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

Demonstrate understanding of the various spatial and attribute data transfer formats 
SAQA US ID UNIT STANDARD TITLE
258646  Demonstrate understanding of the various spatial and attribute data transfer formats 
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  7 
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. A person who has successfully completed this unit standard will be able to work with various spatial and attribute data formats.

A person credited with this unit standard is able to:
  • Understand vector data transfer formats.
  • Understand raster data transfer formats.
  • Understand attribute data transfer formats.

    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:
  • All Unit Standards from the spatial awareness Key Working Area.
  • Basic of databases.
  • Understanding of vector data models.
  • Communication at NQF Level 5.
  • Mathematical Literacy at NQF Level 5. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD RANGE 
    Range statements are included with specific outcomes as necessary. 

    Specific Outcomes and Assessment Criteria: 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 1 
    Understand vector data transfer formats. 
    OUTCOME RANGE 
    Including but not limited to exchange formats from ESRI, GeoMedia, MapInfo, ReGIS and Autodesk. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Typical things that can go wrong when exchanging vector data are understood as well as the reasons for these. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Including but not limited to data displacement, data scaled, data mirrored, spatial reference problems.
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    Information that is needed to exchange data successfully are understood and explained in terms of vector transfer formats. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Spatial reference data, coordinate format data, vector data, Index data, attribute data.
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Data in at least three vector transfer formats can be exported and imported in terms of vector transfer formats. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    For example: DGN, ESRI MDB, MIF, MID, ESRI SHP, ESRI E00, ESRI Coverage, GeoMedia MDB, MXD, DMP, ORACLE SDO, various ASCII formats.
     

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 2 
    Understand raster data transfer formats. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    The difference between LOSSY and LOSSLESS raster formats are understood and can be explained in terms of raster transfer formats. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    The constraints of raster data formats are understood and explained in terms of raster transfer formats. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Bands, Colour models, colour depth, spatial resolution, temporal resolution, spatial reference metadata (header files).
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Different data formats are understood and data can be extracted from at least three of these. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    For example: ERS, ECW, MrSID, IMG, HDR, JPG2000, JPG, GeoTIFF, TIFF, PNG, and BMP.
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    Spatial reference header files for raster data are understood and explained in terms of raster transfer formats. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    For example WORLD files such as JGW, TFW, PGW, and BPW.
     

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 3 
    Understand attribute data transfer formats. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Different data format are understood and data can be extracted from them in terms of attribute data transfer formats. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    For example DBF and MDB.
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    The constraints of alphanumerical data formats are understood and explained in terms of attribute data transfer formats. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Key fields, uniqueness constraints, software, delimitation.
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    Various ASCII data formats are understood and data can be extracted from them. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Including but not limited to delimited and fixed format data.
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    SQL dump data formats are understood and data can be extracted from them. 


    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. 

    UNIT STANDARD DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME 
    N/A 

    UNIT STANDARD LINKAGES 
    N/A 


    Critical Cross-field Outcomes (CCFO): 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO IDENTIFYING 
    Solve problems. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO WORKING 
    Work effectively with others as a member of a team/group/organisation or community. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO ORGANISING 
    Organise and manage oneself and one's activities responsibly and effectively. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COLLECTING 
    Collect, organise and critically evaluate information. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COMMUNICATING 
    Communicate effectively using visual, mathematics and language skills in the modes of oral and written presentations. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO SCIENCE 
    Use science and technology effectively and critically (showing responsibility towards the environment and health of others). 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO DEMONSTRATING 
    Display an understanding of the world as a set of related systems. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO CONTRIBUTING 
    Contribute to the full development of each learner and the social and economic development of society at large. 

    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:

    Lossy:
  • A highly efficient compression algorithm that sacrifices an exact retention of the original data for greater compression. When using lossy raster file compression the original data are modified and some differentiation data are lost.

    Notes to Assessors:

    The intention with this Unit Standard is NOT for learners to understand the internal details of exchange formats, but rather to know which files are needed when exchanging data (SHP = SHP, SHX & DBF), what each contains (SHP contains geometry data), what is omitted by the file format (SHP omits spatial reference information), etc. 
    		•

    QUALIFICATIONS UTILISING THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
      ID QUALIFICATION TITLE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL STATUS END DATE PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QA FUNCTIONARY
    Core  63589   National Diploma: Geographical Information Science  Level 5  NQF Level 05  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered"     		 2023-06-30  CETA 


    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.
     
    1. ESRI SOUTH AFRICA 


    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.