Employability & Internal Consultancy

(U17180)
Student’s Study Guide

Semester 1 & 2,
Academic Year 2010/2011
Level 2

Unit Coordinator: Nick Capon

Department:
Strategy and Business Systems
 Student’s Study Guide

Table of Contents
Table of Contents ................................................................................. 1
1 Introduction ........................................................................................ 2
2 Learning Outcomes............................................................................... 2
3 Teaching and Learning Process .............................................................. 3
4 Syllabus Outline ................................................................................... 3
5 Learning Resources .............................................................................. 4
6 Assessment ......................................................................................... 5
6.1 Careers Coursework Portfolio ........................................................... 5
6.2 Consultancy Team Plan ................................................................... 5
6.3 Consultancy Team Report and Presentation ....................................... 6
6.4 Individual Report ........................................................................... 6
6.5 Unit Referencing ............................................................................ 7
6.6 Marking Criteria: ............................................................................ 7
6.7 Assessment Schedule ..................................................................... 8
6.8 What happens if you fail the assessment? ......................................... 8
7 Indicative Reading ................................................................................ 9
8 Scheme of Work................................................................................. 10
8.1 Timetable .................................................................................... 10
9 Action Plan at your Organisation .......................................................... 13
10 Marking Forms ................................................................................ 14

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1 Introduction
Welcome to the Employability & Internal Consultancy Unit. This is a 20 credit
Unit at Level 2 and runs for both Semester 1 and 2.

The Aims of this unit are:

 To develop knowledge, understanding, competencies and attitudes

relevant to business through the identification and completion of an
appropriate work based consultancy project.

 To evaluate alternative problem solving methods appropriate to achieving

an internal consultancy role in a company

 To reflect on personal strengths and appropriate career planning to use

these strengths.

This course unit demands a great deal of commitment from students to manage
their own learning, as it is delivered in quite a different format from the “taught”
lecture /seminar method that you may have been used to. Therefore, please do
spend time reading this document and familiarising yourself with what is
expected, and raise any questions that you might have with your course tutors.

The Unit Coordinator is Nick Capon, his email address is nick.capon@port.ac.uk

Assisting him is Trevor Andrews and you can email him at

trevor.andrews@port.ac.uk

Trevor is a part-time Senior Lecturer and Business Coach. You are welcome to
log in (free) and follow his blog and use the resources of his coaching website
(www.mantra.org.uk) and you can follow him on http://twitter.com/MantraUK or
you can Text or call him on 07763 305733.

2 Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students should be able, at threshold level,
to:

1. Take full responsibility for agreeing, planning and resourcing a workplace

project aimed at contributing to the development of a business.
2. Classify, analyse and develop project related data and propose suitable
solutions.
3. Demonstrate ability to communicate recommendations in an appropriate
and effective manner.
4. Critically appraise the scope of tasks as they develop and reflect on their
own performance against appropriate criteria.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the expectations of employers in the
context of career decision making.
6. Identify those skills and attitudes you may need to develop further in
order to achieve personal career goals.

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7. Understand how organisations work and make decisions

8. Demonstrate an awareness of the ethical and legal requirements of
different professions and organisations
9. Research and understand the labour market taking into account of the
impact of globalisation and a student‟s own personal career goals.

3 Teaching and Learning Process

This unit is a 20-credit unit, over two semesters. The classes are run as a one
hour seminar every week, plus one hour that is either a lecture, or online
exercises, or problem solving at a local company. Regular attendance is
compulsory.

Lectures will provide the underpinning knowledge for learning outcomes 1-4. A
presentation by an employment agency, independent web based materials, a
computer guidance programme and occupational database will support learning
outcomes 5 and 6. All outcomes are supported by case study examples in
seminars and action based learning in a local organisation.

Method of learning
Initial self assessment will identify what future career may be best suited for you.
Lectures and reading will provide consultancy skills, which you will then practice
for real in a local organisation in small teams. At the end you will reflect what
new you have you learned about your strengths and work opportunities, and
whether this alters your mind on what now seems a sensible future career path
for you.

The unit co-ordinator will identify appropriate companies, with support from the
Careers and Employment Service and local recruitment agencies, and will visit
them to ensure an appropriate project, health and safety, and supervision will be
available for students.

The unit co-ordinator will agree to a brief for each project with the employer. An
initial lecture will agree allocation of projects and provide formal input on
expectations and support available.

Tutorials will provide milestone checks of progress through each project,

together with email and telephone support. An initial tutorial for each team will
be at the company premises. Final lectures will involve student presentations of
outcomes and whole class discussion of learning achieved.

Scheduled activities (hours)

Notional study hours, 200
Scheduled activities: Lectures, 10: Tutorials, 22: Independent learning using
computer aided learning package (ILCIMS), 4: Company visits: 8.
Unit coordinator sources company projects and provides email and telephone
support: 24 hours to the class as a whole.

4 Syllabus Outline

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Employability, using ILCIMS module:

1. Self awareness – career planning, skills profiling, Prospects Planner
computer aided guidance programme.
2. Opportunity awareness – exploring career resources.
3. Decision learning – career planning of future career goals.
4. Transition learning – targeted application forms, CV writing, presentations,
an interactive interview
Introduction to internal consultancy:
5. Building trust – relationship skills, employer expectations (visiting
speaker).
6. Business strategy – selecting priorities based upon evidence from
customers and competitors, and internal resources,
7. Root cause analysis and problem solving skills – diagnostic tools including
value analysis, force field analysis, evaluation frameworks and solution
innovation
8. Selling your recommendations – preparing a business case, including bid
proposals and investment appraisal, motivation and negotiation,
presentation and communication.
9. Facilitation skills in achieving change – leading and organisation, control
and measurement.
Consultancy assignment:
10. Students are required to work as a team to contribute to the development
of a local organisation, to the satisfaction of the owner/manager. A typical
process will involve:
a) work as part of a small team
b) explore a problem defined by a local organisation and specify in
agreement with the employer a realistic contribution to its solution that
is possible in the timescale available
c) identify the resources required and allocate roles within the team
according to competence
d) research, analysis and evaluation of existing and new information
relating to an appropriate solution
e) identify and apply appropriate learning from the degree course
f) present results to employer in a professional manner
g) critical evaluation of actions and their effectiveness
h) reflect on the effectiveness of their contribution and the application of
business methods.
11. Students will be required to consult the Unit Co-ordinator on the framing
and development of their work-based learning project.
12. Reading will depend on the projects undertaken, and will reinforce learning
from both this and previous taught units.

5 Learning Resources
The learning resources available to you are as broad as we can make them:

 The Internet
 The Library for books, journals and databases
 Newspapers and other forms of quality journalism (e.g. the Economist)
 Trade journals and reports
 Government publications and bodies

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 Experts…people who are knowledgeable and can guide you in a particular

topic area

6 Assessment
As you might imagine, the assessment for this unit has elements that will be
unfamiliar to you but it is 100% coursework.

There are four pieces of assessment:

1. Careers Coursework Portfolio (30%)

2. Consultancy Team Plan (20%)
3. Consultancy Team Report and Presentation (30%)
4. Individual Report (20%)

6.1 Careers Coursework Portfolio

This is the first assessment and is targeted at obtaining a placement job offer or
graduate level holiday work experience. This coursework portfolio comprises:

a. A Job Study of your chosen career, based upon self assessment and
opportunity awareness (500 words maximum)
b. A future career plan, based upon research in the careers office (500
words maximum).
c. Self assessment tests (Appendix)
d. An application form based upon critique of others CVs (Appendix)

The requirements, and the assessment criteria, are described in the Victory
website for this unit in „Assignments‟ and „Marking Schemes‟.

The course handbook portfolio of working notes provided in the Victory site for
this unit is a means to an end, it should not be handed in nor is it assessed. The
coursework above must be handed in together at the end of week 6 of semester
1. (30% marks; LO 5,6)

6.2 Consultancy Team Plan

The second assessment is a Consultancy Plan produced by your team that shows
the scope of work agreed with and signed by a client organisation. The Plan must
follow the basic layout of the Project Initiation Document (PID) (session 3,
semester 2) plus the following additional sections of: an understanding of
competitive strategy of the organisation (SWOT), evidence justifying choice of
problem to be solved (P/I or rich picture), feasibility summary of potential
alternative solutions to help the organisation (Feasibility matrix), academic
theory that will be used in conducting your agreed plan, a plan for
communicating your solutions to the client (Communications plan) and an Ethics
checklist (which can be found in Assignment materials 7 in the Victory website).

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To be submitted end week 3 of semester 2. (20% marks; LO 2)

6.3 Consultancy Team Report and Presentation

The third assessment is a Team Report and Presentation (10 minutes per team)
on the results achieved. The Group presentation will include a handout of key
points and demonstration of teamwork and communication skills. Group report
will be in the format of a business report to the client of 700 words plus diagrams
and appendices, explaining actions taken to implement the PID and the
outcomes so far. Appendices will include a variety of evidence, depending upon
the kind of work undertaken. The report will include as a minimum what you did,
the problem solving methods used, and an evaluation of the effectiveness of the
project to date as perceived by both the students and the client, ideally including
a letter of thanks from the client. Due in end semester 2. (30% marks; LO 1,3)

6.4 Individual Report

The fourth and final assessment is an Individual essay of 800 words that will be a
reflective review of learning achieved. As a minimum this will include a report of
individual contribution made, a critical evaluation of the academic theory used,
and self reflection of learning achieved including what more you have learned
about yourself compared to the personality profile and career choice decided in
semester 1. Due in end semester 2. (20% marks; LO 4)

The following questions may be helpful in writing your reflective review. This is
only a guide:

 What reading did you do about the academic methods applied in this
project? Three or four references will be expected on relevant methods
taught in semester one or two of this unit, or from other relevant units of
your degree, that you applied in your work project.
 How useful did you find the academic methods? What was applicable, and
what not? Critique is expected.
 How did you approach the task? How did you structure the work? Was
this the right approach or could you do it better?
 What decisions did you make about accepting or rejecting information and
why?
 How would you tackle this better/differently the next time, i.e. how would
you revise your evaluation of materials in the light of what you have
learned?
 What did you find out that surprised you or challenged your
preconceptions?
 What did you fail to discover, and how would you tackle this in the future?
 In what way were you resource or time constrained?
 What more could be done to fully research this area?
 What have you learned about yourself? Will this affect what career you
chose?
 What do you plan to do in the next 12 months as first steps towards this
career?

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Reflective reports are usually presented in the first person singular, which
means it is OK to use the words “I”, “me” or “we” when writing.

6.5 Unit Referencing

Whenever your work quotes from or makes reference to printed material,
broadcast media or the Web, your sources must be acknowledged and
referenced appropriately using the Harvard (APA) system. Guidance on
referencing and avoiding plagiarism can be found at
http://www.port.ac.uk/departments/studentsupport/ask/resources/ (click on the
Workbooks link in the menu on the left and open the file Reference and
Citation Harvard APA Style) and in the booklet Bibliographic References
Harvard Format – APA Style, available from the University Library.

6.6 Marking Criteria:

All marking is based on the University Grade Criteria for Level 2 which is shown
below. How each specific artefact is marked see marking sheets.

80%

As below plus:
 Excellent work which contains relevant material & shows analysis, originally or creativity of approach and a
clear, well- articulated understanding of the subject matter
 Wide research incorporating up to date, relevant original material. Accurate citation and use of references.
 Excellent with few or no errors in organisation, structure, grammar, spelling, punctuation, use of diagrams &
tables

70-79%

As below plus:
 Very good work which is clearly written, well argued and covers the subject matter in a thorough, thoughtful and
competent manner. Contains some originality of approach, insight or synthesis.
 Good evidence of research and good use of source material. Good use & presentation of references
 Very good presentation, presentation, organisation, grammar, spelling, punctuation, diagrams and tables

60-69%

As below plus:
 A very good, well presented piece of work covering much of the subject matter and which is clearly and lucidly
written. Good attempt to consider and evaluate the material presented
 Evidence of research in the topic area and satisfactory use of sources and references
 Good organisation, structure, use & flow of language, grammar, spelling, format, diagrams, tables etc

50-59%

As below plus:
 Work that demonstrates understanding of the topic area with some attempt to discuss material
 Evidence of research in the topic area extending beyond key texts
 Satisfactory presentation &/or use of references/bibliography according to convention
 A satisfactory attempt to follow directions regarding organisation, structure, use & flow of language, grammar,
spelling, format, diagrams, tables etc
 The majority of students would normally be expected to fall within this range.

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40-49%

 Adequate work that attempts to address the topic & demonstrates some understanding of the basic aspects of
the subject matter
 Topic is researched using mainly books & Internet. Attempts to use &/or present references/bibliography
according to convention
 A basic attempt to follow directions regarding organisation, structure, use & flow of language, grammar,
spelling, format, diagrams, tables etc

30-39%

FAIL. Work in this range attempts to address the question/problem but is substantially incomplete and deficient.
Serious problems with a number of aspects of language use are often found in work in this range and the work
may be severely under/over-length and/or fails to grasp the nature of the topic matter. Content, analysis,
expression, structure and use of sources will be very weak or missing

0-29%

FAIL No serious attempt to address the question or problem, and/or manifests a serious misunderstanding of the
requirements of the assignment. Acutely deficient in all aspects.

6.7 Assessment Schedule

All submission dates are shown in section 8.1

Any student with a valid Extenuating Circumstances form (ECF1) will

automatically be granted a deferral in the part or parts of the assessment
covered by the ECF, whether or not they have been passed in the first attempt.
In these circumstances, the student may opt to do the work again by the end of
the referral period, with no cap on the resultant mark.

6.8 What happens if you fail the assessment?

In accordance with the University‟s Academic Regulations, students who do not
pass an assessment at the first attempt have a further opportunity to gain the
credits for the unit by demonstrating that they have achieved the learning
outcomes.

The regulations draw a distinction between „deferral‟ (repeat assessment

following failure resulting from extenuating circumstances – e.g. illness) and
„referral‟ (repeat assessment following failure resulting from work of inadequate
standard). For this unit, both types of repeat assessment will require the
submission of the pre-conference and post-conference reports and delivery of the
presentation, revised as necessary in the light of feedback given after the first
submission. The deadline date (sometime in July) will be published in due
course. The mark for referred work will be capped at 40%; the mark for
deferred work will not be capped.

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7 Indicative Reading
Core Texts are:

Slack, N. et al, Operations Management, Pitman publishing, 2004

Supportive reading: (Library Code in brackets)

Adair, J, Decision making and problem solving, IPD, 1999 (658.403)

Gallagher K, McClelland R and Swales C, Business Skills: an Active Learning
approach, Blackwell, 1998 (658.409)
Jones, O and Tilley, F, Competitive Advantage in SME: Organising for Innovation
and Change, Wiley, 2003 (658.022)
Leigh, A., and Walters M, Effective Change: twenty ways to make it happen, IPD,
1998 (658.406)
Slack, N. et al, Operations Management, Pitman publishing, 2004
Tidd, J and Bessant, J, and Pavitt, K., Managing Innovation: Integrating
Technological, Market and Organisational Change, Wiley, 2001 (658.406)
Wickham, Strategic Entrepreneurship, Prentice Hall, 2001 (658.42)

http://excellenceone.efqm.org/
http://www.baldrige.nist.gov/Business_Criteria.htm

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8 Scheme of Work
8.1 Timetable
Week Week Lecture Seminar Student
Commencing
1 27th Sept Unit and Visiting Complete Self
Employability Speaker from Awareness
Intro Careers Dept Assessment on
Victory
2 4th Oct Discussion on Complete Victory
Self Materials on
Assessment Employability
Results
3 11th Oct Opportunity Complete Victory
Awareness and Materials on
Decision Employability
4 18th Oct Application Complete Victory
Forms and Materials on
Interviews. Employability
Visiting
speaker from
Careers Dept.
5 25th Oct Longer Term Complete Victory
Decision and Materials on
Career Plan Employability
6 1st Nov Internal Formation of Submit
Consultancy – Consultancy Coursework
Basis of Trust groups, One Friday 5th
Professional Nov.
Ethics and Initial
confidentiality investigation of
chosen
organisation. Plan
initial contact by
telephone
7 8th Nov Building Trust Risk and Make phone call
and Interviewing Personal Safety and arrange Visit.
Skills Guidelines Draft follow up
letter.
8 15th Nov Strategy Selecting Finalise and send
Priorities follow up letter.
Prepare initial
meeting/interview
9 22nd Nov Meet with
Organisation.
Apply knowledge
from Wks 6-8
above. (Identify
organisation‟s
distinctive

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strategy, their
problems, select
priority based on
research evidence
from customers,
competitors, your
and their
resources.
10 29th Nov Identify Root Identify Root Agree with
Causes Causes organisation your
choice of
problem.
11 6th Dec Voluntary Meet at your
surgery organisation.
Apply knowledge
from week 10 to
research
background
information on
root causes.
12 13th Dec Revision week Revision on
problem solving
20th Dec Christmas Christmas
27th Dec
3rd Jan
13 10th Jan Examination
Week
14 17th Jan Examination
Week
15 24th Jan Examination
Week
16 31st Jan Selecting and Selecting and Apply this week‟s
implementing implementing teaching to
solutions solutions identify
alternative
solutions.
17 7th Feb Voluntary Meet at your
Surgery organisation.
Present to your
organisation a
feasibility study
comparing
alternatives and
get their
agreement on
one for you to
implement.
18 14th Feb Selling and Selling and Prepare PID plan
preparing preparing and Ethics
proposals proposals checklist, obtain
organisation
signature, and

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submit for
marking. Submit
coursework two
Friday 18th Feb.
19 21st Feb Voluntary Implement PID
surgery
20 28th Feb Negotiation and Negotiation Implement PID
implementation and
skills implementation
skills
21 7th March Voluntary Implement PID
surgery
22 14th March Voluntary Implement PID
surgery
23 21nd March Voluntary Implement PID
surgery
24 28th March Voluntary Implement PID
surgery
25 4th April Voluntary Implement PID
surgery
11th April Easter Easter
18th April
25th April
26 2nd May Assessed Assessed Write Group and
Presentation of Presentation Individual Report.
Results of Results
27 9th May Voluntary Submit final
surgery coursework
three and four
Friday 13th May
28 16th May Examination Examination
Week Week
29 23rd May Examination Examination
Week Week
30 30th May Examination Examination
Week Week
14th June Unit Board Unit Board

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9 Action Plan at your Organisation

Project Unit Code
U17180

Contacts Email and mobile

Tutors Trevor Andrews: 07763 305733
Or
Nick Capon: 07764 167956
Team
Company

W/C Date Action Completed

1st Nov You are allocated your organisation. Make phone call to
book initial visit during week commencing 22nd Nov.
Confirm meeting date, time and place by letter.
8th Nov Research background information on organisation.
22nd Nov Visit Company to identify contacts and
 build trust
 understand strategy/ how unique
 listen to company need, the goal and scope of your
project
 book diary dates for information collection
December Learn about client and their market/customers (External
Assessment) and collect evidence on company need
(Internal Assessment). Complete SWOT.
January From your December evidence, list different root causes
of company need. Map on P/I diagram or rich picture.
Select which root causes you will try to solve.
First week of Consider alternative solutions, and how you might help to
February implement them. Map alternatives on Feasibility matrix.
Present to your organisation and let them select which
alternative they would like you to do. Book in advance a
time for company to sign PID before 18th Feb.
Second Confirm decision in form of a PID. Obtain signature of Submit
week of organisation and each team member on PID, of who will 18th Feb
February do what.
March Implement PID
April Easter holidays
2nd May Attend Workshop: Group Presentation of results Present
2nd May
9th May Present Business Report of your group to client. Obtain
signed letter of thanks from client on their letter headed
paper.
13th May Submit group Report and individual Reflective Review of Submit
Learning to University 13th May

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10 Marking Forms
U17180 Employability and Internal Consultancy – Marking scheme
Semester 1 and 2, 2010/11

Student …………..

Coursework 1 30% Feedback Mark

(Individual)
Job study
Graduate application
Career plan
Coursework 2 20%
(Groupwork)
a) Relationships with client
b) Strategic evidence
justifying choice of
project
a) Feasibility study of
alternative potential
solutions
b) Academic theory to be
used
c) Signed PID and Ethics
checklist
Coursework 3 30%
(Groupwork)
Presentation
Report of achievements –
methods used and
delegation of roles.
Evaluation of effectiveness
of project, both process
and deliverables. Letter of
thanks from company
Coursework 4 20%
(Individual)
Critical evaluation of
academic theory used
Self reflection of learning
achieved, including
individual contribution
made and what more you
have learned about
yourself compared to the
personality profile
completed in semester 1.
TOTAL: (100%)

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