Description of the Assessments

Component 1

You will submit an individual report (4,000-5,000 words, +/-10%) which is the culmination of a consultancy project with suggestions for action. You must justify your approach to the management of the project and data collection and take into account corporate accountability, ethics and professionalism and any organisational constraints in developing your conclusions and recommendations.  Assesses all learning outcomes.

 Component 2

You will present the outcomes of the report in a presentation for the organisation. The presentation is expected to be face-to-face.  The presentation will last ten minutes plus up to five minutes for questions and should ‘sell’ the solution to the issue, with justification and plans on evaluating impact. Your presentation should concentrate on the solution to the problem and the details of the recommended project, with reference to justification (but this will not be the main thrust of the presentation). Your presentation will include a section on the expected impact of the project and how this will be evaluated. The presentation in this module should complement (not just repeat) your report and should be a ‘call to action’ for your client company.  They need to understand what they can do to follow your plan after watching your presentation.

 

 

Component 3

This is an online assessment. There is no rubric or assessment criteria required – it is a self-awareness reflection. Once completed, it needs to be submitted via Turnitin. Feedback will be given by the module team. The reflection link will be launched, via Course Resources in Early November to coincide with the Employability schedule.

Assessment Content

Component 1

Proposed template for the report (but you must make your report specific to your case study organisation and your findings):

Title Page – make this title specific to the project you are recommending – do not use the module title.  For example, a report could be called ‘A Project Proposal for an Effective Social Media Campaign for Quad Derby’.

Executive Summary – it is common for students to just write this as an introduction.  An Executive Summary should be able to stand instead of the whole report, and as the name suggests, it should summarise each section of the report, including the findings/conclusions drawn in each section.

Contents Page – in Word, you could use the ‘Table of Contents’ tool in ‘References’ (check your version of Word).  Or have a look at the contents page of another report or of a book to give you an idea of how this should look.  Section and sub-section titles should be aligned to the left, and page numbers to the right.  Make sure that you list ‘Appendices’ as a section, and that you list each appendix with a number and a title.

Introduction (to report) – outline the content of the report.  Here you are telling the reader what they can expect you to cover in the report.

Situational Analysis​ of Case Study Organisation showing appropriate, logical analysis of secondary research.  You should use at least two models to analyse the secondary data and we advise you to summarise your findings in a SWOT and/or a TOWS.  Your secondary research will come from market information, media reports, industry reports, and academic articles, as well as the case study organisation’s presentations and Q & As.

Your Situational Analysis should end with a clear Problem​ Identification.  This should not be new information but should come from your situational analysis and should be an assessment of the key, important issues facing the case study organisation.

You must include your findings from your Primary Data Collection in your report.  It could contribute to the Situational Analysis and therefore your Problem Identification.  It should complement your secondary research to draw out key findings and problems that the organisation must face, based on (for example) customer or stakeholder views/input. You will work with your seminar tutor and your group to identify areas for primary data collection.

Possibilities (Options)​ that could be project solutions to the problem/s you have identified.  This section allows you to show your awareness that there are several possible approaches to solve problems.  This section would include an assessment of the various approaches and draw a conclusion as to the appropriate approach.  Students should choose an appropriate model/theory (CBA, Business Case, SAF) to assess the options to show logical justification for the chosen option.  This section could also include the findings from your Primary Data Collection, showing how it contributed to the selection of the appropriate project.  

Specific Project – Here give DETAILS of the overall project, with aim and objectives and a detailed plan of action.  For the detailed plan you could use a Gantt chart that incorporates tasks, timing, costs and human resource allocation.  Or you can use the individual tools of the WBS, CPA, RAM or RACI, and budget.  It’s up to you to make it very clear to the case study organisation what they need to do to achieve the project you have defined.  This section also needs a risk assessment and stakeholder analysis.  This section should be underpinned by project management literature, explaining the importance of a detailed project plan.

Conclusion (to report) – summarise what the report has included.

Reference List

Appendices (list each appendix with number and title in the Contents Page)

             

Marks will be allocated in the following way and a rubric will be used in the marking.

 

Section	Weighting	Approx. wordcount
Introduction	5%	250
Situational Analysis and Problem Identification	20%	1000
Primary Data Collection	15%	N/A – included in either the Situational Analysis or the Possibilities sections.
Possibilities (Options)	20%	1000
Specific Project and Detailed Plan of Action	25%	1250-1500
Conclusion	5%	250
Presentation	10%	Flow, style, structure, spelling and grammar, accurate reference list and use of citations, appropriate use and presentation of appendices, appropriate contents page, title.

 

·        The words in your Title Page, Executive Summary, Contents Page, Appendices, citations, Headings, Reference List and Glossary (optional) are not counted towards your total. 

·        You have 10% leeway either way with the total 4000-5000 wordcount, which means that your report could indeed be 3600 – 5500 words long.

·        Diagrams, charts and tables are regarded as equivalent to the number of words otherwise occupying that space (therefore a one-page diagram, chart or table is c. 300 words, a half-page c.150 words).

·        You should think carefully about what to put in your main report and in the appendices.  Supporting information can go in the appendices (plans, charts, transcripts, coded transcript, diagrams) but you will want to draw key points out into the main text, not simply refer to the appendices.  Please do NOT put transcripts of primary data collection interviews in the appendices of your report, this would not be in keeping with the promises made to participants around data collection.  Instead, all raw data should be analysed and only the resultant findings summarised in the appendices/main text of the report.

 

Component 2

An example template for your presentation is as follows, but you MUST design it to relate to your own work and your own project:

• Title Slide
• Introduction – what is the content of the presentation – what can your audience expect?
• The Project/Solution – what are you recommending the case study organisation do?
• Justification – why are you recommending the case study organisation follow your recommended project – here you should bring out the key issues of your secondary research and some key findings from your primary data collection.
• Detailed Project Plan – details – talk through the Gantt chart, risk analysis and management plan, stakeholder analysis and management plan, costs.
• Impact and Evaluation – how will the organisation be able to measure that the project has been successful?
• Conclusion – what have you covered, end on a clear ‘call to action’.
• Q & A

Marks will be allocated in the following way and a rubric will be used in the marking.  

Section	Weighting
Delivery commitment/enthusiasm verbal communication – voice, pace, clarity, pitch style / format personal appearance (criterion removed if online delivery) non-verbal/body language  (criterion removed if online delivery)	20%
Structure strong introduction overall flow/timing clear sections strong conclusion with call to action	20%
Supporting Material For example: visual aids printed matter plans	10%
Content interesting appropriate clarity of key points rationale/reasoning coherent/convincing arguments sound evidence	30%
Primary Data Collection the approach to primary data collection is clearly explained, and findings are summarised.	10%
Response to Questions ability to handle questions quality of answers general knowledge	10%

 

Component 3

 

This is an online assessment. Once completed, it needs to be submitted via Turnitin.