Centre name: ICS Learn

Candidate name: Greer Gouldsbrough

CIPD Membership ICS student
Number: number:
Qualification title: CIPD Level 5 Intermediate Diploma in HRM
Unit title(s): Developing Professional Unit code(s): 5DVP
Practice
Assessment number 1

*Online Class Date *Tutor Name

* Not required when submitting a Formative assessment

Please Note - You cannot submit your assignment until you have
attended your Online Classroom – all details must be filled in above
before your work will be marked.

1st Submission Date Word Count

2nd Submission Date Word Count

Candidate declaration:
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I have read the assessment regulations and understand that if I am found to have ‘copied’
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regarded as plagiarism which is an offence against the assessment regulations and leads to
failure in the relevant unit and formal disciplinary action.

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external quality assurance verifiers it is not final.

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Summative Assessment
5DVP

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Contents page - I just used word for one that auto updates

This is just my ​approximate Word Count - this is not a rule - just what I did under each
section
Section 1 - 550
Section 2 - 700-750
Section 3 - 725 - 750
Section 4 - 800

I think the thing I have picked up most - is that there isn’t one right answer for any of these
assignments necessarily - it’s about you building an answer and giving your understanding
of what you’ve read in a convincing way and demonstrating you’ve researched by finding
some relevant quotes and using them well. Of course there’ll be some things that if you miss
them out, you won’t pass. BUT - always read through the Assessment criteria for each
assignment and when you’ve finished a first or second draft, look at each criteria and check
in your text that you’re happy you’ve actually answered the AC.

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Question 1
Evaluate what it means to be an HR Professional making reference to the current HR
Profession Map

Look in the slides for the online classroom as Carol gives a layout of what headings
to give and so on. I simply followed these

1.1 HR Professionalism

​https://peopleprofession.cipd.org/profession-map
I included an overview of what professionalism means and an academic reference from a
credible source. There’s a lot to choose from, CIPD is a good place to start for these but a
good look through one of your textbooks should be helpful as well. There’s definitely more
than one to choose from.

Consider things such as ethical standards, types of behaviour and abilities they should have
etc. - remember diagrams don’t count in word count and if they’re well placed and support
your answer to the question, then stick them in!
I gave an overview of the thinking performer, what it is, mentioned Ulrich outside-in briefly
Don’t forget to cite any quotes

1.2 Values Knowledge and Behaviour - Why these are important

I used a quote and a diagram to detail the Profession Map core knowledge areas, the 8
behaviours etc. summarised the purpose of the map again and why it’s valuable to the HR
profession. You might want to talk a little about continuous personal development or how the
map has an assessment section in it for self evaluation and how that could be useful. You
don’t have the word count for everything so just be concise.

this is only the pic that I used but you should pick something you feel is relevant if you want
to use one. I used it to show I knew what I was referencing and save some words.

Fig. 3. - Core Knowledge, (CIPD Website)

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1.3 Purpose of the Professional Map

I wrote about what the profession map is for - don’t over complicate it - just say what you
have taken away from it essentially. I wrote one sentence about this and then went on to
write a short paragraph about the type of things you find in the profession map. I used the
CIPD site here and found a good quote about the map. Don't forget you can use pictures
here to help you illustrate what you have understood - make sure you label and cite your
picture. Read your learning materials and don’t try and answer it without reading. You need
to keep referring to what is considered to be a good well rounded HR professional.

e.g.

1.4 I concluded this section by

You can highlight here things like the skills a professional needs, the behaviour they should
demonstrate, link back to the map if you can. If you have the Lizard book, read your chapter
on this, you might find a quote you like… or, look at chapter one of your learning materials....
(ICS) The four circles of HR could be good to mention here (but I didn’t). Should the HR
professional be adding value? How would they do that? How do other people in their
business know they are professional? What would that mean to them and how does all of
this contribute to what a professional is?
Just have a quick check through that you have highlighted the skills, knowledge and
behaviour of the professional HR person and you have linked back to the map.

Question 2 - 1.2
Briefly describe the elements of group dynamics and give at least two examples of conflict
resolution methods within an HR context

What is a team?

I found a quote - it’s the best way to demonstrate reading and then some of your own words
to show you understand what you’ve quoted. I did about 4 sentences

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2.2 Team Dynamics

I wrote about Tuckman and Jensen here and explained team dynamics. What I thought they
were and what influences them. I googled and found some websites (check they are
credible) and I searched for external reading on T&J to check I understood it.

I looked at Bell and Hart - causes of conflict (2000) and found a diagram, and talked about
allocation of tasks and playing to team strengths. I also chose Belbin (I chose to pay for and
do a Belbin assessment but you don’t have to do that. I just did one out of curiosity and it
helped me understand what I was doing here and made it easier for me to explain it. I talked
about how conflict can be useful and destructive and you could maybe find a quote about it?
Check your textbooks if you have one - if not some googling of Myers conflict and team
theory should bring up useful stuff for you.

How do team dynamics help? Reference everything you use.

2.3 Thomas-Kilmann Method - this is the method I chose but there were others

Think of the methods here - they want you to show methods of conflict resolution. So it’s how
conflict was resolved - an example of how it wasn’t resolved isn’t what they’re looking for :)

Don’t forget if you research online - use credible sources and reference
I found a short quote about conflict and I went to the TK website. I then described a v brief
conflict at work and how we used this model to resolve it. The thing is here - I didn't actually
know I was using this model at the time, but after learning the theory, I could see that I did.

I described the conflict in two to three sentences. Don't forget you can use diagrams to help
show you have understood the model and this saves your word count. Don’t forget to
reference any images you use. In about 150 words, I described how we resolved the conflict
but I did actually say that I thought the conflict would recur because we settled on a
compromise I thought would be short lived.

You could describe things like mediation here if you have the word count

There are multiple theories you can choose from and some are in the learning materials.
There’s guidance on the slides for what you should be thinking about in your summary of the
conflict.

2.4 Fisher and Ury Method - this is the second method that I chose - again there are
others that you can choose

Again a small description of a conflict in the workplace. I used a diagram and referenced it.
Probably about 2-3 sentences.

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I explained the premise of this model in about 50-60 words ish and why it was useful and the
theory behind it. Then I explained how I used the model to resolve the conflict.
Make sure you discuss parts of resolution such as compromising on problems - mediation or
active listening etc.

Question 3.0
With reference to a recent or current project which you have led. Provide evidence of using
project management and problem solving techniques in the course of the project. Explain
how you successfully influenced, persuaded and negotiated with others in the course of the
project (or other related activity)

3.1 Definition of PM and a summary of the project I had led

What is a PM? Find a definition and reference it. Remember to also use your own words to
show your understanding.

I also used a diagram of the steps of a project or project management workflow. Remember
to reference anything you use. There are a few PM project workflows you could use. Better if
you can actually refer to one you used personally.

I described my project in about 150 words but you could do a longer explanation and put it
as an appendix if you preferred and refer to it. What was your project objective? I then used
an image to show a workflow tool that I had used. I just took a screenshot of what we had
used but you could find an example screenshot I think or describe another tool e.g. Gantt.
Don’t forget to follow the steps on the class etc. Why was the project started? Who asked for
it - initiation, what was it for? what did it need to achieve? how did you execute it? etc. Again
- I used a diagram to describe these steps

I then went on to describe what the team needed e.g. number of people and what their jobs
were going to be and why - identify resources. I then used a list of tools to show how I
managed the project (think communication) - so think todo lists, how tasks were allocated,
managed by time, check up on (maybe conference calls or meetings?) Diary invites to check
progress/monitor? I briefly explained SMART tasks and explained how they were used in the
timeline. How did we agree on deadlines? What happened if we weren't meeting them (risks)
and what impact that had on the project and how did we avoid it next time? Who did I have
to update? When and how? I briefly mentioned at the end that there was an element that
hadn’t gone to plan and I’d had to organise some corrective action and adjust the timeline.

3.2 SWOT Analysis (AC 2.2) Problem Solving - I used a SWOT here but other methods
are in the learning material I think

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I described here a short scenario where at a project review meeting, one part of the project
was taken out. We used a SWOT to find a better solution by examining the business. Think
about why the tool you’ve picked was useful at this point. Maybe find a quote about the tool
(academic quote e.g. from a book or learning material). I then just described how the SWOT
helped us pick what we needed.

3.3 Same with problem solving technique two

There are a few to choose from. Brainstorming, five whys, fishbone etc. Just make sure you
reference them.

3.4 Influencing, Persuasion and Negotiation

Feedback I got here although I passed was that this section would have been stronger if I
had referenced a definition of all three. I struggled with word count.
The three are different. I used a work based reference to use all three in one example and
explained what was different at stage - I found it easy as I have worked in sales and
management which is all about these but when you think about it - a lot of what you do in
day to day is about negotiation and persuasion and influencing people. I used Cialdini (1984)
and quoted the website (reference it). I explained what each were - try and find a quote for
each and reference. This was my weakness as above
Again I used an image

It was pretty short and to the point and was good enough to pass - again I would say - find
quotes and reference your sources.

4.0
Undertake a self assessment of one area of your practice to identify your professional
development needs in that area and options to address these. Produce a PDP to meet your
professional development needs which includes a justification of the option(s) chosen.

4.1 Continuous Professional Development

I explained CPD - references and quotes - CIPD, Lizard book, Armstrong etc
I gave a short account of how CPD has not been a part of my professional life except driven
by me. You need to make this part relevant to you as an individual.

4.2 Self Assessment and Options to Address Development Needs

In this part I explained what learning I have done over the last year and why it was important
to me.

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This is the part where you pick three parts of the profession map and assess yourself
against it. For example I did Core Knowledge - Digital Working for SWOT 1, pick a behaviour
and a specialist knowledge for your others. I referenced things that the profession map
assessment recommended for my learning, what things I struggled with or was weaker on
and how I was going to approach improving those things. I did about 2-3 in each section of
the SWOT and talked about at least one from each point.

4.3 Justify Options and PDP

I was just really honest about why I had picked the things I had and why it was important to
keep coming back to it and check what I wanted to do to try and keep it up to date.

Appendices - CPD and PDP etc.

Appendix is your CPD, your PDP and your personal reflection
Do a separate appendix for each one and a separate one for anything you need to add e.g.
your project explanation