AP824076 - Australian Government Employment – Conditions and Salaries Award 2003
SCHEDULE B - WORK LEVEL STANDARDS
Position Classification Standards
Professional Officer Class 1 and 2
Senior Professional Officer Grade C, B and A
Roles
Professional practitioner - is an individual, team member or team leader. At the Professional Officer Class 1 and Class 2 levels they apply professional judgement across a limited range of activities. Professional Officers may perform normal professional work under different types of supervision and guidance. Professional supervision is required, but it may not need to be continuous. At the Senior Professional Officer levels they carry out a broad range of activities or functions using relevant practices or procedures within a comprehensive field of work or professional discipline. This role can provide advice to others on aspects of the field or discipline and can be expected to contribute in an original and innovative manner to activities of the work area. This role includes the supervision of subordinate professional staff and staff from other fields of work.
Professional manager - is required to have a sound knowledge of the relevant principles, practices and procedures applicable to a professional field of work or discipline. Professional managers will be responsible for the achievement of particular objectives or completion of a project. This responsibility includes accountability for material, human and financial resources allocated to that objective or project.
Professional specialist - has an in-depth knowledge of, and is acknowledged as an authority both by senior management and by professional peers in a field of work, professional discipline or a range of disciplines or fields. An original and continuing contribution to the field(s) or discipline(s) is an essential element of this role.
Terms used
Complex professional work denotes work which includes various tasks involving different and unrelated processes and methods. It depends on analysis of the subject, phase or issues involved in each assignment and the appropriate course of action may have to be selected from many alternatives. The work involves conditions and elements that must be identified and analysed to discern interrelationships.
Corporate impact is a measure of the effect of decisions made or advice required in a position on agency policies and operations and the achievement of program objectives. Corporate impact is direct in the case of decisions taken, e.g. in determining policy or committing resources, or indirect where advice or recommendations are involved. The effect of advice or recommendations is a measure of the influence of the advice or recommendations upon the decision-maker and the consequences for the organisation of the decision made. Recommendations of a highly technical or specialised nature, for example, may influence the work of a major function or area of an agency's operations or have an effect beyond the agency.
Critical professional work is used in the sense commonly accepted in technological areas in relation to a critical component, critical issue or critical decision. It means a cornerstone, or fundamental decision, requiring the exercise of sound professional judgement of the effects of a decision within a particular professional field.
General professional guidance refers to direction and guidance given by a senior Professional Officer on a range of professional assignments. There is discretion in selecting the most appropriate method of completing these, and conformity with directions is measured by satisfactory completion of allocated professional assignments.
General supervision refers to the supervision given by a Professional Officer or Senior Professional Officer to technical and other staff. It consists of the allocation, direction, oversight and co-ordination of the work of subordinate staff. Professional Officers may receive supervision on non-technical administrative matters from non-professional staff.
Normal professional work includes ongoing professional duties performed in accordance with conventional established professional practice, methods and standards, but excludes professional work of a novel, complex or critical nature.
Novel professional work encompasses work requiring a degree of creativity, originality, ingenuity and initiative and of a type not normally undertaken in a department or significant organisational unit within a department such as a research laboratory or regional office. The term may refer to the introduction of a new technology or process used elsewhere.
Professional judgement involves the application of professional knowledge and experience in defining objectives, solving problems, establishing guidelines, reviewing the work of others, interpreting results and providing and assessing advice or recommendations and other matters which have an element of latitude or decision making.
Professional knowledge includes knowledge of principles and techniques applicable to the occupations listed in Attachment A. It is obtained during the acquisition of professional qualifications and relevant experience.
Professional supervision refers to supervision given to subordinate Professional Officers which requires the exercise of professional judgement and consists of:
WORK LEVEL STANDARD
PROFESSIONAL OFFICER CLASS 1
Definition
Under the professional supervision of higher level Professional Officers as to method of approach and requirements, is a professional practitioner who performs normal professional work and exercises individual knowledge, skills, professional judgement and initiative in the application of professional principles, techniques and methods.
Features
This level is the professional formation phase of a Professional Officer. It includes new graduates generally lacking practical experience in the application of their professional knowledge.
The work requires initiative and professional judgement. Since experience is limited, this level is normally expected to apply only established principles, techniques and methods in early postgraduate years. With professional development, it is expected that new techniques and methods will be learnt and applied to progressively more difficult problems.
Initially work is subject to professional supervision. As experience is gained, the contribution and the level of professional judgement increases and professional supervision decreases, until a wide range of professional tasks is capable of being performed with little technical direction.
When experienced, advice and guidance may be provided to less experienced professional staff. They are not required to provide general professional guidance but may be required to provide general supervision of and/or train technical and other non-professional staff.
Staff may be required to develop and apply advanced techniques learnt during the undergraduate course or later; however, decisions to incorporate such new techniques into normal procedures would be taken at a higher level.
WORK LEVEL STANDARD
PROFESSIONAL OFFICER CLASS 2
Definition
As a professional practitioner, performs normal professional work under general professional guidance, and may perform novel, complex or critical professional work under professional supervision.
Features
Staff at this level perform normal professional work of an organisational unit, or of a specialised professional field encompassed by the work of the unit, and accept technical responsibility for these tasks.
Staff may also be expected to perform difficult or novel, complex or critical professional work under professional supervision, or normal professional work where they are isolated from immediate professional supervision, for example, because of remoteness of the functional work area. Staff at this level are expected to exercise independent professional judgement when required, particularly in recognising and solving problems and managing cases where principles, procedures, techniques and methods require expansion, adaptation or modification.
Staff may carry out research under professional supervision and may be expected to contribute to advances in the techniques used.
Work at this level may include professional supervision of Professional Officers Class 1 together with general supervision over technical and other personnel. Professional Officers at this level may also be required to guide Professional Officers Class 1 in the methods to be used, policies to be followed and standards to be observed with respect to the professional work performed by the organisational unit.
Staff may provide an advisory role up to the level of expertise.
Staff are required to understand industry problems if advice on interpretation of regulations or standards is required and to undertake associated liaison tasks.
WORK LEVEL STANDARD
SENIOR PROFESSIONAL OFFICER GRADE C
Definition
Under broad policy control and direction is a senior professional practitioner who performs novel, complex or critical professional work, or performs a limited range of the duties of professional manager or professional specialist with general professional guidance.
Features
Persons at this level are expected to have wide experience in their professional field. They perform a variety of tasks of a novel, complex or critical nature, either individually or as a leader or member of a team. Direction is provided in terms of a clear statement of overall objectives with limited direction as to work priorities.
The work includes the formulation of professional or policy advice for senior management and may involve provision of such advice to senior executives in other agencies, the private sector and the wider community. Normally there is limited corporate impact at this level as technical advice is often reviewed by higher authority.
In some circumstances persons perform the role of team/project leader requiring the co-ordination of the work of a number of professionals and/or other staff. The staff co-ordinated need not necessarily be in the same discipline as the leader. Persons at this level may oversee the operations of a section comprising professional and/or technical staff engaged in field, laboratory, clinical, production, construction or communication work.
At this level the Professional Officer may hold supervisory or management responsibilities, but for a small number of Professional Officers only.
Where a Professional Officer at this level works as a member of a team he/she should have skills and the experience necessary to perform all the tasks undertaken by the team or to have knowledge and professional judgement to seek and utilise specialist advice when it is required.
Staff may provide an advisory role up to the level of expertise.
Professional specialists require substantial or higher knowledge in a particular professional field and the exercise of independent professional judgement to resolve complex problems or issues.
WORK LEVEL STANDARD
SENIOR PROFESSIONAL OFFICER GRADE B
Definition
Under broad policy control and direction is:
Features
Persons at this level are expected to have extensive experience in their professional field and to perform a range of tasks in the absence of general professional guidance.
They work under broad direction in terms of objectives, policies and priorities. Their work has moderate corporate impact. Programs, projects, assignments or other work to be performed are generally decided by higher level management but they have authority to decide on how to achieve end results within limits of available resources. Decisions at this level have direct consequences on the achievement of results for the function or group of activities for which the person is responsible.
Persons at this level contribute directly to the formulation of agency policies for the work area. They require an understanding of the wider policy and strategic context. Technical or professional advice generally has consequences beyond the immediate work area and is normally only reviewed for policy and general approach.
A senior professional practitioner at this level operates in the absence of general professional guidance and is expected to apply significant professional knowledge and professional judgement in one or more professional disciplines or fields in relation to more novel, complex and critical professional work. The senior professional practitioner need not necessarily be supported by other professionals.
A professional manager at this level leads and directs an organisational element or team of professionals and other staff requiring considerable co-ordination, and is responsible for human, physical and financial resources under the control of the position.
The units or teams may comprise professional and other staff engaged in field, laboratory, clinical production, construction or communication work. The management role may require professional leadership and direction over subordinate staff including supervisors. This involves setting standards for and evaluating performance, interpreting policy relevant to the work area, and may involve resolving more complex "technical" or professional problems.
Professional specialists at this level exercise a high degree of independent professional judgement in the resolution of more novel, complex and critical problems or issues. They are required to provide authoritative technical or policy advice which draws on in-depth knowledge in a professional or technical field or discipline. Analysis, design and interpretation of results of research or investigations represent authoritative and final professional conclusions. An original continuing contribution to the knowledge in the relevant discipline or field and the application of that advance in knowledge to the organisation's work would be expected.
WORK LEVEL STANDARD
SENIOR PROFESSIONAL OFFICER GRADE A
SENIOR PROFESSIONAL OFFICER (ENGINEERING AND RELATED) GRADE A
Definition
Under broad policy control and direction is:
Classification of a position at the Senior Professional Officer Grade A level would require careful judgement in comparison with Senior Professional Officer Grade B positions, particularly as to the level of accountability, complexity, competencies and professional judgement required, to determine whether it carries a level of responsibility clearly beyond Senior Professional Officer Grade B work.
The classification of Senior Professional Officer (Engineering and Related) Grade A is to be used only for positions where the work requires qualifications and experience in one or more of the following occupations - Engineering, Architecture, Naval Architecture, Project Management, Quantity Surveying or Town Planning.
Features
At the Grade A level, Professional Officers, within their area of responsibility, exercise a high degree of independence in the determination of overall strategies, priorities, work standards and the allocation of resources. Judgements made at this level form the basis of advice to senior levels within a department and are often critical to the achievement of overall objectives of a departmental program or organisational unit. Work is monitored against broad objectives and has a high corporate impact.
A senior professional practitioner at this level operates in accordance with broad objectives and is expected to apply unusually significant professional knowledge and professional judgement in one or more disciplines or fields directly relevant to the work area and in relation to the most novel, complex or critical professional work.
A senior professional manager at this level leads, directs and co-ordinates a major function or work area in an agency involving a considerable variety of activities such as a Region or a Departmental activity such as a major project. Relative to other Senior Professional Officer positions, senior professional managers at this level have unusually significant responsibility for the human, physical and financial resources under their control, and the work may also include extensive co-ordination of projects involving unusually large numbers of professional and other staff engaged in field, laboratory, clinical, production, construction or communication work. They direct professional and technical staff working in different fields.
Persons at this level may also be responsible for initiating, planning and conducting research projects of considerable breadth which contribute significantly to the development of agency or government policy or are highly complex in terms of problem definition and methodology.
A senior professional specialist at this level is expected to have a depth of knowledge in his/her discipline or field of significance to the department concerned. Persons at this level often have a national reputation. There is a requirement for a high degree of originality and analytical and conceptual skills in the resolution of particularly complex "technical" or policy issues. The work requires expert knowledge in a professional or technical field or range of fields and in most cases a comprehensive knowledge of relevant legislation and policies. In some circumstances, professional specialists also have a management and/or co-ordination role. The work requires constant adaptation of existing principles to new and unusual problems and involves frequent changes in policy, program or technological requirements.
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