National Occupational Standards
- Element 13.1 - Ensure consistency and accuracy
within a technical publication
- Element 13.2 - Ensure compliance with regulatory
requirements
- Element 13.3 - Recommend improvements to a
technical publication
This unit describes the competence required from technical communicators
when editing a technical publication. Technical communicators have to ensure
consistency and accuracy in a technical publication, and they need to check
all the components are in the correct place. They have to highlight any problems
and propose improvements. Technical communicators also have to ensure the
technical publication complies with all regulatory requirements that are relevant.
They will need to highlight any non-compliance, obtain reasons for it, and
propose amendments. Finally, technical communicators have to recommend improvements
to a technical publication, and identify the resources required to implement
those improvements.
Evidence Requirements
Evidence of performance and knowledge is required. Evidence of performance
should be demonstrated by activities and outcomes, and should be generated
during the course of normal activities, unless indicated under Assessment
Methods (see below). Evidence of knowledge can be demonstrated through performance
or by responding to questions. A variety of assessment methods can be used
(see below).
Quantity and scope of evidence:
Evidence should show that the candidate can undertake this unit consistently
over a suitable period. The number of times, or the amount of experience,
cannot be specified in detail. However, it is important that the candidate
provides performance evidence of having undertaken this unit a minimum of
two times. Further guidance will be developed during the implementation of
the qualifications.
Assessment methods:
A number of assessment methods are listed below. The ticks and crosses indicate
which methods are or are not recommended. However, these are recommendations,
and this is not a list of sanctioned or prohibited methods: it is up to individual
assessors to determine which assessment methods are suitable in individual
cases. In addition, other assessment methods might be appropriate. Further
guidance will be developed during the implementation of the qualifications.
Recommended Assessment Methods |
|
|
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direct observation of the candidate by the assessor |
x |
outputs (eg publications) produced by the candidate in their normal activities |
√ |
outputs (eg publications) produced by the candidate as special exercises |
√ |
supporting documents (eg memos, notes, correspondence) |
√ |
responses to questions from the assessor |
√ |
written answers to questions |
√ |
testimony of others who have witnessed the candidate achieving the standards |
√ |
Evidence Guidance
Examples of Evidence:
- Direct evidence
- Completed technical publication
- Designs
- Drafts of the technical publication
- Edited versions of technical publications
- Notes on the designs
- Organisational records
- Quality assurance records
- Recommendations
- Supplementary evidence
- Correspondence, memos, faxes, and e-mail
- Regulations
- Technical specifications
Key words in this unit that can be found in the glossary:
- client
- components of the technical publication
- information
- people
- resources
- technical publication
You must be able to:
- Obtain the correct version of the technical publication
- Identify any critical aspects that require special attention
- Ensure all the components of the technical publication are contained and
placed in the correct position
- Confirm the validity of previous quality assurance measures
- Highlight correctly any inconsistencies and inaccuracies
- Propose improvements to remove any inconsistencies and inaccuracies
You must be able to apply knowledge of:
- Components of the technical publication
- which components could be used
- how the different components should relate to each other
- how the components should be structured within a technical publication
- Quality assurance measures
- what types of quality assurance measure could be undertaken
- what are the methods for confirming the validity of previous quality
assurance measures
- what are the typical reasons for any inconsistencies and inaccuracies
- what are the methods for highlighting any inconsistencies and inaccuracies
- what are the methods for correcting any inconsistencies and inaccuracies
You must be able to:
- Identify the regulatory requirements that are relevant to the technical
publication
- Review the technical publication to identify whether it complies with
regulatory requirements
- Highlight correctly any non-compliance with regulatory requirements
- Highlight correctly any non-compliance with legislation and ownership
rights
- Highlight correctly any non-compliance with health and safety requirements
- Ensure people's work is acknowledged correctly
- Obtain clarification of the reasons for any non-compliance with regulatory
requirements
- Propose amendments to the technical publication to remove non-compliance
- Provide versions of the edited technical publication to the relevant people
according to the agreed time scale
You must be able to apply knowledge of:
- Regulatory requirements
- what are the regulatory bodies that are relevant to the industry
- which regulations are normally relevant to the technical publication
- what are the health and safety requirements that are relevant
- Compliance with regulatory requirements
- what are the indications that the regulatory requirements might be
infringed
- what are the methods for highlighting non-compliance with regulatory
requirements
- what are the possible reasons for non-compliance with regulatory requirements
- who requires versions of the edited technical publication
- Legislation and ownership rights
- what is the relevant legislation relating to using materials and data
- what are the rights of owners of materials
- where to obtain information on licensing agreements
- where to obtain information on copyright, patents, and trademarks
- why it is important to respect the ownership rights
- why it is important to acknowledge the work of other people
You must be able to:
- Identify any aspects of the technical publication that could be improved
- Identify the most appropriate methods for improving the technical publication
- Identify the resources required to implement the improvements
- Present a clear rationale for the improvements and support it with suitable
evidence
- Obtain feedback on the recommendations
You must be able to apply knowledge of:
- Recommendations
- how to present recommendations to different types of client
- how much information is required by different types of client
- how to obtain feedback on the results of the recommendations
- Improvements
- what are the different methods for improving a technical publication
- what resources are required to implement improvements
- what type of evidence is needed to support any recommendations for
improvements
© Crown Copyright, 1999,
© Publishing Training Centre, 1999,
© ISTC, The Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators, 1999 |
