Assessment Information/Brief 2024-25

To be used for all types of assessment and provided to students at the start of the module.
Information provided should be compatible with the detail contained in the approved
module specification although may contain more information for clarity.

Module title HR Strategy and Practices

CRN 60833/61666

Level 7

Assessment title Workforce Plan - Business Case Report

Weighting within This assessment is worth 100% of the overall module mark.
module
Aimee Youngson – a.youngson @salford.ac.uk
Module
Maxwell 331
Leader/Assessment
Office hours by appointment
set by

By 4pm on Monday 28th October 2024

Submission deadline
date and time
For coursework assessments only: students with a
Reasonable Adjustment Plan (RAP) or Carer Support Plan
should check your plan to see if an extension to this
submission date has been agreed.
You should submit your Business Case Report via the
How to submit
assessment folder in your module area

There will be a template to use for your business case

report.
The plan must be submitted as one document.
Case studies are available within the assessment folder

As the University will mark assessments anonymously where

this is possible, please use your student roll number and not
your name on your submission.

Assessment task
details and
This assessment requires you to produce a business case
instructions
report of 4,000 (+/10%) focusing on one of the following areas:

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  Resourcing
 Talent Management
 Reward Management
 Performance Management

Your intended audience for this assignment is the Director of

HR.

Students who have access to an organisation can utilise their

own organisation if they wish. Otherwise, there will be a range
of case studies available for students to access to create the
report. Please see the assessment folder for case studies.
The criteria for selecting the organisation is that it is
based in the UK or has a branch in the UK, and there is
sufficient information about the people strategy within
their UK operations.

You are not to use APPLE, Google or TESLA.

If you are unsure about the suitability of your business choice,

please check with the tutor before proceeding.

Using the template provided as a guide, you need to submit a

report which critically analyses and demonstrates business
application in the areas below.

Total marks available = 100, split as indicated below. You must

cover all of the following within your report:

1. Introduction (5 marks)
 Appropriate definitions including an overview to the
area of focus
 An overview of the organisation and its stance in the
market place
2. Business Need (35 marks)
 Critically discuss the following:
 External and internal environments including
economic and labour market trends. Whilst some of
this information can provide an overview, the
majority of critical analysis must include your
organisational context.
 A related PESTLE and SWOT analysis which should
be put in an appendix – only the key discussion
points are to be in the report
 Your organisation’s purpose, goals and vision and
how this relates to your area of focus
 Your organisation’s current HR strategy, including
the current employer branding – and how this relates
to your issue/area of focus
 Current related issues to your area of focus (Talent
Management/Performance Management/Reward

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 Management/Resourcing) including problem
identification (which will guide your
recommendations)
3. Stakeholder Analysis (20 marks)
 Identification of the primary and secondary
stakeholders for this area of focus/HR project
placed on a relevant map
 A Power/Interest stakeholder map analysis
demonstrating the current relationship management
for this area of focus/ HR project
 Written critical analysis on how your organisation is
balancing different employment perspectives in
relation to your area of focus/this HR project . This
can include a benefits and challenges analysis of
the main identified stakeholders for this area of
focus/HR project
4. The Proposed Plan and Recommendations (20 marks)
 Detail on the recommended approaches regarding
your area of focus (Talent Management,
Performance Management, Reward Management
and Resourcing) with desired outcomes
 Costs and benefits analysis as a table and an
analytical discussion paragraph
 Assumptions and Risks as a table and an analytical
discussion paragraph
 All of the above needs to include justification and
critical discussion supported from literature for
choices made.
5. Conclusion (5 marks)
 Link between the chosen recommendations, and the
future of the organisation
 Overall ideal outcome for choosing this
recommendation, and the danger of not following it
to the organisation in the short, medium and long
term

15 marks are also available for presentation of the report and

accurate referencing.

You are expected to provide definitions where appropriate.

You are expected to use up to date information, data and
literature within your report. You are also encouraged to use
models and diagrams where appropriate. You must use
Harvard APA 7th for your referencing.

Please see the marking rubric we will use within the

Assessment Criteria
Assessment folder on Blackboard; this will be attached to the
submission area. Weighting of marks and word guidance is
provided below:

Criteria Weighting Guidance Word Count

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 (% of overall
marks)
Introduction 5% 250
Business Needs 35% 1750
Stakeholder Analysis 20% 750
Plan and recommendations 20% 1000
Conclusions 5% 250

Presentation & accurate referencing 15% x

Assessed intended learning outcomes

On successful completion of this assessment, you will be able
Knowledge and
to:
Understanding
1. Analyse factors in the macro environment, such as
economic and labour market trends, as well as data in the
internal environment to demonstrate to stakeholders in an
organisation how these are likely to impact the organisation’s
goals and outcomes.
2. Develop a workforce strategy and plans which align with an
organisation’s strategy and will enable it to
achieve its goals and desire outcomes/outputs, e.g. through
practices such as having an engaging employer brand.
3. Advise how performance may be affected, and how optimal
performance may be achieved through an organisation’s
talent pool.
4. Analyse current and potential stakeholders within given
situations (e.g. employees, worker representative bodies,
customers, suppliers, potential partners) and articulate how an
organisation might balance meeting their needs with the
organisation’s own.
5.Design specific HR policies and practices with measures and
means of evaluating those practices.

Practical, 6.Analyse skills information, e.g. labour market trends,

Professional or product/service trends.
Subject Specific 7.Carry out stakeholder mapping.
Skills 8.Present a workforce strategy, with a focus on a particular
area of HR practice, e.g. reward management or resourcing.

You will develop a range of employability skills sought by

Employability Skills
employers through each assessment.
developed /
demonstrated
Through this assessment will have an opportunity to develop
and demonstrate the following employability skills:

(please put a cross in the box for the skill and level

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 demonstrated in the assessment)

I U A D
Skill
Communication x
Critical Thinking and X
Problem Solving
Data Literacy X
Digital Literacy X
Industry Awareness X
Innovation and X
Creativity
Proactive Leadership
Reflection and Life-
Long Learning
Self-management and X
Organisation
Team Working

I = You will have been introduced to this skill

U = You will have developed an understanding of this skill in

the context of your subject

A = You will be able to apply this skill in the context of your

subject
D = You will have demonstrated an enhanced understanding
and application of this skill in a wider context
The use of AI is not permitted as part of your submission.
Using Artificial
Intelligence (AI)
Tools
Your assessment should be 4000 words long (+/- 10%)
Word count/ duration
(if applicable)
The guided word count is alongside the assessment criteria.

Whilst there is no penalty for not meeting the wordcount, it

should be adhered to as closely as possible.

You can expect to receive feedback 15 working days after the

Feedback
deadline.
arrangements

Students are expected to learn and demonstrate skills

Academic Integrity
associated with good academic conduct (academic integrity).
and Referencing
Good academic conduct includes the use of clear and correct

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 referencing of source materials. Here is a link to where you
can find out more about the skills which students need:
Academic integrity & referencing
Referencing

Academic Misconduct is an action which may give you an

unfair advantage in your academic work. This includes
plagiarism, asking someone else to write your assessment for
you or taking notes into an exam. The University takes all
forms of academic misconduct seriously.
Support for this Assessment
Assessment
You can obtain support for this assessment by:
Information and
 Accessing the Padlet
Support
 Looking at the examples
 Reading the additional resources
 Engaging with the class activities
 Undertaking the relevant e-learning
 Engaging with your 1-2-1 session

There will be a dedicated opportunity for formative feedback

within each session – students are invited to bring an A4 plan (
1 page in total for the whole assignment) for the tutor to look at
in their 1-2-1 appointment in either Session 11 or Session 12.
Tutors will not grade plans and will provide guidance only.
Tutors will not look at drafts. Session 12 and Session 13 will
also be a Practising for Success session, focused on the
assignment completion.

You can find more information about understanding your

assessment brief and assessment tips for success here.

Assessment Rules and Processes

You can find information about assessment rules and
processes in the Assessment Support module in Blackboard.

Develop your Academic and Digital Skills

Find resources to help you develop your skills here.

Concerns about Studies or Progress

If you have any concerns about your studies, contact your
Academic Progress Review Tutor/Personal Tutor or your
Student Progression Administrator (SPA).

askUS Services
The University offers a range of support services for students
through askUS including Disability and Inclusion Service,
Wellbeing and Counselling Services.

Personal Mitigating Circumstances (PMCs)

If personal mitigating circumstances (e.g. illness or other

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 personal circumstances) may have affected your ability to
complete this assessment, you can find more information
about the Personal Mitigating Circumstances Procedure here.
Independent advice is available from the Students’ Union
Advice Centre about this process:
https://www.salfordstudents.com/advice/centre
Your assessment is not eligible for in year retrieval.
In Year Retrieval
Scheme
If you fail your assessment, and are eligible for reassessment,
Reassessment
you will be able to find the date for resubmission on your
module site in Blackboard.

For students with accepted personal mitigating circumstances

for absence/non submission, this will be your replacement
assessment attempt.

The reassessment will be the same as the original task. You

will be advised of the reassessment date if this applies to you.

We know that having to undergo a reassessment can be

challenging however support is available. Have a look at all
the sources of support outlined earlier in this brief.