In recent times people management specialists have sought to distance themselves from administrative activity, re-positioning our function as one focused on strategic activity which ‘adds value`.

Introduction

Your knowledge and understanding of the material covered in this core unit will be assessed though your answers to four of the questions listed below. Your assessor will let you know which questions you are to answer. You are expected to complete all the learning for the unit, irrespective of which questions you are asked to answer.

The four questions will be drawn from different learning outcomes, featuring one assessment criterion in each learning outcome. These questions encompass a wide range of generalist HR, OD & L&D subject areas.

You will write four answers of approximately 1000 words to the questions posed and submit them together in a single document. This constitutes your assessment for this unit. The total word count for the assessment will therefore be 4000 words, plus or minus 10%. The bibliography or list of references is not included in the total word count.

You must demonstrate within the submitted evidence (through headings and sub-headings) which learning outcomes and assessment criteria you have addressed. We are unable to moderate your work if this is not included.

As this is an Advanced Level Diploma, it is important that you are able to demonstrate not only good knowledge and understanding of the material associated with each learning outcome, but also the ability to develop an original argument and justify it persuasively with reference to wider reading. Examples of approaches taken in a range of organisations are also an effective means by which to justify your arguments. 

The six main criteria that CIPD requires centres to use when marking your assessment are outlined below, but it maybe that not all these criteria are present in every question. 

(1)  focus

(2)  depth and breadth of understanding

(3)  strategic application and professional advice

(4)  research and wider reading

(5)  persuasiveness and originality

(6)  presentation and language

Assessment questions 

Question 1 (AC 1.1)

In recent times people management specialists have sought to distance themselves from administrative activity, re-positioning our function as one focused on strategic activity which ‘adds value`. To what extent do you agree with the view that this is a mistake? Justify your answer and include an explanation of the major objectives of people management practice in contemporary organisations.

Question 2 (AC 1.2)

Evaluate your own organisation`s capacity to align people management practices with its overall business strategy. In what ways do people management practices directly support the achievement of organisational objectives? Recommend one change which might help achieve better vertical integration. Justify your answer.

Question 3 (AC 1.3)

You are asked to make a presentation to the senior management team in your organisation which examines `resource-based approaches to the development of people management strategy`. Explain the underpinning theory and provide one recommendation about how it might help improve your organisation`s long-term success. What key points would you make? Justify your answer 

N.B. You are not required to provide a presentation for this assessment. You should write an essay style narrative that answers the question. 

Question 4 (AC 1.4)

Critically evaluate evidence to demonstrate that the introduction of `high performance work practices` in the field of people management will lead to sustained organisational success across all industrial sectors. Justify your answer with reference to leading published studies.

Question 5 (AC 2.1)

Assess to what extent established approaches to succession planning are elitist in character and inappropriate for use by organisations committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. How can they be reformed to make them more inclusive? Justify your answer.

Question 6 (AC 2.2)

With reference to your organisation’s record in the field of employee retention, evaluate current developments in employee retention. Put forward two distinct recommendations for measures that might reduce levels of unwanted employee turnover in your organisation. Justify your choice.

Evaluate the development of asynchronous e-learning considering whether this will dominate the practice of delivering training in organisational settings in the future making classroom-based approaches rare. Justify your answer with reference to published research.

Question 8 (AC 2.4)

Evaluate the view of the critics of `promoting employee engagement` who see it simply as another in a long line of people management practices which intensify work, benefit employers more than employees and generally lead to stress and burn-out over a period of time. Justify your answer.

Question 9 (AC 3.1)

"The extent to which it is either practical or desirable to outsource people management activities to commercial, external providers is very limited." Examine this point of view with reference to your reading and your own experience or observations.

Question 10 (AC 3.2)

You are asked to make a short presentation at a local CIPD branch meeting about how people managers can best carry out an audit focussing on how ethical the practices within their function are. Critically assess the nature of ethics and professionalism in people practice to underpin the key points you make. 

N.B. You are not required to provide a presentation for this assessment. You should write an essay style narrative that answers the question.

Question 11 (AC 3.3)

Examine the major ways in which technology is changing the people management function in organisations. How far do you agree that the advent of generative artificial intelligence will bring about much more change in the future? Justify your answer.

Question 12 (AC 3.4)

Critically assess the use of online questionnaire surveys as a method of establishing how effectively people management is being carried out in organisations and how satisfied staff are in their roles. What are the major potential advantages and disadvantages of the approach?

Justify your answer.

You are asked to make a 15-minute presentation to your senior management team which analyses how your organisation might partner formally with major customers or customer groups to evaluate and improve the performance of the people who you employ. What major points would you make? Justify your answer.

N.B. You are not required to provide a presentation for this assessment. You should write an essay style narrative that answers the question.

Question 14 (AC 4.2)

You work for a public sector organisation. A senior manager from a large, commercial private sector organisation has been hired to undertake an important project-based people management role. You are asked to prepare a short training session as part of their induction which examines the major ways in which people management in your organisation varies from that typically found in larger private sector organisations. What key points would you make? Justify your answer.

N.B. You are not required to provide a training session for this assessment. You should write an essay style narrative that answers the question. 

Question 15 (AC 4.3)

Drawing on examples and published research, assess why the effective management of expatriate staff can be challenging and often leads to disappointing outcomes in practice. What one major recommendation would you make to an organisation that was about to expatriate a senior manager to work in an overseas subsidiary for the first time? Justify your answer. 

Question 16 (AC 4.4)

In 2023 the CIPD published the results of a major survey looking at the challenges associated with working while going through menopause. Demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of developments in this area by critically analysing your own organisation`s record of supporting women going through the menopause. What three distinct recommendations would you make that would serve to improve this? Justify your answer.

Marking Grid

The student will receive a Pass, Merit, Distinction or Refer/Fail result at unit level. Assessors must provide a mark from 1 to 4 for each Learning Outcome in the unit.

To pass the unit assessment the student must achieve a 2 (Pass) or above for each of the learning outcomes.

The overall mark achieved will dictate the grade the student receives for the unit, provided NONE

of the learning outcomes have been failed or referred.

The student results should be recorded in a marking grid similar to the example below.

Marking grid: