MARD004 — Manage business and administration on vessels limited by tonnage or near coastal operations

1 Develop plans for general and specific vessel operations

• 1.1Vessel operation goals and objectives are identified according to company procedures, operational orders, regulatory requirements and established marine management practices
• 1.2General and specific vessel operations plans are drawn up according to company procedures
• 1.3Correct procedures for emergency response onboard a vessel are developed according to company procedures, operational orders, regulatory requirements and established marine management practices
• 1.4Appropriate validation measures and standards are devised to monitor progress of operations against plans, and appropriate contingency plans are developed for any discrepancies or variations that may occur during operations
• 1.5Service procedures and systems improvement opportunities are identified and appropriate measures are taken to act on these opportunities according to company procedures and established marine management practices
• 1.6Plans, goals, objectives and instructions for general and specific vessel operations and emergency and contingency procedures are distributed to relevant personnel according to company procedures and established marine management practices

2 Ensure legal requirements are fulfilled

• 2.1Legal basis under which a commercial vessel operates is interpreted and followed, and ship Master safety, legal and commercial obligations are identified and carried out in a relevant range of operational circumstances
• 2.2National and international conventions, laws and regulations pertaining to vessel operations and contingencies are implemented
• 2.3Entries are made into vessel logbooks, as required, and carriage of all required vessel certification is confirmed and ensured
• 2.4Appropriate arrangements are made for preparing vessel for statutory survey and certification
• 2.5Relevant code of conduct and industrial agreements are applied to vessel operations and management, and ship Master responsibilities as they relate to crew health and safety are implemented
• 2.6Vessel security procedures are consistent with International Maritime Organization (IMO) International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code
• 2.7Procedures and requirements relating to state/territory port control are implemented
• 2.8Procedures and requirements relating to customs, quarantine and immigration clearances are implemented

3 Ensure commercial and business requirements are fulfilled

• 3.1Contracts of carriage and bills of lading under which vessel owners and cargo owners operate are interpreted and adhered to according to company procedures, legal requirements and established marine management practices
• 3.2Commercial and legal aspects of general average, salvage and towage are identified, interpreted and implemented according to company procedures, legal requirements and established marine management practices
• 3.3Commercial and legal aspects of marine hull and cargo insurance are identified, interpreted and implemented according to company procedures, legal requirements and established marine management practices
• 3.4Accident and incident investigation processes are identified and implemented according to company procedures, legal requirements and established marine management practices

4 Monitor and control vessel expenditure

• 4.1Accrual accounting procedures are correctly used to monitor and control vessel expenditure and, where relevant, vessel budget is prepared according to established vessel financial procedures and established accounting practices, with relevance to commercial market in which a vessel operates
• 4.2Plans and appropriate contingency procedures are developed to correct any variation from vessel budget and identified expenditure, and records are maintained according to established vessel financial procedures and established accounting practices
• 4.3Appropriate action is taken when expenditure varies from vessel budget according to contingency plans, company procedures and established accounting practices

5 Develop and implement vessel SMS

• 5.1Vessel SMS is developed according to relevant maritime regulations and company procedures
• 5.2SMS safety procedures and related documentation are developed in collaboration with relevant vessel personnel
• 5.3SMS documentation structure and content are maintained according to requirements, and appropriate action is taken to ensure correct procedures are followed to obtain a safety management certificate according to maritime regulatory requirements
• 5.4Appropriate measures are taken to ensure all personnel onboard vessel are familiar with SMS documentation, that familiarisation arrangements for new crew members are carried out, and that all personnel apply SMS procedures relevant to their functions

6 Monitor and control vessel physical resources

• 6.1Vessel inventory of plant, equipment and other physical resources is maintained according to company procedures, vessel survey requirements and established marine management practices
• 6.2Reports on status of vessel physical resources are prepared and submitted to relevant personnel within company and regulatory authority requirements according to company procedures, vessel survey requirements and established practices

7 Analyse and compile operational and voyage data

• 7.1Operational and voyage data is collected and compiled according to company practices, regulatory requirements and established marine management practices
• 7.2Voyage report is prepared and validated according to company procedures, vessel survey requirements and established marine management practices
• 7.3Voyage report is submitted to designated personnel according to company procedures, vessel survey requirements and established practices

8 Provide leadership to officers and crew

• 8.1Feedback and support are provided to crew on achievements and performance in their day-to-day work
• 8.2Crew are treated fairly, equitably, effectively and honestly in matters related to their day-to-day work
• 8.3Appropriate action is taken to prevent harassment and, where it has occurred, harassment is dealt with promptly, effectively and fairly
• 8.4Crew suggestions for work improvements are listened to, acted upon and credit for achievements is shared with crew
• 8.5Good example is provided of a responsible, fair, sympathetic, equitable and diligent member of shipboard team

9 Allocate duties and maintain set standards of work onboard vessel

• 9.1Work requirements and crew competencies required for work duties are identified and clarified
• 9.2Crew member competencies are assessed and confirmed, and duties are assigned to crew according to crew competencies and capabilities
• 9.3Competency deficiencies in personnel are identified and remedial action is initiated through counselling and training
• 9.4Crew members are advised of rostered duties and required performance standards are set in conjunction with crew members according to company procedures
• 9.5Crew members are motivated to achieve set standards of work performance using appropriate methods
• 9.6Performance of crew members is monitored, as required, using appropriate methods according to company procedures
• 9.7Performance assessments are discussed with relevant crew members and agreement is reached on appropriate action to be taken where performance is below set standards

10 Resolve conflict

• 10.1Conflict situations are recognised and issues are clarified with personnel involved
• 10.2Solutions to conflict are negotiated using appropriate mediation and conflict resolution techniques

11 Plan, organise, promote and evaluate shipboard training and assessment

• 11.1Workplace trainer and assessor requirements are identified and appropriate staff are trained and assigned, as required
• 11.2Work-related training opportunities are planned and organised for crew according to identified needs and company policy
• 11.3Shipboard drills are organised according to regulations and company procedures
• 11.4Assessment of crew members during and after training activities and shipboard drills is carried out to confirm required competencies and related knowledge have been acquired
• 11.5Crew members are debriefed after training, drill and assessment activities using appropriate methods and efficacy of training, drill and assessment activities is evaluated based on feedback from participating crew members and other relevant evidence
• 11.6Outcomes of evaluations of training and assessment are discussed with trainers and assessors, and appropriate action is taken to make required improvements
• 11.7Reports on training and assessment are evaluated and resultant action is maintained and/or entered into vessel log, as required

What does an assessment tool for MARD004 need to cover?

To satisfy the Principles of Assessment and Rules of Evidence, an assessment for MARD004 needs to address all 99 unit components: 11 elements with 51 performance criteria, 24 performance evidence requirements, 24 knowledge evidence requirements, and the foundation skills. A coverage matrix mapping each question and task to these components is what an auditor looks for.

How does Auditori generate an assessment tool for MARD004?

Auditori pulls the current release of MARD004 from training.gov.au and generates a complete package: candidate assessment, assessor guide with model answers and observation criteria, and a coverage matrix mapping every component. A suitably qualified person then reviews and approves the draft in a built-in workflow — consistent with ASQA's guidance on AI use in VET — before export as branded PDF and editable Word.

Is the first assessment tool really free?

Yes. Every new account includes one free credit — enough to generate the complete assessment tool for MARD004 — with no card and no subscription required. After that it's pay-as-you-go per unit.

Can I check my existing MARD004 assessment instead of generating a new one?

Yes — upload your existing assessment or learner guide and Auditori maps it against every element, performance criterion, PE and KE of MARD004, showing exactly what's covered and what's missing. Mapping costs a quarter of a credit.