A SSESSMENT 1 BRIEF
Subject Code and Title BIZ304 Business Consulting Project
Assessment 1 Project Phase I has 2 parts
Part A: Group Discussion Forum
Part B: Research Report
Individual/Group Part A: Individual
Part B: Group (3-4 students maximum)
Length Part A: 400 words minimum Part
B: 1,200 words each +/- 10%
Learning Outcomes a) Identify the most important parts of a business problem/opportunity and apply a range of problem- solving skills
b) Collaborate with multiple stakeholders on a significant project managing it to completion
c) Develop high levels of Client orientation and professionalism
e) Reflect on the entire public relations consultancy experience
Submission For Twelve Week Delivery
Part A: By 11:55pm AEST/AEDT Sunday of Module 2 (week 4)
Part B: By 11:55pm AEST/AEDT Sunday of Module 3 (week 6)
For Six Week Delivery
Part A: By 11:55pm AEST/AEDT Sunday of Module 2 (week 2)
Part B: By 11:55pm AEST/AEDT Sunday of Module 3 (week 3)
Weighting Part A: 15%
Part B: 20%
Total Marks Part A: 100 marks
Part B: 100 marks
Context:
Students will have the option of choosing their own groups during week 1. Any students not in a group at the end of week 1, will be allocated to a group, by the Learning
Facilitator.
Assessment 1 and 2 of this subject work together to simulate the practice of professional consulting. First, the consultant will undertake research, then, move to recommendations. Therefore, this Research Report is undertaken, in order to provide the data necessary to undertake Assessment 2 – Recommendation Report. Assessment 1 is in two parts.
Part A: This is where you outline your personal contribution and the activities you will lead. We want to understand your individual inputs and how you are working in collaboration with your team. You do this in the Assessments section of Blackboard in the discussion area specifically for your group. You should update the forum in an iterative way (not all at once) and the Learning Facilitator will be monitoring your progress.
Part B: This is the research phase of the consulting project. Therefore, it is called the Research Report. The findings from your research report will form the basis from which you will undertake Assessment 2.
Before attempting to develop Recommendations (Assessment 2), it is essential to fully understand the objectives of the project, as well as to research both the organisation and its industry. The aim being to:
• establish a clear understanding of the needs of the Client
• establish the project details
• obtain the information necessary to develop justifiable, valuable, and innovative recommendations
A brief from the Client will be given to students at the start of week 1. Students will read the brief and prepare any questions that they would like to ask, to obtain further clarification.
Face-to-face students: will submit their group’s questions to the Learning Facilitator at the end of week 2. That list of questions should be included as an Appendix to your Assessment 1 submission. Students will ask their questions of the Client in-person, in class, in week 3
Online students: will submit their group’s questions to the Learning Facilitator via the discussion forum at the end of week 2. That list of questions will be included as an Appendix to your Assessment 1 submission. The Learning Facilitator will read the proposed questions of all groups and select those to be asked of the Client. The list will be placed on the discussion forum by the Learning Facilitator who will provide the responses to those questions to the students in week
3.
The clarification questions you ask the Client are also your opportunity to make a good first impression. This will assist the Learning Facilitator to assess your progress.
In week 3 all groups will have the Client brief and the Client’s responses to your questions. You will then use accepted research theories and tools (such as those presented in modules 1 and 2) to frame your investigation and will collect both primary and secondary data.
Any contact with the Client (including emails) must first be approved by the Learning Facilitator.
The assessment requires you to consider multiple perspectives, engaging and collaborating with others in creative ways. This is a group task that requires you to apply your professional competence in a team environment.
Instructions:
You are required for Part A to:
• Regularly post your comments (identifying your specific contributions/roles to the project) to the group discussion forum in the Assessments section of Blackboard for your specific group as activities evolve
• Be clear about your personal involvement
• Your lecturer will be assessing your comments to see if you are engaged, showing leadership, encouraging your team and taking specific responsibilities
You are required for Part B to:
• Provide a professionally structured, written and presented document
• Clearly state your understanding of the Client’s needs
• Clearly define the project details and scope
• Provide relevant organisational information utilising established research theory and frameworks
• Provide relevant industry information, utilising established research theory and frameworks
• Refer where appropriate to the coming Recommendation Report (clearly establish the document is part of a two-phase project)
Submission Instructions:
Submit the group assessment via the Assessment link, in the main navigation menu, in BIZ304, by the end of week 6 (one submission per group). The facilitator will provide feedback via the Grade Centre in the LMS portal. Feedback can be viewed in My Grades. All members of one group will be awarded the same mark for Part B.
Learning Rubric: Assessment 1 Part A
Assessment Attributes Fail (Unacceptable) Pass (Functional) Credit (Proficient) Distinction (Advanced) High Distinction (Exceptional)
Grade
Description
(Grading Scheme)
Fail grade will be awarded if a student is unable to demonstrate satisfactory academic performance in the subject or has failed to complete required assessment points in accordance with the subject’s required assessment points.
Pass is awarded for work showing a satisfactory achievement of all learning outcomes and an adequate understanding of theory and application of skills. A consistent academic referencing system is used and sources are appropriately acknowledged.
Credit is awarded for work showing a more than satisfactory achievement of all learning outcomes and a more than adequate understanding of theory and application of skills. A consistent academic referencing system is used and sources are appropriately acknowledged.
Distinction is awarded for work of superior quality in achieving all learning outcomes and a superior integration and understanding of theory and application of skills. Evidence of in-depth research, reading, analysis and evaluation is
demonstrated. A consistent academic referencing system is used and sources are appropriately acknowledged. High Distinction is awarded for work of outstanding quality in achieving all learning outcomes together with outstanding integration and understanding of theory and application of skills. Evidence of in- depth research, reading, analysis, original and creative thought is demonstrated. A consistent academic referencing system is used and sources are appropriately acknowledged.
Group Discussion Little information about Some acceptable Information, evidence and Information, evidence Information, evidence
Forum your specific, individual information about your explanations are included and explanations are and explanations are
involvement in the specific, individual showing good specific, included showing very included showing
project team involvement in the individual involvement in good, specific individual proactive and supportive
100% project team the project team involvement in the collaboration with very
project team good, specific individual involvement in the project team
Learning Rubric: Assessment 1 Part B
Assessment Attributes Fail (Unacceptable) Pass (Functional) Credit (Proficient) Distinction (Advanced) High Distinction (Exceptional)
Grade
Description
(Grading Scheme)
Fail grade will be awarded if a student
is unable to demonstrate satisfactory academic performance in the subject or has failed to complete required assessment points in accordance with the subject’s required assessment points. Pass is awarded for work showing a satisfactory achievement of all learning outcomes and an adequate understanding of theory and
application of skills. A consistent academic referencing system is used and sources are appropriately acknowledged.
Credit is awarded for work showing a more than satisfactory achievement of all learning outcomes and a more than adequate understanding of theory and application of skills. A consistent academic referencing system is used and sources are appropriately acknowledged. Distinction is awarded for work of superior quality in achieving all learning outcomes and a superior integration and understanding of theory and application of skills. Evidence of in-depth research, reading, analysis and evaluation is demonstrated. A consistent academic referencing system is used and sources are appropriately acknowledged. High Distinction is awarded for work of outstanding quality in achieving all learning outcomes together with outstanding integration and understanding of theory and application of skills. Evidence of in-depth research, reading, analysis, original and creative thought is demonstrated. A consistent academic referencing system is used and sources are appropriately acknowledged.
Understanding of the Demonstrates no Demonstrates limited Demonstrates consistent Demonstrates an advanced Consistently demonstrates a
Client needs and awareness of context awareness of context awareness of context and integrated systematic and critical
project scope; and and/or purpose of and/or purpose of and/or purpose of the understanding of context understanding of context and
showing Client the assignment the assignment assignment and/or purpose of the purpose of the assignment.
orientation and assignment
professionalism Key components of the Client brief are Adequate analysis of
Client brief. Little Demonstrates a capacity to analyse a Client brief.
Well demonstrated Excellent analysis of Client data. Excellent research has
20 % not addressed. No evident research into research has been presented Adequate research has been undertaken capacity to analyse Client information. Very good been undertaken
the topic research has been Systematically and critically
Often confuses Supports personal opinion undertaken discriminates between
Professionalism is assertion of personal and information assertion of personal opinion
not apparent opinion with substantiated by evidence Discriminates between and information
information from the Client assertion of personal
substantiated by evidence from the Client opinion and information substantiated by robust evidence from the Client substantiated by robust evidence from the Client
Use of accepted research theory and frameworks and data sources
20 % Accepted research theory and frameworks are not used and/or
understood
Data sources are poor An adequate use and understanding of accepted research theory and frameworks is
demonstrated
Standard data sources are utilised A good understanding of accepted research theory and frameworks is
demonstrated
There is thoughtful use of a diverse range of reliable
data sources An advanced use and understanding of accepted research theory and framework is
demonstrated
A significant number of high-class data sources are utilised Outstanding use and understanding of accepted research theory and framework is demonstrated
An extensive amount of excellent data sources are utilised
Highly innovative sources of data are incorporated
Generation of useful The research The research The research undertaken The research undertaken The research undertaken
data to inform undertaken yields undertaken yields yields good data that can yields insightful data that yields outstanding data that
Assessment 2 limited, unhelpful or adequate data that support a high quality set can support an advanced can support an excellent set
unreliable data can support a of recommendations set of recommendations of recommendations
50 % satisfactory set of
recommendations
Data set generated will be
An advanced data set is
The data includes
used to develop an above generated that can be used extraordinary insights that
average response to the to provide insightful can support innovative
Client’s problem or recommendations and recommendations and allow
opportunity exceed the Client’s the Client to think about
expectations their problem or opportunity in new and exciting ways
Delivery of a Poorly structured Acceptable structure Information, evidence and Information, evidence and Expertly presented; the
professionally document that is and presentation and explanations are well explanations are well presentation is logical,
structured, written difficult to adequately written structured and presented structured and presented persuasive and well
and presented understand and not supported by evidence
document well presented A mostly clear flow to the A very clear flow to the
investigative approach investigative approach
10 %
Line of reasoning is easy to follow
Line of reasoning is logical, insightful and easy to follow
Valuable graphics and supporting data are introduced that aid in message delivery Demonstrates an excellent flow and professional
approach to the investigation
Line of reasoning and approach is expertly
delivered and clear
Extremely effective use of
graphics and supporting data
Engages and sustains the audience’s interest in the topic