CIPD Assessment Activity
Title of unit/s
Business Issues and the Contexts of Human Resources
Unit No/s
5BIC
Level
5
Credit value
6
Assessment method
Written report (for a Chief Executive Officer)
Learning outcomes:
1. Understand key contemporary business issues affecting the HR function within private, public and third sector organisations.
2. Understand the main external contextual factors impacting on organisations and the HR function.
5. Know how to identify and respond to short-term changes in the business and external contexts.
Assessment brief/activity
You are required to report on an investigation you have conducted on the business and contextual factors impacting on an identified organisation (which may or may not be your own organisation) and HR issues within it. You are also required to indicate how the organisation should respond to these contexts in the short-term. Both internal and external sources of data may be used for this and they must be attributed in the report.
In your report to the Chief Executive Officer, you are expected to cover the following issues:
1. an outline description of the organisation and the management functions within it, including how the HR function is delivered
2. how business performance addresses key contemporary business issues
3. an identification and evaluation of the major external contexts affecting the organisation, including any international factors
4. an identification of HR’s role in responding to the contextual factors you’ve identified and the sources of data that can be used
5. recommendations for responding to these contexts, with costs where possible, and an outline communication plan for moving forward.
Real examples from experience or research should be introduced into the report to provide context and illustrate the points being made.
Assessment Criteria
1.1, 1.2
1.3
2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4
5.1, 5.2
5.3...