7CO01 Work and working lives in a changing business environment March 2025 moderation window - Assessment Questions Advanced Diploma in Strategic Peop
7CO01 Work and working lives in a changing business environment
March 2025 moderation window – Assessment Questions
Advanced Diploma in
Strategic People Management
Strategic Learning and Development
Question 4 (AC1.4)
What is the most important long-term economic trend currently affecting your country? Justify your answer. Appraise the significance of this trend for your industry now and in the future.
Question 6 (AC2.2)
Assess any one contemporary public policy development in your country in terms of its likely or potential future impact on work and employment. Justify your answer with reference to examples, statistics or published research.
Question 10 (AC3.2)
Resistance to change is inevitable but can be reduced. Examine to what extent the mantra `people support what they help to create` should underpin the approach taken by managers when restructuring an organisation. Justify your answer with reference to examples or to your own experience and observations.
Question 13 (AC 4.1)
You are asked to advise a public sector organisation of your choice that is keen to develop formal `values-based recruitment` (VBR) practices. Explain to managers what the purpose of VBR is and its major potential advantages and disadvantages. Propose one measure that could be swiftly introduced to make the organisation`s recruitment practices more values based. Justify your answer.
Marking Guidance
When marking assessments, it is important first to give full consideration to the general requirements set by QAA for Level 7. These are interpreted as follows by the CIPD; learners being required to demonstrate the following, where relevant to the assessment question:
(1) Systematic understanding of knowledge and techniques, and a critical awareness of problems and/or new insights in the field of study and area of professional practice.
(2) Originality in the application of knowledge relating to practical issues.
(3) Ability to make decisions about complex issues, both systematically and creatively, and justify their judgements in the absence of complete data.
(4) Ability to show self-direction and insight in tackling and solving problems, and in planning and implementing tasks at a professional level.
(5) Clarity and confidence in communicating conclusions, which can influence both specialist and non-specialist audiences.
(6) Demonstrate insight in tackling and solving problems, and in planning and implementing tasks at a professional level.
(7) Critical reflection and a passion for learning, to advance their own knowledge and understanding through independent learning and the development of new skills at a high level.
(8) Consistent and professional standard of presentation.
In addition, generic marking guidance is found in the following grid, which broadly distinguishes between grades by using descriptors under each heading
Generic grade descriptors
REFER/FAIL / 1
PASS / 2
MERIT / 3
DISTINCTION / 4
Focus
Fails to address all the questions either sufficiently fully or directly.
An adequate attempt to address all the questions fully and directly.
A good attempt to address all the questions relatively well and directly.
An excellent attempt to address all the questions very well and directly.
Depth & breadth of understanding
Inadequate knowledge and understanding in respect of one or more of the questions. Limited depth and breadth of analysis.
Adequate knowledge and understanding across the questions. Satisfactory breadth and depth of analysis.
Full and solid knowledge and understanding across all the questions. Good breadth and depth of analysis.
Very full knowledge and understanding across all the questions. Excellent breadth and depth of analysis.
Strategic application & professional advice
Fails to provide appropriate or well-justified advice and/or recommendations. Lacks a strategic approach.
Provides adequately justified advice and informed recommendations Some strategic application.
Provides solid and thoughtful advice and well-informed recommendations. Clearly strategic in orientation.
Provides excellent advice and very well-informed recommendations. Strategically oriented in all respects.
Research & wider reading
Limited original research and/or appropriate wider reading for the assignment. Limited or no referencing.
Evidence of sufficient research and appropriate wider reading for the assignment. Satisfactory in-text referencing.
Evidence of significant research and thoughtful, appropriate wider reading for the assignment. A good standard of in-text referencing.
Evidence of considerable research and excellent, appropriate wider reading for the assignment. An excellent standard of in-text referencing
Persuasiveness & originality
Limited development of persuasive and original arguments. Inadequate use of examples.
An adequate attempt to develop original arguments and to justify these persuasively. Includes appropriate examples.
Some strong original arguments are presented which are mainly justified persuasively. Good use of examples.
Mostly strong original arguments are presented and justified very persuasively. Excellent use of examples.
Presentation & language
An inadequate standard of presentation or language. The assignment is poorly written and/or poorly structured. It is not at the level required for a management presentation.
A solid standard of presentation and use of language. The structure and ideas are satisfactory for a management presentation.
A strong and professional standard of presentation and use of language. The structure and ideas are well crafted for a management presentation.
An outstanding standard of presentation and use of language. The structure and ideas are very well crafted for a management presentation.
For higher level marks (Merits and Distinctions), it is essential that the learner develops an original argument and justifies it with reference to wider reading, published research, examples and/or statistics. Sources cited must be credible and authoritative. Work, which is wholly, or mainly, simply a summary of reading should not be awarded a Merit or a Distinction.
In order to achieve a Pass mark, a good level of knowledge and understanding is required, as well as some good evidence of appropriate and thoughtful wider reading. Answers must, also, be full, direct and well-informed.
Further, specific marking guidance is as follows:
LO1 Understand ways in which major, long-term environmental developments are affecting employment, work and people management in organisations.
1.4 Appraise the significance of long-term economic trends for work, employment and management practice in organisations.
Question 4
What is the most important long-term economic trend currently affecting your country? Justify your answer. Appraise the significance of this trend for your industry now and in the future.
