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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED UNIT STANDARD THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE: 

Acquire Remote Sensing Imagery 
SAQA US ID UNIT STANDARD TITLE
258796  Acquire Remote Sensing Imagery 
ORIGINATOR
SGB Geographical Information Sciences 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY
-  
FIELD SUBFIELD
Field 12 - Physical Planning and Construction Physical Planning, Design and Management 
ABET BAND UNIT STANDARD TYPE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL CREDITS
Undefined  Regular  Level 6  Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6  5 
REGISTRATION STATUS REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE SAQA DECISION NUMBER
Passed the End Date -
Status was "Reregistered" 		 2018-07-01  2023-06-30  SAQA 06120/18 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2024-06-30   2027-06-30  

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.  

This unit standard does not replace any other unit standard and is not replaced by any other unit standard. 

PURPOSE OF THE UNIT STANDARD 
This unit standard has been developed for the GIS occupational area and is intended for persons who aim to achieve career advancement by gaining GIS skills leading to qualification based on unit standards.

Learners who achieve this unit standard will be able to acquire imagery for a variety of geo-science applications that will meet specific and general user requirements as well as understand and explain quantitative deductions relating to image acquisition planning, platform alternatives, influence of environmental conditions and sensor capability.

Qualifying learners will be able to:
  • Specify and acquire airborne imagery.
  • Specify and acquire spaceborne digital imagery.
  • Apply advance image interpretability rating scale (IIRS).

    Specific range statements are provided in the body of the unit standard where they apply to particular specific outcomes or assessment criteria. 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    The credit calculation is based on the assumption that learners are already competent in terms of the following outcomes or areas of learning when starting to learn towards this unit standard:
  • Basic Mathematics NQF Level 4.
  • Elementary Statistics NQF Level 4.
  • Spatial awareness contained in the unit standards for the National Diploma GISc.
  • GIS and related software contained in the unit standards for the National Diploma GISc. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD RANGE 
    N/A 

    Specific Outcomes and Assessment Criteria: 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 1 
    Specify and acquire airborne imagery. 
    OUTCOME RANGE 
    Airborne imagery refers to both film and digital imagery. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Acquisition parameters are considered to ensure cost-effective availability. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Acquisition parameters include but are not limited to:
  • Cost, availability, mode of delivery, and delivery response time.
     
    		•

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Time of image acquisition is determined to ensure optimal atmospheric conditions. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Atmospheric conditions refer top but are not limited to:
  • Cloud coverage, meteorological effects, seasonal, early morning and late afternoon.
     
    		•

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Platform parameters are determined to ensure optimal image coverage. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Platform parameters refer to but are not limited to aircraft, sensor and film types, multispectral, thermal, hyperspectral sensing, across-track scanning and along-track scanning.
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    Flight-planning parameters are determined to ensure the meeting of client requirements. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Flight-planning parameters include but are not limited to:
  • Scale, image orientation, flying altitude, focal length, ground speed, coverage, ground elevation, flight lines and over/side lap, ground control points (conventional survey or GPS).
     
    		•

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5 
    Airborne imagery is distinguished to determine organisation specific processing techniques for film and digital images. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 2 
    Specify and acquire spaceborne digital imagery. 
    OUTCOME RANGE 
    Spaceborne imagery may include but not limited to:
  • Landsat MSS, Landsat TM, SPOT 3-5, EROS, Ikonos, Quickbird, RADARSAT. 
    		•

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Acquisition parameters are considered to ensure cost-effective availability. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Acquisition parameters include but are not limited to:
  • Cost, availability, mode of delivery, and delivery response time cost, availability, mode of delivery, and delivery response time.
     
    		•

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Spatial resolution is determined in accordance with the image interpretability rating scale. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Spectral resolution is considered in to ensure client requirements are met. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    Sensor characteristics are considered to ensure that client requirements are met. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Sensor characteristics include but are not limited to:
  • Orbit parameters, viewing geometry, revisit times.
     
    		•

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 3 
    Apply advanced image interpretability rating scale (IIRS). 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    The principles of the IIRS are explained to enable classification of imagery. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    The IIRS is applied to imagery to determine image interpretability. 


    UNIT STANDARD ACCREDITATION AND MODERATION OPTIONS 
  • Anyone assessing a learner against this unit standard must be registered as an assessor with the relevant ETQA.
  • Any institution offering learning that will enable achievement of this unit standard must be accredited as a provider through the relevant ETQA by SAQA.
  • Moderation of assessment will be overseen by the relevant ETQA according to the moderation guidelines and the agreed ETQA procedures. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD ESSENTIAL EMBEDDED KNOWLEDGE 
    Essential embedded knowledge will be assessed through assessment of the specific outcomes in terms of the stipulated assessment criteria. Candidates are unlikely to achieve all the specific outcomes, to the standards described in the assessment criteria, without knowledge of the listed embedded knowledge. This means that for the most part, the possession or lack of the knowledge can be directly inferred from the quality of the candidate's performance. Where direct assessment of knowledge is required, assessment criteria have been included in the body of the unit standard.
  • Supply Chain Management.
  • Contract specifications.
  • Basic knowledge of geography.
  • Digital sensors: Whisk broom, push broom, mirror based, prism based.
  • Basic knowledge of cartography.
  • Basic understanding of school mathematics (trigonometry and geometry).
  • Basic understanding of surveying principles.
  • Basic understanding of map coordinate systems. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME 
    N/A 

    UNIT STANDARD LINKAGES 
    N/A 


    Critical Cross-field Outcomes (CCFO): 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO IDENTIFYING 
    Identifying and solving problems in which responses display that responsible decisions using critical and creative thinking have been made when:
  • Acquiring airborne imagery. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO WORKING 
    Working effectively with others as a member of a team, group, organisation, and community during:
  • Determining time of image acquisition to ensure optimal atmospheric conditions. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO ORGANISING 
    Organising and managing oneself and one`s activities responsibly and effectively when:
  • Acquiring digital imagery. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO SCIENCE 
    Using science and technology effectively and critically, showing responsibility towards the environment and health of others when:
  • Spatial resolution is determined in accordance with the image interpretability rating scale. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO DEMONSTRATING 
    Demonstrating an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation when:
  • Administering the image acquisition process. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD ASSESSOR CRITERIA 
    N/A 

    REREGISTRATION HISTORY 
    As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this unit standard was Reregistered in 2012; 2015. 

    UNIT STANDARD NOTES 
    Terminology:

    Definitions:

    IIRS:
  • Image Interpretability Rating Scale.

    SPOT:
  • Satellite Pour L` Observation de la Terre.

    Notes to Assessors:
  • Focus the assessment activities on gathering evidence in terms of the main outcome expressed in the title to ensure assessment is integrated rather than fragmented. Remember we want to declare the person competent in terms of the title. Where assessments at title level are unmanageable and then focus assessment around each specific outcome, or groups of specific outcomes.
  • Make sure evidence is gathered across the entire range, wherever it applies. Assessment activities should be as close to the real performance as possible, and where simulations or role-plays are used, there should be supporting evidence to show the candidate is able to perform in the real situation.
  • Do not focus the assessment activities on each assessment criterion. Rather make sure the assessment activities focus on outcomes and are sufficient to enable evidence to be gathered around all the assessment criteria.
  • The assessment criteria provide the specifications against which assessment judgments should be made. In most cases, knowledge can be inferred from the quality of the performances, but in other cases, knowledge and understanding will have to be tested through questioning techniques. Where this is required, there will be assessment criteria to specify the standard required.
  • The task of the assessor is to gather sufficient evidence, of the prescribed type and quality, as specified in this unit standard, that the candidate can achieve the outcomes again and again and again. This means assessors will have to judge how many repeat performances are required before they believe the performance is reproducible.
  • All assessments should be conducted in line with the following well documented principles of assessment: Appropriateness, fairness, manageability, integration into work or learning, validity, direct, authentic, sufficient, systematic, open and consistent. 
    		•

    QUALIFICATIONS UTILISING THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
      ID QUALIFICATION TITLE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL STATUS END DATE PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QA FUNCTIONARY
    Core  63711   Bachelor of Geographical Information Science (GISc)  Level 7  NQF Level 07  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered"     		 2018-06-30   


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
    This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.
     
    NONE 


    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.