem solving
- how to review and revise methods/ formats of technical guidance to reflect feedback (such as offering written summaries of guidance)
- the methods that can be used for providing or presenting technical guidance (such as verbally, one to one, one to many, in written form, using diagrams, drawings or other technical information, electronic presentations and web based tools)
- the extent of your own responsibility and whom you should report to if you have problems that you cannot resolve
- how to access, use and maintain information to comply with organisational requirements and legislation
Scope/range
Scope Performance
Provide technical guidance for one of the following groups of people:
- colleagues in the same work group
- colleagues in associated work teams
- others working on related technical activity areas
Provide technical guidance for one of the following activities:
- design activities (such as electronic components, printed circuit boards, semi-conductor layouts, thick, thin or flexible film circuits)
- production activities (such as semiconductor wafer processing, die assembly/test, component manufacture, circuit assembly)
- operational activities (such as movement of materials, quality systems and audit, scheduled safety audits and risk assessments)
- maintenance activities (such as planned preventive maintenance, part/sub-assembly exchange, breakdown response, maintenance records systems, line setting, six sigma or SPC)
- equipment capability/performance measurement (such as six sigma or SPC)
Provide technical guidance for all of the following situations:
- ensuring the continued supply and efficient use of resources
- ensuring that the most appropriate work methods are used
- verifying that materials used in the design or processing activities are within specification requirements
- clarifying technical details with others for the design or processing activities
- monitoring outputs of the process and comparing these with the specifications
- confirming that all relevant regulations, directives and guidelines are complied with
- anticipating and preventing operational problems, where possible
- analysing and solving any unforeseen operational problems
Carry out both of the following activities:
- reporting problems found during the monitoring process
- recording deviations from agreed plans and schedules