of Personnel and Professional Standards

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

Professional Standards

These Professional Standards were reviewed during 1999/2000 and were effective from 1 July 2002. They incorporate the Leadership and Management Standards which were effective from 1 July 2005. The Professional Standards form part of the Institute’s regulations and were approved by the Executive Board in December 2002. The Standards for the Certificate in Business Awareness and Advanced Professional Study were effective from 1 July 2004, along with the Standards for the Certificate in Employment Relations, Law and Practice.

Contents

INTRODUCTION

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The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development Professional Standards Effective performance Use of Standards Format and level of Standards Support-level Standards Certificate in Business Awareness and Advanced Professional Study Practitioner-level Standards Advanced Practitioner Standards The vision for the Professional Standards and for the competencies Integrating themes CIPD membership structure

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SUppORT-level STaNDaRDS

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Assessment philosophy for the certificate-level programmes (for educational centres) Common elements for all CIPD certificate qualifications Certificate in Personnel Practice Certificate in Training Practice Certificate in Recruitment and Selection Certificate in Employment Relations, Law and Practice

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CeRTIfICaTe IN BUSINeSS awaReNeSS aND aDvaNCeD

pROfeSSIONal STUDy

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Assessment philosophy for the Certificate in Business Awareness

and Advanced Professional Study (for educational centres) Certificate in Business Awareness and Advanced Professional Study

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pRaCTITIONeR-level STaNDaRDS

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Assessment philosophy-for the Professional Development Scheme

(for educational centres)

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Specialist and Generalist personnel and Development Standards

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people Resourcing Standards

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People Resourcing Managing Diversity and Equal Opportunities Selection and Assessment Career Management and Development

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learning and Development Standards Learning and Development Management Development Managing Organisational Learning and Knowledge Managing the Training and Development Function Designing and Delivering Training

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103

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employee Reward Standards Employee Reward Pensions Performance Management

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125

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employee Relations Standards Employee Relations Employment Law Health and Safety

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143

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people Management and Development Standards People Management and Development

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leadership and Management Standards

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Managing Managing Managing Managing

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171

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for Results and Leading People in a Strategic Business Context Information for Competitive Advantage

applied personnel and Development Standards Applied Personnel and Development Management Research Report Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

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aDvaNCeD pRaCTITIONeR STaNDaRDS

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Strategic Personnel and Development International Personnel and Development Organisational Change and Transition Personnel and Development Consulting

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204

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aBBRevIaTIONS

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professional Standards | Introduction

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

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Effective performance

Use of Standards

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Format and level of Standards

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Support-level Standards

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Certificate in Business Awareness and Advanced Professional Study

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Practitioner-level Standards

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Advanced Practitioner Standards

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The vision for the Professional Standards and for the competencies

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Integrating themes

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CIPD membership structure

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Introduction | professional Standards


The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), with over 120,000 members across the United Kingdom and Ireland, is Europe’s largest professional body representing those who specialise in the management and development of people.

The aims of the CIpD are:

Continuing professional Development (CpD)

• to advance continuously the management and development of people to the benefit of individuals, employers and the community at large • to be the professional body for those specialising in advancing the management and development of people, recognised as the leading authority and influence in this field.

All levels of CIPD membership are expected to take part in appropriate CPD activities as an integral part of their professional membership. The Institute will need to see evidence of CPD from:

The mission statement of the Institute is: • to lead in the development and promotion of good practice in the field of the management and development of people, for application both by professional members and by their organisational colleagues • to serve the professional interests of members • to uphold the highest ideals in the management and development of people.

• all those being assessed against the CIPD Professional Standards • all those who upgrade from Graduate to Chartered Member, and Chartered Member to Chartered Fellow • a random sample of members selected on an annual basis.

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One of the key objectives of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development is the establishment, monitoring and promotion of standards and ethics for the profession. The Institute has therefore defined Standards across the whole spectrum of personnel and development, taking into account both generalist and specialist functions. These Standards set out to define what a professional working in people management and development should be able to do or should be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate, if he or she is to operate at a professional level, at a support level or at the level of an advanced practitioner.

effective performance Expectations about effective performance at work have changed radically over the past decade or so, and will continue to do so. It is now common (but by no means universal) for people to be recruited, selected, trained, developed, reviewed and rewarded against the degree to which they add value to the organisation that employs them. They can fulfil this added-value expectation in a number of ways, depending on the nature of the organisation, by: • making a contribution, directly or indirectly, to organisational profitability • facilitating the organisation’s survival in circumstances of corporate crisis • helping the organisation to make progress towards its vision and strategic goals • working in alignment with the organisation’s mission • customer-focused continuous improvement • personal flexibility both when reacting to change and stimulating it. It is also much less common for people at work to entertain personal, automatic expectations about lifelong employment. They may be engaged on contractual terms that reflect the potentially transient nature of their relationship with the employer; they may indeed be working for organisations that are themselves deliberately transient; and they may be very well aware of the fact that, if their employer’s future is in jeopardy, then their employment is automatically at risk. Even if individuals are recruited by organisations that appear to have long-term

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futures, the possibility of significant disruption cannot be ignored. Many previously successful companies no longer exist, either at all or in their original form; new types of enterprise continually emerge, especially in an environment dominated by e-commerce, globalisation and technological uncertainty operating in different ways, under new pressures and performance constraint. The CIPD publication, People Make the Difference (1995), argues that personnel management professionals must add value to the organisations by which they are employed. To be efficient, they should ensure that all personnel systems, procedures and processes are characterised by efficient administration, compliance with the law, fairness and good practice. However, to be effective and genuinely add value, personnel professionals must: • offer a high level of expertise in their professional field • understand and critique the objectives and methodologies of their business colleagues • import good practice from outside the organisation • build strategic capabilities to optimise people performance • develop and articulate the values of the organisation. The CIPD wishes to represent a profession that is taken seriously in the boardroom, genuinely influences corporate strategy and contributes to bottom-line outcomes.


Use of Standards

The Standards are used in a number of ways: as the basis for educational programmes, at supportand practitioner-level. This is the route through which the majority of new members of the Institute gain their professional qualification. Candidates are required to register with a CIPD-approved educational provider, who provide a programme of study and carry out final assessment. as the basis for professional assessment, where experienced professionals can map their knowledge and competence against the Standards in order to demonstrate that they qualify for membership of the Institute. This route is aimed at those professionals who already have significant experience and for whom an educational route would not be appropriate. Candidates are required to register with a CIPD-approved professional assessment centre which offers advice on demonstrating competence against the Professional Standards and undertakes the assessment.

as the basis for accrediting prior certificated learning, for those with qualifications that have not been previously directly approved as part of a CIPD educational programme. This route is likely to be of particular interest to those who hold relevant academic or professional qualifications that can be accredited against the CIPD Professional Standards. Evidence of the coverage of the previous qualification is required, and the assessment is carried out initially through CIPD. as the basis for mapping against the national standards, which should enable people to qualify for membership through NVQs/SVQs in personnel, learning and development, recruitment and management. as the basis for continuing professional development, for the rest of one’s professional career. As professionals move into new roles through their career, the Standards offer an opportunity for them to benchmark themselves against new and unfamiliar areas to ensure that they can operate at the appropriate professional level. as the basis for awarding advanced standing against the leadership and Management field of the pDS, the Standards underpin both the CASE examination and worbook-based exemptions.

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Format and level of Standards

The Standards clearly indicate the Institute’s expectations under the headings of:

performance indicators: • operational indicators define what practitioners must be able to do • knowledge indicators define what practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate. Indicative content: • provides more detail and indicates the context.

• Certificate in employment Relations, law and practice This Standard covers key aspects of the employment function required by personnel/human resources or employee relations assistants, line managers, owners/ managers of small businesses or anyone new to, or aspiring to, a career in personnel, human resources or employee relations.

1 Support-level Standards

2 Certificate in Business awareness and advanced professional Study

These have been developed as the basis for four certificates:

Certificate in Personnel Practice

Certificate in Training Practice

Certificate in Recruitment and Selection

Certificate in in Employment Relations, Law and Practice

• Certificate in personnel practice This Standard covers a wide range of practical personnel skills required by line managers, personnel officers, secretarial/personnel assistants and clerical staff. • Certificate in Training practice This Standard covers skills required by proficient trainers, such as training officers, training advisers, line managers and those in similar roles. • Certificate in Recruitment and Selection This Standard is intended for personnel officers, recruitment consultants or line managers with responsibility for recruitment and selection within an organisation, or who provide a recruitment and selection consultancy service to another organisation.

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This Standard aims to develop, within a business context, the analytical, application, numerical, research and personal transferable skills required for entry to an Mlevel programme in a social science/business subject, specifically the Professional Development Scheme.

Research and Reasoning Skills in a Business Context Quantitative Skills for Business Analysis

Understanding the Business Environment

Self Management and Study Skills for Professional Development


3 practitioner-level Standards 3.1 Specialist and Generalist personnel and Development

Applied Personnel and Development

Standards must be met in four of a wide range of elective Standards to complete this field:

Specialist and Generalist Personnel and Development

Leadership and Management

The Generalist Standards have a special role among the practitioner Standards as the basis for the specialist streams of Standards. The Specialist Standards offer an opportunity to specialise. The eleven Specialist Standards are listed below under the related Generalist Standard.

People Management and Development

These are set at a basic operational level. A CIPD Graduate who has met these Standards should be capable of contributing to an organisation as a ‘thinking performer’: • thinking – that is both operational and not limited to their current organisational level, and with an appreciation of their organisation strategy • performer – operational capability at a business unit level. A business unit is a term used loosely to indicate a discrete site where up to, say, 250 might be employed or carry out work, and which has a corporate purpose to its operations, whether or not within a large organisation.

GeNeRalIST

SpeCIalIST

people Resourcing

learning and Development

People Resourcing

Learning and Development

Managing Diversity

employee Reward

employee Relations

advanced practitioner

Employee Reward

Employee Relations

Strategic Personnel and Development

Employment Law

International Personnel and Development

Health and Safety

Organisational Change and Transition

Personnel and Development Consulting

Development

Designing and Delivering Training

The Practitioner-level Standards have been devised to cover the knowledge, understanding and competence in the four vital fields that professionals of the future will require in order to meet the needs of their organisations:

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3.2 people Management and Development

3.4 applied personnel and Development

This is the vital integrative element of the CIPD Professional Standards at the practitioner level. It is vital that all personnel and development practitioners are aware not only of their own area of specialist activities but also of the wider contribution that personnel and development can make to organisational success. A major theme underlying this Standard, and indeed the whole of the Practitioner-level Standards, is the need for personnel and development specialists to gain support and commitment from other managers within the organisation. Being able to persuade colleagues of the merits of particular ideas and their contribution to organisational and departmental goals is a skill of the utmost importance.

There are two aspects to this field:

3.3 leadership and Management

The CpD/learning log – all candidates will be expected

to provide evidence that they are able to systematically

manage their own continuing professional development

(CPD). This will need to take the form of some kind of

record that demonstrates the ability to reflect on personal

learning, and should show a focus on learning outcomes

and benefits or applications. They should indicate that

the applicant recognises learning as an integral part of

professional work activity.

This element is vital for all with, or seeking, responsibility for general management and for those who need to understand the organisation within which they work in order to exercise influence.

4 advanced practitioner Standards

The Standards cover: • • • •

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The management research report – this is a

valuable means of assessment at the practitioner level,

and is the element of assessment that comes closest to

demonstrating professional competence.

Managing Managing Managing Managing

for Results and Leading People in a Strategic Business Context Information for Competitive Advantage.

These Standards build on the knowledge and competence gained at the practitioner level, probably as a Graduate or Chartered member of the CIPD.






The vision for the Professional Standards and for the competencies

The vision for the Professional Standards is to ensure that all CIPD members are effective and possess a mixture of the following ten competencies: 1 personal drive and effectiveness The existence of a positive, ‘can-do’ mentality, anxious to find ways round obstacles and willing to exploit all the available resources in order to accomplish objectives: 1 Sets out own professional objectives with a prioritised plan for managing time. 2 Establishes priorities, tasks and work schedules in advance in order to maximise efficiency and addedvalue effectiveness and, above all, to ensure the provision of advice, help, guidance and professional services to meet the needs of senior management, line managers and employees generally. 3 Monitors progress and takes remedial action as necessary. 4 Anticipates resource problems and seeks to resolve them proactively. 5 Identifies own motivators and strengths, and uses these to drive personal performance. 2 people management and leadership The motivation of others (whether subordinates, colleagues, seniors or project team members) towards the achievement of shared goals, not through the application of formal authority but rather by personal role-modelling, the establishment of professional credibility and the creation of reciprocal trust:

3 Business understanding Adoption of a corporate (not merely functional) perspective, including awareness of financial issues and accountabilities, of ‘customer’ priorities, and of the necessity for cost/benefit calculations when contemplating continuous improvement/transformational change: 1 Understands the business needs and issues of one or more types of organisation. 2 Understands why ‘customer’ needs are what they are, given the dual context of internal organisational priorities and external environmental scenarios (both current and predicted). 3 Acknowledges and accepts the significance of relevant business drivers and selected scorecard measures. 4 professional and ethical competence Possession of the professional skills and technical capabilities, specialist-subject (particularly legal) knowledge, and the integrity in decision-making and operational activity that are associated with effective achievement in personnel and development: 1 Meets a defined range of the CIPD’s Professional Standards. 2 Displays achievement of the CIPD’s Professional Standards both in general terms and also within defined areas (depending on chosen electives). 3 Conducts self in accordance with the Institute’s Code of Professional Conduct.

1 Demonstrates a level of knowledge and understanding and ability about managing people and leadership that meets CIPD Professional Standards. 2 Treats others the way they themselves would wish to be treated. 3 Demonstrates personal commitment to team decisions. 4 Encourages and supports the contributions of others. 5 Helps colleagues when they are under pressure. 6 Adapts personal style to the situation and the needs/ expectations of others.

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5 Continuing learning

7 analytical and intuitive/creative thinking

Commitment to continuous improvement and change by the application of self-managed learning techniques, supplemented where appropriate by deliberate, planned exposure to external learning sources (mentoring, coaching, etc):

Application of a systematic approach to situational analysis, development of convincing, business-focused action plans, and (where appropriate) the deployment of intuitive/creative thinking in order to generate innovative solutions and proactively seize opportunities:

1 Adopts a considered approach to continuing learning and personal professional development. 2 Conscientiously maintains CPD records. 3 Periodically reflects on experience and systematically seeks to improve performance when recurring situations present themselves. 4 Sets self-learning objectives and achieves them through action planning. 5 Accepts constructive feedback positively. 6 Considers implications and seeks to change behaviour if positive outcomes beckon.

1 Demonstrates use of a range of thinking abilities, tools and processes – analytical, intuitive, creative. 2 Provides professional advice in area of expertise. 3 Uses relative inexperience to advantage by questioning established methods, procedures and systems. 4 Introduces new ideas and approaches derived from knowledge of human resources in action elsewhere and from previous studies. 5 Thinks through issues clearly; concentrates on facts rather than assumptions. 8 ‘Customer’ focus

6 adding value through people A desire not merely to concentrate on tasks, but rather to select meaningful outputs that will produce added-value outcomes for the organisation or eliminate/reduce the existence of performance inhibitors, while simultaneously complying with all relevant legal and ethical obligations: 1 Identifies opportunities for adding value and makes appropriate recommendations. 2 Fulfils all promises to ‘customers’ in terms of timeliness, quality of response and other significant parameters (as perceived by ‘customers’), within known areas of technical expertise. 3 Shows commitment to work and targets. 4 Willing to put in extra effort when necessary in order to ensure that corporate priorities are not jeopardised. 5 If asked, can outline own short-term targets, progress and future actions.

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Concern for the perceptions of personnel’s ‘customers’, including (principally) the central directorate of the organisation, a willingness to solicit and act upon ‘customer’ feedback as one of the foundations for performance improvement: 1 Empathises with customers of personnel and development function(s), and of employing organisations generally. 2 Liaises closely and continuously with main ‘customers’ and develops a high level of reciprocal trust/intimacy with them. 3 Takes personal responsibility for resolving ‘customer’ concerns; asks ‘customers’ periodically for feedback and acts on significant lessons gained.


9 Strategic capability The capacity to create an achievable vision for the future, to foresee longer-term developments, to envisage options (and their probable consequences), to select sound courses of action, to rise above the day-to-day detail and to challenge the status quo: 1 Understands the concept of strategy and the required contributions to it at all levels. 2 Identifies personal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats against defensible predictions of the future (labour) marketplace. 3 Devises action programmes to capitalise on strengths, reduce weaknesses, seize opportunities and anticipate threats. 10 Communication resourcing and interpersonal skills The ability to transmit information to others, especially in written (report) form, both persuasively and cogently, display of listening, comprehension and understanding skills, plus sensitivity to the emotional, attitudinal and political aspects of corporate life: 1 Uses ‘active listening’ with feedback; communicates clearly and positively; generates empathy with others. 2 Offers support and challenge to the proposals of others, so that in the process these proposals are improved/modified; reinforces the benefits of proposals and recommendations by using relevant facts and figures; anticipates objections and prepares responses.

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Integrating themes

A number of integrating themes run through the Professional Standards. All those occupying professional roles in people management and development, on whatever basis and in whatever context, have a set of interrelated responsibilities to the organisations for which they work, to the people whose development they seek, and to the people management and development community to which they belong. They are all concerned with ensuring, or contributing to, at their organisational level: • the provision and maintenance of effective and business-focused people management and development organisations and processes • the planning and achievement of outcomes of people management and development activity that will add value for the organisation and for individuals • the adding of value in part by helping to attract, retain and develop the people needed by the organisation through the development of individual and collective competence, commitment, potential and adaptability • the adding of value in part by developing organisational capacity through people management and development processes and initiatives that will help to embed or promote change in organisational culture, structure and functioning, and ensure the skills needed to operate in changed roles and environments

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• the adding of value in part by aiding strategic progress through advice and provision of planned services and activity that will enhance the organisation’s knowledge base and stimulate creativity, adaptability and innovation • the possession and continuing development in themselves of the values, understanding and credibility needed to act effectively as business partners • the recognition and continuous exercise of those ethical and professional responsibilities related to people management and development policy and practice in the organisation that are conferred by their citizenship of the wider people management professional community.


Chartered membership

CIPD membership structure

Chartered Companion (Chartered CCIpD) Chartered fellow (Chartered fCIpD) Chartered Member (Chartered MCIpD)

Non-chartered grades

Graduate licentiate associate affiliate Organisation membership

affiliation to the Institute

Chartered membership

Individual Affiliate membership is open to anyone. It is not a professional grade of membership and therefore carries no designatory letters. It does, however, offer many benefits such as the receipt of journals, access to information and advice, networking opportunities and discounts on CIPD courses, conferences and publications.

Chartered Member (Chartered MCIpD) is available by upgrading only. Individuals must be Graduate members and able to demonstrate three years’ relevant experience at management level, of which one year may be in general management. They must also demonstrate their Continuing Professional Development (CPD) over the last year and a development plan for the coming year and make a commitment to provide records and plans for each of the next two years.

Organisation membership offers similar benefits to a number of named individuals within an organisation. The number depends on the size of any particular organisation. The organisation may amend their list of named individuals as required.

Qualified grades of membership associate membership represents qualification at CIPD certificate level or NVQ/SVQ level 3 or 4. licentiate membership signifies that an individual has met the requirements of one of the first three fields of the Institute’s Professional Development Scheme or NVQ/ SVQ level 5. Graduate membership is awarded on completion of all four fields of the Institute's Professional Development Scheme.

Chartered fellow (Chartered fCIpD) is also available by upgrading. Individuals must be at Chartered Member grade and must be able to demonstrate ten years’ relevant experience at management level of which up to three years may be in general management. Current and more recent roles must be at senior or strategic management level, confirming a career progression through the period concerned. They must also demonstrate their CPD over the last year and a development plan for the coming year. They must also make a commitment to provide records and plans for each of the next two years in order to be eligible. Chartered Companion (Chartered CCIpD) is gained by invitation only. It is awarded in recognition of significant contribution to the profession or the Institute.

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Certificate in in Employment Relations, Law and Practice

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Assessment philosophy for the certificate-level programmes


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Common elements for all CIPD certificate qualifications

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Certificate in Employment Relations, Law and Practice

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Assessment philosophy | Support-level Standards

Assessment philosophy for the certificate-level programmes (for educational centres)

1 philosophy, level and positioning of the CIpD professional Standards at certificate level These Standards attempt to answer the question ‘What is a CIPD professional?’ The CIPD’s Professional Standards are an articulation of the knowledge and competence required to undertake a professional personnel or training and development role. The ‘business partner’ role represents a model to which CIPD professionals should aspire. In the future, roles will not exist for people who are not able to add value to the business objectives of the organisations for which they work. The level of the qualification has been compared both with those of other professional bodies and with development opportunities in other countries around the world. 2 Certificate-level programmes There are four alternative routes for those entering the HR profession at the support level. The certificate-level programmes reflect the range of job roles for support staff: • Certificate in Personnel Practice • Certificate in Training Practice • Certificate in Recruitment and Selection • Certificate in Employment Relations, Law and Practice. These educational programmes, based on the CIPD’s Professional Standards, provide the route whereby the majority of new members of the Institute at support level gain their certificate qualifications. The certificate

programmes aim to produce people who meet in full the Standards defined by the Institute, both: • the operational indicators, which state clearly what practitioners must be able to do, and • the knowledge indicators, which state what practitioners must be able to understand and explain. Personnel and development is an open-access profession, and the certificate-level programmes represent a valuable mechanism, enabling entrance into the profession to meet the standards required in business and commerce for those who wish to operate in the management and development of people. 3 assessment philosophy The philosophy of assessment of the certificate programmes is to assess whether candidates have demonstrated that they have met the Standards specified by the Institute. The aim of the programmes is not only to enable individuals to achieve effective and efficient performance in their current roles, but also to prepare them for continuing professional development. 4 principles of assessment In order to ensure that consistency of assessment is maintained across all centres, the following three principles are central: • There must be some external assessment in any programme leading to the CIPD certificate

Standards – the external assessment of the project proposal. • The assessment must stretch across the range of the certificatelevel Standards. • While the programme is a development programme which enables considerable personal growth, no centre should compromise the validity of the assessment by providing inappropriate guidance or other advantage to individual candidates to enable them to meet the CIPD Standards. 5 The level of the assessment The certificate-level programmes are set and assessed at a technical level – level 3 in the National Qualifications Framework – and the criteria that all candidates are expected to meet are: • understanding and knowledge as defined within the Standards in the specific area defined • an understanding of the techniques of the profession • an ability to critically evaluate both their own organisation and details reported in other organisations. Assessment for certificate programmes includes the following: • All candidates must complete a minimum of four work-based or work-related assignments. Two of them should be written and two skills-based. The written assignments should be between 1,500 and 2,000 words.

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Support-level Standards | Assessment philosophy

• All candidates must complete a work-based or work-related project that is written up using a management report style of 3,000 to 3,500 words. They should prepare a project proposal, including the terms of reference and an action plan. These proposals will be assessed by the external moderators based on set assessment criteria. • All candidates must maintain a CPD/learning log and development plan. • All candidates must compile a portfolio to include all assessments and feedback and any other relevant material. We will expect centres to emphasise: • assessment of knowledge and understanding • assessment of skills under simulated conditions • the ability to apply knowledge, understanding and skills in a workplace environment. Assessment criteria can be found in the Moderation Handbook. 6 Consistency of assessment across centres

Assessment across all centres includes: • external assessment of the project proposal by the external moderator against set criteria, which brings an important element of externality to the assessment process • internal assessment – locally set and marked assignments and a project, which are moderated by the external moderator. 7 Barriers to the achievement of the CIpD Standards Some of the most common shortcomings in assessed work exhibit some of the following features: • excessive reliance on perspectives acquired from a single sector or single organisation • lack of awareness of up-to-date developments in the management and development of people • uncritical acceptance of the status quo • an inability to relate learning acquired to business and corporate purposes. 8 programme delivery

With the introduction of the new Standards there has been a change to the national moderation process. External moderators are appointed to centres by the CIPD on a regional basis and undertake the role under the direction of regional and chief moderators to ensure that all centres meet the Institute’s Standards.

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The content of the programme must cover the Standards as detailed in this publication. • You must provide a minimum of 120 tutor contact hours, and candidates should spend an additional minimum 120 on

individual study. • You must provide opportunities for the development and assessment of skills. In the case of programmes offered only in the evenings there needs to be extended learning opportunities, ie one to two full days, to support the development of core skills. • Tutorial time should be embedded into programme delivery but excluded from the 120 taught hours. 9 Skills development A major objective of certificate-level programmes is to develop students' operational competence and confidence as well as to provide a basis for future development. It is therefore essential that the knowledge gained is supplemented by the inclusion of core skills that will be required by entrants to the profession at a support level. The development of core skills should proceed as an integral part of the study programme and should lead naturally from the study of the relevant theory and practice. In order to provide the opportunity to develop and practise these skills, sufficient programme time should be allocated to skills development, which should in turn be supported by tutorial coaching and feedback.

Common elements for all CIPD certificate qualifications | Support-level Standards

Common elements for all CIPD certificate qualifications All CIPD certificate-level qualifications cover certain knowledge, skills and competencies. For educational centres, these may be taught and assessed separately, or integrated into the teaching and assessment arrangements for the particular programme. Centres must be able to indicate where these are covered in their programme design. Guidelines on the assessment schedule for certificate-level programmes are set out in the Quality Management Handbook.

Communication

Understanding the work context

Candidates must demonstrate that they are able to:

Candidates must demonstrate that they are able to:

• write a report • obtain information by interview • give and receive feedback on behaviour and performance • build relationships with others.

• plan and administer resources • contribute to the interpretation of personnel information.

They must also demonstrate interpersonal skills such as listening, conveying information, responding to questions etc. Self-management (improving own learning and performance) Candidates must demonstrate that they are able to: • set personal objectives • appraise their own performance • reflect on their own practices for the purposes of learning and improvement • maintain a personal development plan.

They must also demonstrate that they understand and can explain: • the corporate environment • factors affecting individual performance (eg systems, relationships, performance criteria, motivation and reward) • the performance management process and its rationale • employment relationships • roles in relation to personnel and development (ie training, personnel and line management) • the concept of contribution to organisational success. Relevant legislation Candidates must demonstrate a broad understanding of, and be able to explain, relevant legislation. The common certificate elements are integrated into the indicative content. It has been customised to reflect the role of a personnel practitioner.

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Support-level Standards | Certificate in Personnel Practice

Certificate in Personnel Practice Purpose

The Certificate in Personnel Practice (CPP) is a foundation-level programme, at an equivalent level to NVQ/ SVQ Level 3 in Personnel Support. Successful candidates receive the CIPD Certificate in Personnel Practice and are eligible for Associate membership of the Institute. However, completing the Certificate in Personnel Practice and/or gaining Associate membership does not imply that the candidate should automatically progress to study at the Professional Development Scheme level.

potential candidates

aims

This qualification is intended for:

The Certificate in Personnel Practice is intended to:

• anyone working at the level of personnel assistant, personnel administrator or personnel officer, whose role is to provide support for key aspects of the personnel function • someone new to, or aspiring to, a career in the personnel function • line managers, supervisors or team leaders who wish to gain the same level of personnel skills as practitioners at this level • the owners or managers of small businesses.

• develop the skills needed in personnel work • serve as an introduction to the personnel department’s work • provide an awareness of: - the context of personnel functions - the key issues that impact on personnel issues • provide a platform for studies in personnel. The Standard can be used as: • a developmental programme to underpin the NVQ/ SVQ in Personnel • a stand-alone qualification programme in its own right • a potential framework for a Modern Apprenticeship in personnel.

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Certificate in Personnel Practice | Support-level Standards

performance indicators

1 Human resource plans and organisational context Operational indicators

Indicative content

Practitioners must be able to:

1

1

Contribute to the development and implementation of a human resource plan that meets business objectives for both expansion and contraction. 2 Contribute to the collection, maintenance, reporting on and interpretation of computerised personnel information.

Practitioners must understand and be able to explain:

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1

10

Knowledge indicators

2

3

4 5

The organisational context of the personnel function – political, economic, social, technological, environmental and labour-related. The key roles and tasks of the personnel function and its contribution to organisational success as a line management and as a specialist function. Basic employment legislation affecting personnel practice, including: • employment contracts • health and safety • equal opportunities • diversity. The basic principles of human resource planning. The benefits and principles of a computerised personnel system and the professional and legal

requirements for confidentiality and security of

personnel records.

11 12 13

14 15 16 17

An overview of the personnelfunction and: • the internal and external factors impacting on it • the business context in which it operates • its contribution to organisational success. Organisational structure and organisational charts. PESTLE and SWOT analyses. Business objectives and the links to HR plans. The demand for and supply of labour. Flexible working practices. Internal and external labour markets. Absence management. Relationships with colleagues, customers, line managers and other stakeholders. Employment relationships, including the contract of employment, contract for service and the psychological contract. Health and safety. Expansion and contraction; redundancy and termination. Personnel records including: • computerised personnel information systems • personnel databases and spreadsheets • security and confidentiality • data protection. Recording and analysing information, and presenting the results. The range of recording and retrieval systems and criteria for their selection. The business case for introducing improvements. Factors that affect introduction and implementation, such as: • feasibility • relevance • timing • management support • employee support • resources.

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Support-level Standards | Certificate in Personnel Practice

2 Recruitment and selection

3 Training and development

Operational indicators

Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to:

Practitioners must be able to: 1 Contribute to the recruitment process by playing a part in: • job analysis interviews • writing job descriptions and person specifications • writing copy for recruitment advertisements • submitting appropriate media for advertisements. 2 Contribute to the selection process by playing a part in: • shortlisting • selection interviewing • the decision-making process. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must understand and be able to explain: 1

The key stages of recruitment and selection and the use of appropriate media and selection processes in differing circumstances. 2 The basic legislation underpinning the recruitment and selection process and the impact that equal opportunities legislation has on the process, and on organisational policy and practice. Indicative content

1 The recruitment and selection process, including: • job analysis, job descriptions and person

specifications

• recruitment methods • shortlisting • selection interviewing • testing • terms and conditions of employment

• offer letters

• the legislation relating to contracts. 2 Induction. 3 Discrimination on the grounds of disability, race, gender, age. 4 Methods of information-gathering (including interviews, discussions and questionnaires).

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1 2 3 4

Identify training needs.

Design a learning event to meet identified needs.

Prepare and deliver a learning event.

Evaluate training and development events.

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must understand and be able to explain: 1 The indicators of training and development needs and the range of methods for identifying needs. 2 The principles of learning and their impact on training design and delivery. 3 The principles of training design and delivery, the range of options and media and the respective advantages and disadvantages. 4 Evaluations of training and development. 5 Key government training initiatives. Indicative content 1 The links between business plans and training and development. 2 The principles of learning. 3 The systematic training cycle, covering: • identification of training needs • design and delivery of training • evaluation of training • range of training methods and learning

opportunities.

4 Government training initiatives, including Investors in People (IiP), NVQs/SVQs.

Certificate in Personnel Practice | Support-level Standards

4 performance management and employee relations Operational indicators

Indicative content


1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

Conduct an appraisal interview.

Agree and review performance targets.

Contribute to grievance and disciplinary interviews.

Contribute to the operation of pay and reward

systems.

Objective-setting, motivation, performance review. Giving and receiving constructive feedback. Handling poor performance. Handling discipline and grievance and taking account of the related legislation. 5 Reward systems and administration. 6 Effective strategies for involvement and participation.

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must understand and be able to explain: 1 The purposes of performance management, appraisal and review, and the link with business objectives. 2 The legislation and organisational good practice relating to: • grievance • discipline • reward management • termination of employment • performance management. 3 The components of an effective pay and reward system and its administration. 4 Common processes for consultation and participation.

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Support-level Standards | Certificate in Training Practice

Certificate in Training Practice Purpose The Certificate in Training Practice (CTP) is a foundation-level Standard, at an equivalent level to NVQ/SVQ Level 3 in Learning and Development. The Certificate in Training Practice is a stand-alone qualification, valid in its own right. Successful candidates receive the CIPD Certificate in Training Practice and are eligible for Associate membership of the Institute. However, completing the Certificate in Training Practice and/or gaining Associate membership does not imply that the candidate should automatically progress to study at the Professional Development Scheme level.


aims


The Certificate in Training Practice is intended to:

• those involved in training and development in organisations or working as independent trainers • training administrators seeking a broader understanding of the principles of training and development • those aspiring to a career in training and development • managers with responsibility for training and development.

• specify the operational performance standards needed for the qualification, and the knowledge and skills that an effective trainer needs • develop an awareness of the context for training and development, and the key issues that impact on its planning and delivery. The Standard can be used as a basis for: • development programmes designed to develop and assess competence against the CIPD Standards • a developmental programme to underpin the NVQ/ SVQ in Learning and Development. This specification incorporates much of the knowledge and understanding which underpins the national standards for learning and development at NVQ/SVQ level 3, and those for assessors/verifiers.

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Certificate in Training Practice | Support-level Standards


1 Training in context Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Manage their own personal and professional development. 2 Build effective relationships with colleagues and customers. 3 Plan, monitor and keep records of training sessions. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must understand and be able to explain: 1 Continuing personal and professional development • The principles of self-evaluation and personal development planning and the strategies, support and sources needed to put it into practice. 2 The organisational context • The contribution that training and development makes to organisational success and the factors that influence its effectiveness. • Organisational roles and relationships in relation to personnel and development. • The effect of legislation and government influence on training practice. 3 Management and administration • Factors to consider when planning and organising training sessions and selecting from the range of training record systems. Indicative content 1 Continuing personal and professional development • Continuing Professional Development – the

definition and the CIPD policy.

• Methods of self-analysis and self-assessment, including reflection, reviewing one’s own performance and seeking feedback from other people such as colleagues, clients etc. • Giving and receiving constructive feedback. • Personal goals, targets and development plans. • Factors affecting personal performance and

preferences for personal development.

• Strategies and sources for personal development. • Useful frameworks for benchmarking, analysis and planning (including CIPD Standards). • Current debates and developments in training and development. 2 The organisational context • The context in which training and development operates in an organisation, and factors affecting its effectiveness (eg budgets, attitudes to training, line management interest and support etc). • PESTLE and SWOT analysis. • Relationships, with colleagues, customers, line managers, HR (recruitment, selection, appraisal etc) and other stakeholders. • The performance management process and its

rationale.

• Employment relationships (including non-employees such as agents or contract staff and external providers of services). • Factors affecting individual performance (eg systems, performance criteria, reward, motivation, management style and relationships). • Employment legislation and good practice relating to personnel and training practice, in health and safety, equal opportunities and diversity, and data protection. • Security and confidentiality. • Government influences on training practice (eg IiP, NVQs/SVQs). • Information and communication technology and its potential for training and development. 3 Management and administration • Techniques of resource planning and allocation. • Cost factors and sources of funding. • Factors to consider in planning training sessions (eg venues, facilities, cost, equipment, people resources). • Cost/benefit techniques and their application to

training situations.

• The range of recording and retrieval systems and criteria for their selection.

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2 Identifying and prioritising learning needs Operational indicators

Indicative content


1 Identifying learning needs • A range of methods for identifying learning needs (including task and job analysis). • Sources of information relevant to learning needs (including job roles/job descriptions, performance standards, performance assessments, individual and departmental objectives). • Methods of information-gathering (including interviews, discussions, questionnaires). • Personal factors affecting individual learning (eg learning styles and preferences, access, timing). • Work factors affecting individual learning (eg organisational requirements and priorities, constraints/resources, support). 2 Recommending learning opportunities • The range of learning opportunities, their advantages and disadvantages (eg internal/external, formal and informal methods, online or distance learning, qualifications, providers). • Principles of equality of access/opportunity (eg equal opportunities legislation and good practice, non discriminatory language. • Training plans, for individuals and groups.

1 Identify, prioritise and agree learning needs with individuals and groups, using appropriate methods of analysis. 2 Recommend learning and development opportunities relevant to identified needs. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must understand and be able to explain: 1 Identifying learning needs • Methods and sources of information for identifying learning needs. • Factors affecting individual learning, in and out of the workplace. 2 Recommending learning opportunities • The range of learning opportunities, including workplace and e-learning, their advantages and disadvantages, and principles of equality of access/ opportunity.

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Certificate in Training Practice | Support-level Standards

3 Designing training and assessment Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Design training and development sessions for individual learners or groups. 2 Prepare and/or develop relevant materials and facilities to support training and development sessions. 3 Assess and provide feedback to learners. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must understand and be able to explain: 1 Designing training • The principles of adult learning. • The principles of effective design, and the range of factors affecting design. • The range of training/learning methods, their advantages and disadvantages, and criteria for their selection. 2 Materials and facilities • The range of audio, visual, and technology-based learning aids, for use in design and delivery, and criteria for their selection. 3 Assessment • Methods for assessing learning, their advantages and disadvantages and criteria for their selection. Indicative content 1 Designing training • Principles of adult learning, including learning styles. • Factors affecting design (including objectives, learners, numbers, location, resources, facilities and equipment, management support, constraints). • The structure and purpose of performance, training, and learning objectives. • How to structure a training and development session (including purpose and objectives, logic, sequence, timing, summaries). • The range of methods for delivery and when they are appropriate (eg 1:1 coaching, presentation, demonstration, exercises, group activities, online learning).

• Broader learning solutions, when they are appropriate and how to integrate them into more formal training. • The rationale and benefits of building an evaluation strategy into the design. • Underlying issues – health and safety, principles of equality and non-discrimination. • Preparation and tutor plans. • Planning to transfer and support the learning back in the workplace. 2 Materials and facilities • The purpose and principles of using/presenting materials (eg visual aids, media). • Sources and criteria for selecting relevant types of learning materials (including styles, formats and purpose). • How to adapt materials for different learners. • Facilities and equipment and how to select and use them. • Technology-based equipment and systems; what they can contribute to design, delivery and evaluation; when and how to use them. 3 Assessment • The scope, purpose and principles of assessment. • Issues for assessment (eg performance, knowledge, skills, attitudes). • Assessment methods available (eg questioning, tests, simulations, interviews, work-based evidence, observation, assignments). • Criteria for selection of assessment methods (eg validity/reliability, resources available, legal and organisational requirements, individual opportunities). • Principles and purpose of reviews. • Sources of information on the progress of learners (qualitative/quantitative). • Methods of collecting information on the progress of learners. • Methods of recording and storing information. • Principles of equality and non-discrimination in assessment.

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4 Delivering and evaluating training Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Prepare, deliver and review a range of practical learning sessions for individuals and groups. 2 Evaluate training and development sessions for individuals and groups, using appropriate methods and make improvements as appropriate. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must understand and be able to explain: 1 Delivering training sessions • The range of delivery styles and presentation techniques, including online learning, skills needed, advantages and disadvantages and criteria for their selection. • How to create a climate conducive to learning, and overcome barriers to learning. 2 Review and evaluation • The purpose, principles, scope and focus of evaluation. • Evaluation methods and procedures and criteria for their selection. • Factors to consider when recommending and making improvements. Indicative content 1 Delivering training sessions • Methods and styles of delivery (eg coaching, demonstration, instruction, giving information, facilitation of group participation), their relevance for different objectives, and skills needed for delivery. • Presentation techniques (eg voice, mannerisms, language, pace, non-verbals). • The structure, objectives, selection and sequencing of content. • Room layouts and the physical environment, including health and safety issues. • Use of visual aids (eg flipchart, whiteboard, OHP, slides, multi-media).

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• Use of learning aids (eg audio/video, IT, handouts, exercises, simulations, samples). • Barriers to learning and how to overcome them. • Creating a climate conducive to learning (eg establishing rapport, interaction with learners, putting learners at ease). • Participative training methods (eg discussion, questions and answers, exercises and group activities). • Managing group dynamics (eg different types of group, factors likely to affect learning and behaviour in groups, dealing with quiet or argumentative learners). • The support needed by learners (eg checking understanding, tackling learning transfer). • Principles of giving feedback to learners (eg formal/ informal, formative/summative, verbal/written, individuals/groups, prioritising). • Questioning and listening. • Issues of equality of opportunity and non-discriminatory practice (eg possible sources of bias, promoting equality). 2 Review and evaluation • Principles, scope and purpose of evaluation. • Methods and procedures for monitoring and evaluation and criteria for their selection. • Criteria for evaluation (eg objectives, design, learning/ training methods, delivery, content, level, resources and facilities, changes in capabilities of learners, impact on performance, organisation of sessions, cost/benefit analysis etc). • Information collection techniques (eg discussions, written feedback, individual/group, questionnaires etc). • Recording and analysis of information and presentation of results. • Reasoned recommendations and actions for introducing improvements. • Factors that will affect implementation of the improvements (eg feasibility, relevance, timing, management support, resources etc).

Certificate in Recruitment and Selection | Support-level Standards

Certificate in Recruitment and Selection Purpose The Certificate in Recruitment and Selection (CRS) is a foundation-level Standard, at an equivalent level to NVQ/SVQ level 3. It fully incorporates the knowledge and understanding standards of the NVQ/SVQ Level 3 in Recruitment and successful candidates receive the CIPD Certificate in Recruitment and Selection and are eligible for Associate membership of the Institute.


aims

This qualification is intended for personnel officers, recruitment consultants and line managers with responsibility for recruitment and selection who either:

It is intended to:

• operate in a personnel support role within an organisation, recruiting and selecting staff for that organisation; or • provide a recruitment and selection consultancy service to another organisation.

• develop competence in the range of personnel skills needed for this role • provide the necessary underpinning of knowledge and understanding • address the difficult potential conflicts of interest and competing concerns that a recruitment consultant has to handle when balancing the needs of individuals seeking jobs and their own concern to secure a placement fee. The Certificate in Recruitment and Selection is a selfstanding programme and is a valid qualification in its own right. It is also a valuable bridge for openaccess candidates wishing to enter the Professional Development Scheme, and can act as a taster for those seeking longer-term development. There is some overlap between the Certificate in Recruitment and Selection and the Certificate in Personnel Practice in the area of recruitment and basic employment legislation.

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Support-level Standards | Certificate in Recruitment and Selection

performance indicators 1 The context of recruitment and selection and application of information systems

2 The recruitment process





1 Maintain records of the recruitment and selection process to facilitate personnel decision-making, including computer records. 2 Locate and record details of local labour markets. 3 Maintain an awareness of current and emergent patterns of employment.

1 Contribute to the identification of recruitment needs in their own or in a client organisation. 2 Assist job-seekers in applying for vacancies. 3 Undertake recruitment administration on behalf of their own organisation or client company. Knowledge indicators

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must understand and be able to explain: Practitioners must understand and be able to explain: 1 The context of recruitment and selection, in their own organisation or a client’s organisation. 2 The importance of local and/or national labour markets and their impact on recruitment to an organisation. 3 The role of information technology in the provision of recruitment and selection services and activities; the need to keep systematic and accurate records. 4 Employment trends and their implications for recruitment and selection, including short-term contracts, consultancy contracts, outsourcing, agency staff and temporary employment. Indicative content 1 The context for recruitment and selection, including: • local and national labour markets, employment and demographic trends, skill shortages • the organisational context eg structure, culture,

sector

• personnel information systems, databases of candidates, Internet-based recruitment, spreadsheets, security aspects and data protection • the variety of employment needs, use of

outsourcing, agency staff.

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1 The core activities of personnel practice in the areas of recruitment, recruitment consultancy and client services. Indicative content 1 The recruitment and selection process, including: • job analysis, job descriptions and person

specifications

• selecting appropriate advertising media and

producing copy for advertisements.

Certificate in Recruitment and Selection | Support-level Standards

3 The selection process

4 The legal, ethical and professional issues of recruitment and selection





1 Identify suitably qualified applicants for vacancies. 2 Identify and implement appropriate selection tools eg interviews, tests etc.

1 Take account of relevant employment legislation. 2 Create, develop and maintain effective working relationships with candidates, clients and the organisation. 3 Take responsibility for their own continuing professional development. 4 Comply with professional and ethical requirements.

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must understand and be able to explain: 1 The core activities of personnel practice in the areas of selection and client services.

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must understand and be able to explain:

Indicative content 1 Establishing and using criteria and procedures for shortlisting acceptable potential employees. 2 Systematic selection interviewing and decision-making (including physical resources and the conditions and surroundings necessary for a successful interview). 3 The use of psychometric tests, health questionnaires, induction, biodata, assessment centres, video-based interviewing. 4 Giving feedback to potential candidates, particularly after psychometric tests.

1 Basic employment legislation in relation to contracts of employment, equal opportunity, health and safety. 2 Customer needs and requirements, and the establishment of effective working relationships. 3 Requirements for a healthy, safe and productive working environment. 4 The significance of professional standards and codes of practice, especially equal opportunity, managing diversity and professional and ethical behaviour. Indicative content 1 Basic employment law, including: • contracts of employment • equal opportunity (race, sex, disability, ex-offenders etc) • health and safety • terms and conditions of employment

• offer letters.

2 Developing and maintaining effective working relationships with candidates, clients and organisations based on clear specifications of the job role and the person needed. 3 Contract law in relation to employment, contracts for fixed terms or for services, the Data Protection Act, maternity regulations and law. 4 Professional and ethical standards and codes of practice.

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Support-level Standards | Certificate in Employment Relations, Law and Practice

Certificate in Employment Relations, Law and Practice Purpose The Certificate in Employment Relations, Law and Practice (CERLAP) is a foundation-level programme, at an equivalent level to NVQ/SVQ Level 3 in Personnel. Successful candidates receive the CIPD Certificate in Employment Relations, Law and Practice and are eligible for Associate Membership of the Institute. However, completing the Certificate in Employment Relations, Law and Practice, and/or gaining Associate membership, does not imply that the candidate should automatically progress to Professional Development Scheme level.


aims


The Certificate in Employment Relations, Law and Practice is intended to:

• anyone working at the level of personnel/human resources or employee relations assistant, administrator, adviser or officer, whose role is to provide support for key aspects of the employment function • someone new to, or aspiring to, a career in personnel, human resources or employee relations • line managers, supervisors or team leaders who wish to gain the same level of skills in employment practice as practitioners at this level • the owners or managers of small businesses.

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• develop the skills needed in employment practice • serve as an introduction to the work of employment practice, often carried out within personnel departments • develop an awareness of: - the context of employment practice - the key issues that impact on employment practice issues • provide a platform for studies in employment law or personnel management.

Certificate in Employment Relations, Law and Practice | Support-level Standards


1 practice in context (or contextual issues) Operational indicators

Indicative content


1 The changing economic, social, legal, political and technological environment. 2 The concept of the balance of bargaining power. 3 The role of law in regulating the employment relationship (the Government as a legislator). 4 The parties in employee relations, including management and employee representative organisations. 5 The parties in the law-making process – Parliament, the courts, employment tribunals, the institutions of the European Union, the role of social partners in shaping EU-based legislation. 6 The role of the state agencies – the Central Arbitration Committee; the Low Pay Commission; the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service; the Health and Safety Commission; the Equal Opportunities Commission; the Commission for Racial Equality; the Disability Rights Commission; and equivalent agencies in the Irish Republic and devolved administrations. 7 The civil and criminal aspects of health and safety at work, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employer liability, including vicarious liability for safe working environment, including managing stress.

1 Access up-to-date sources of information. 2 Advise on impact of legislation. 3 Review organisation systems and policies against good practice/codes. 4 Identify factors that influence bargaining power between employer and employees. 5 Identify advantages of different types of working relationships. 6 Identify rights and duties of employers and employees in relation to health and safety. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must understand and be able to explain: 1 The economic, legal, social, technological, organisational context. 2 The relationship between employer/employee. 3 Guidelines, code of practice, procedures and legislation. 4 The role of Government in the employment relationship. 5 ACAS, CAC, employment tribunals, EAT or their equivalent in Ireland. 6 Civil and criminal aspects of health and safety, employer liability.

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Support-level Standards | Certificate in Employment Relations, Law and Practice

2 Setting up employment contracts

3 Managing the employment relationship





1 Produce employment contracts to suit all circumstances. 2 Review appropriate selection processes, procedures and documentation. 3 Implement procedures on discrimination. 4 Review induction procedures in relation to good practice. 5 Implement procedures on data protection. 6 Review the staff handbook in relation to good practice.

1 Implement procedures on performance management. 2 Implement procedures on: • grievance • discipline • dispute. 3 Prepare for and contribute to the bargaining process. 4 Contribute to resolving disputes – including use of mediation and alternative dispute resolution (ADR). 5 Undertake basic fact-finding interviews for appraisal, grievance and discipline. 6 Provide advice on family-related leave and rights (ie maternity, paternity etc), absence, holidays and working time, pay and benefits.

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must understand and be able to explain: 1 Contracts – full-time, part-time, fixed-term, agency workers and temporary workers. 2 Legislation relating to recruitment selection. 3 Asylum and immigration. 4 Legislation relating to discrimination. 5 Working time. 6 Data protection legislation and best practice. Indicative content 1 The nature and significance of the employment contract and the differing working relationships eg temporary, casual, agency, permanent, probationary. 2 The intervention of the state in the employment contract in relation to recruitment and selection including the Asylum and Immigration Act, and the Access to Medical Records Act. 3 Legislation and case law relating to discrimination in the employment relationship (race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion etc) and equal pay. 4 Legislation providing minimum standards in pay (the national minimum wage), holidays and working time (Working Time Regulations) and the work–life balance (flexible working provisions). 5 The legal implications of a reference, both when giving and receiving them, and the effect of data protection legislation on privacy and confidentiality. 6 Skills in setting up employment contracts – interviewing, presentational, listening, chairing etc.

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Knowledge indicators Practitioners must understand and be able to explain: 1 Performance management good practice. 2 Grievance and discipline legislation and codes of practice. 3 Discrimination legislation and good practice. 4 Individual and collective conflict. 5 Sources of referrals in conflict. ADR processes. 6 Legislation on family-related matters, absence, working time and holidays etc.

Certificate in Employment Relations, Law and Practice | Support-level Standards

4 Managing the (or an) exit from employment Indicative content


1 Procedure for performance appraisal, staff development and links with the reward systems. 2 Dispute resolution procedures: • grievance • discipline • job grading • trade union recognition • promotion • the interpretation and application of agreements (commonly referred to as disputes procedures). 3 Dispute resolution processes: • collective bargaining • joint consultation and information-giving institutions • voluntary arbitration in trade disputes • voluntary arbitration as an alternative to the employment tribunal system in, for example, alleged unfair dismissal disputes and disputes over requests for more flexible working arrangements. 4 Preparing for, conducting and concluding grievancehandling matters; the management of disciplinary incidents; bargaining. 5 Preparing for, conducting and concluding meetings of consultation and information-giving bodies. 6 Skills required to manage the employment relationship – interviewing, listening, watching, chairing, oral presentation, note-taking, report writing, numeracy (to estimate the costs of compromise). 7 The law relating to: variation of contracts, statutory grievance and disciplinary procedures, bullying and harassment, disability, trade union recognition, industrial action, information and consultation. 8 Individual employee rights: family-friendly rights (maternity, paternity, adoptive leave and pay), time off for public, trade union and other statutory and contractual duties.

Practitioners must be able to: 1 Implement procedure: • termination, dispute • redundancy • exit interview. 2 Maintain records of employment. 3 Recognise when TUPE situation exists. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must understand and be able to explain: 1 Legislation relating to: • unfair and constructive dismissals and employment tribunals • consultation. 2 Contract law in relation to: • termination • pay in lieu of notice/garden leave etc • wrongful dismissal. 3 Issues raised by TUPE/mergers and acquisitions/ consultation. Indicative content 1 Exit from employment procedures eg redundancy procedures, dismissal. 2 Managing employment relationship in mergers, take overs and acquisitions. 3 The importance of exit interviews. 4 The relevant law and case decisions relating to dismissing fairly, managing redundancy situations; the transfer of undertakings. 5 Skills required to manage effectively the exit from employment – interviewing, listening, oral and written presentation, negotiating, assertiveness, numeracy (eg to calculate redundancy compensation payments).

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Research and Reasoning Skills in a Business Context Quantitative Skills for Business Analysis

Understanding

the Business

Environment

Self-Management and Study Skills for Professional Development

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Certificate in Business awareness and advanced professional Study


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Assessment philosophy for the Certificate in Business Awareness and Advanced Professional Study (for educational centres)

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Assessment philosophy | Certificate in Business awareness and advanced professional Study

Assessment philosophy for the Certificate in Business Awareness and Advanced Professional Study (for educational centres) 1. philosophy, level and positioning of the CIpD professional Standards One of the key objectives of the CIPD is the establishment, monitoring and promotion of standards and ethics for the profession. The Institute has therefore defined standards across the whole spectrum of personnel and development, taking into account both generalist and specialist functions. The Standards are currently accredited on the National Qualifications Framework at: • level 3 – Certificate in Personnel Practice, Certificate in Training Practice, Certificate in Recruitment and Selection and Certificate in Employment Relations, Law and Practice • level 7 – postgraduate diploma and certificates in Personnel and Development. 2 Rationale for the level 6 Certificate in Business awareness and advanced professional Study (CBaapS)

3 Candidates and their progression expectations The level 6 certificate is aimed at two categories of candidates: • those whose highest qualification is at level 3, as classified in the National Qualifications Framework (this level includes the CIPD’s Certificate Awards: CPP, CTP, CRS and CERLAP, NVQ level 3 and GCE A-level and AS-level) who wish to access an M-level programme • those with an H-level qualification (a UK first degree or equivalent) which is not in a business or social sciences or relevant arts subject but who wish to study a social sciences subject at M level. It will also be of value to candidates who have not studied for many years or who have been out of the workplace for a time. 4 assessment philosophy

The level 3 certificate programmes provide a practical programme for approximately 7,000 candidates a year who wish to develop the knowledge and competence required for operation at support level in personnel management or training and development. Level 7 provides a demanding professional programme for about 5,000 candidates a year who wish to operate at a professional level in the management and development of people.

The philosophy of assessment of the CBAAPS programme is to assess whether candidates have developed a sufficient level of analytical skills and business awareness to progress successfully to postgraduate study, specifically to the CIPD Professional Development Scheme.

Research undertaken by the CIPD over the last few years has demonstrated that candidates completing the certificate programmes, the majority of whom are non-graduates, experience difficulty in adapting to the postgraduate-level qualification. This is because they have not developed the analytical, numeracy and research skills or business awareness that is necessary to succeed at this level.

• the level of analytical thinking required to progress to postgraduate study • the potential to become a thinking performer as a CIPD professional • an understanding of the five key BACKUP competencies.

In particular, we are trying to assess whether candidates have achieved:

The level 6 Certificate in Business Awareness and Advanced Professional Study has been designed to develop these skills and awareness and therefore enable candidates to join the Professional Development Scheme with the right entry level of knowledge, skills and attitudes to succeed on an M-level programme.

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Certificate in Business awareness and advanced professional Study | Assessment philosophy

The thinking performer Candidates as thinking performers demonstrate potential for: • thinking that is not limited to their organisational level • understanding of organisation strategy and its context (both internal and external) • understanding of how to produce plans that will effectively implement strategy at the business unit and individual levels of the organisation. The BaCKUp framework The BACKUP framework highlights five key competencies: • • • • •

Business orientation Application Capability Knowledge of the subject matter Understanding Persuasion and presentation skills.

CBAAPS candidates will be working towards demonstrating the BACKUP competencies by showing that they can meet many of the following: • deal with complex issues systematically and creatively • make sound judgements in the absence of complete data • achieve originality in tackling and solving problems • plan and advise on how to implement tasks • propose/make convincing, feasible and ethical decisions on complex and unpredictable situations • communicate their conclusions clearly to non-specialist audiences.

Business report proposal that will be assessed externally against preset criteria. Case study assessment with unseen questions this will be an open-book examination. Prior to the examination, background information eg an industry profile, will be distributed to candidates. They will be encouraged to discuss/analyse this background information in groups. The examination itself will consist of further case study details and unseen questions to be assessed against criteria that are internally set but reflect the criteria in 6, Level of assessment, below. This will be internally assessed and externally moderated. CpD record and log in the CIPD format demonstrating critical thinking. This will be internally assessed and externally moderated. 6 level of assessment The elements will be assessed at first degree level and will be graded according to the following generic criteria: pass (50–59 per cent)

5 elements of assessment

Ability to meet the majority of the following:

There will be four elements of assessment:

a Understand key concepts and theories, causes, influences, issues and relevant trends. b Identify problems and issues, blockages and barriers. c Apply appropriate models and analytical tools to analyse and understand the problem. d Design a realistic research project that includes consideration of alternative methods/approaches, blockages and barriers.

• • • •

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Business report – this will take the form of a 2,000–3,000-word (excluding appendices) business report that addresses a problem within the candidate’s own organisation or one with which they are familiar. Candidates who cannot access an organisation will be supported in accessing one or using the web to access the annual report and accounts and profile of an organisation. If the later is used, each candidate must use a different organisation. This will be internally assessed and externally moderated.

a a a a

2,000–3,000-word business report business report proposal – externally assessed case study assessment with unseen questions CPD plan and record.

Assessment philosophy | Certificate in Business awareness and advanced professional Study

e Collect data and identify sources of reference and underpinning data. f Systematically analyse data. g Develop realistic conclusions that address key issues and explore alternatives. h Make realistic, prioritised, costed and justified recommendations, including an implementation plan. i Present information clearly and concisely using appropriate style, format and visual methods and correct grammar and spelling. Merit (60–69 per cent) Ability to meet the Pass criteria and demonstrate the majority of the following: a Understanding of the wider implications and context. b Awareness of complexity and short- and long-term impact. c Identification of causes and influence through application of models and analytical tools. d Critical analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the approaches identified. e Extensive research, and accurately and clearly referenced data. f Critical evaluation of issues and evidence of an appreciation of uncertainty and limits of knowledge. g Evaluation of alternatives and awareness of causes, influences and contextual issues, uncertainty and limits of knowledge. h Awareness and consideration given to horizontal and vertical integration and overcoming barriers. i Clarity and conciseness in communicating information and ideas with few errors or omissions.

d Originality of thought in design and strategies for dealing with blockages and barriers and their impact. e Focused, comprehensive research that asks questions to achieve or identify a range of solutions. f Complex issues dealt with systematically and creatively; originality in tackling and solving problems and awareness of ambiguity. g Critical evaluation of alternatives, awareness of complexity, wider context, appreciation of ambiguity. h Focus and originality in what is recommended and how it will add value and contribute to the achievement of strategic goals. i Persuasive communication that sells the benefits of a proposal, clearly identifies added values and has clarity, conciseness and accuracy: a professional document. 7 Consistency of assessment A national moderation process exists to ensure that all centres meet the Institute’s Standards. Internally assessed elements will be locally set and marked against generic assessment criteria (used by all centres), moderated by an external moderator under the direction of a Chief Moderator. The business report proposal will be externally assessed. This will bring an important element of externality to the assessment process. Regional and national standardisation activities will take place annually for both moderated and externally assessed work in order to ensure national standards. 8 principles of assessment

Distinction (70 per cent plus) Ability to meet Pass and Merit criteria and demonstrate: a Detailed analysis of implications of the wider context. b Awareness of limits of knowledge and complexity of the situation and wider issues. c Originality in analysing and critiquing findings and assumptions and awareness of limits of knowledge available.

In order to ensure that consistency of assessment is maintained across all centres, the following three principles are central: • There must be some external assessment in any programme leading to the CIPD level 6 certificate – the external assessment of the business report proposal. • The assessment must stretch across the range of the CBAAPS Standards.

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Certificate in Business awareness and advanced professional Study | Assessment philosophy

• While the programme is a development programme which enables considerable personal growth, no centre should compromise the validity of the assessment by providing inappropriate guidance or other advantage to individual candidates to enable them to meet the CIPD Standards. 9 Barriers to the achievement of the CIpD Standards Some of the most common shortcomings in assessed work exhibit some of the following features: • Excessive reliance on perspectives acquired from a single sector or single organisation. • Lack of awareness of up-to-date developments in the management and development of people. • Simplistic and naïve assumptions coupled with a lack of political and ethical sensitivity and behavioural inflexibility. • Uncritical acceptance of the status quo. • An inability to relate learning acquired to business and corporate purposes. 10 awarding and reporting The following valid and reliable method of combining assessment outcomes will be used to determine awards. • The business report proposal and CPD plan and log must meet ‘satisfactory’ criteria. The grades for the business report and the case study assessment will be equally weighted and combined to arrive at the final grade. • There is a robust method of reporting results: the CIPD moderator allocated to the centre or the Chief Moderator must endorse the candidates’ results before the certificate is awarded.

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Certificate in Business Awareness and Advanced Professional Study Purpose This programme aims to develop, within a business context, the analytical, application, numerical, research and personal transferable skills that are needed at entry level to an M-level programme in a social science/ business subject, specifically, the CIPD Professional Development Scheme (PDS).


aims

The Certificate is aimed principally at two categories of candidates:

• To enable candidates to make the transition from a level 3 or non-relevant degree programme onto postgraduate programmes. Specifically, to join the PDS with the right entry-level knowledge, skills and attitudes that will be necessary to succeed on an Mlevel programme.

• to assist those whose highest qualification is at level 3, as classified in the National Qualifications Framework (this level includes NVQ level 3, GCE A-level/AS-level, certificate-level programmes such as the CIPD’s own CTP, CPP, CRS and CERLAP awards), to make the transition to study at postgraduate level • to assist those with an H-level qualification (a UK first degree or equivalent) which is not in a business or social sciences or relevant arts subject, who have not therefore been exposed to the expectations of Hlevel study outputs in the social sciences, to make the transition to study a social sciences subject at M-level.

Mode of delivery • This programme will normally be provided as an introductory module, before embarking on the PDS. • Alternatively, it could be provided as a spine throughout the initial phase of the programme.

However, it may also be of value to candidates who have either not studied for many years or who have been out of the workplace for a time.

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1 Research and reasoning skills in a business context

2 Understanding the business environment





1 Analyse a business problem using a case study. 2 Apply critical thinking to current business or personal problems. 3 Use web and library technology for information gathering. 4 Present information in assignments and reports. Knowledge indicators

1 Identify the relationship between organisations and their environment. 2 Apply analytical tools to internal and external problems. 3 Apply thinking skills to case studies in order to analyse business situations. 4 Apply the CIPD model of human resource management.



1 The different levels of thinking required on transition to postgraduate study. 2 The difference between inductive and deductive reasoning. 3 Research and information-gathering skills. 4 The BACKUP model, and communication through report writing.


Indicative content 1 Levels of thinking at Masters and undergraduate levels, introduction to the nature and demands of the PDS. 2 Development of critical thought processes and perspectives, thinking outside the box, ability to understand the content questions. 3 Research methods to gather quantitative and qualitative information. 4 Planning and writing up of assignments and reports as persuasive documents; setting objectives, establishing parameters and managing available time; researching, analysing and presenting information, correct referencing, avoiding plagiarism, in preparation for a management report.

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1 The strategic decision-making process. 2 The use of PESTLE, BOSTON and SWOT analytical tools. 3 The role and function of human resource management, and vertical and horizontal integration. 4 The CIPD model for HRM (resourcing, relations, reward, development, context and integration) and their respective strategic objectives. Indicative content 1 Framework for analysis of an organisation’s position in its business environment. 2 Business strategy and organisational structures, and the use of analytical tools to understand these. 3 Contemporary approaches to human resource management and the management of people. 4 Strategic partnerships between personnel and development functions and line managers, the thinking performer, and adding value. Vertical integration and ‘best fit’ policies; horizontal integration – good practice HRM.


3 Self-management and study skills for professional 4 Quantitative skills for development business analysis Operational indicators




1 Identify a learning style as a basis for self-development. 2 Manage themselves and adopt appropriate assertive techniques. 3 Negotiate time and resources for personal development. 4 Develop study skills. 5 Develop skills of academic writing.

1 Use calculations and spreadsheets to analyse and interpret information. 2 Construct and interpret graphs, charts and tables. 3 Using case study examples, develop models of organisation as a system; construct systems diagrams. 4 Sort and order data; use numerical information to analyse business problems; use analysis of data to justify recommendations for action.

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must understand and be able to explain: 1 The use of learning theories, learning styles, including Gagne, Bloom and Kolb. 2 How to identify learning needs and strategies to meet them. 3 Negotiating theory, achieving win–win. 4 Study-skill techniques. 5 Techniques of written communication and persuasion. Indicative content 1 Introduction to learning skills and styles, CPD logs, learning portfolios. 2 Self-analysis and personal development plans; self-management and the use of assertiveness in managing self and others. 3 Negotiation and its definition of the different styles and types of negotiation processes. 4 Reading effectively, note-taking both from classroom sessions and from reading, and preparation for assessment and examinations. 5 Argumentation (in particular the need for evidence to support any claim or generalisation).

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must understand and be able to explain: 1 Elementary calculations, simple equations, and their graphical form; relationships between variables. 2 Choice and presentation of information. 3 The basic ideas and thinking of General Systems Theory. 4 The relevance of numeracy to personnel and development specialist; choice of data formats; the importance of using data to convince management; the rational model and its implications; the concept of risk. Indicative content

sheets; profit and loss accounts; simple trading accounts; labour turnover; salary surveys. 2 Pie charts, histograms, tables and graphs. 3 Systems attributes; concepts of holism, emergence and complexity. 4 Internal/external sources of information, eg government statistics; sources of bias; validity and reliability of data. Indicative learning hours Approximately 120 guided learning hours, consisting of: • 75 guided learning hours (input and tutorial) • 45 self-study hours and preparation for assessment. assessment • Business report - report proposal, externally assessed against CIPD criteria - one 2,000-word report,

internally assessed and

externally moderated.

• One time-constrained final assessment eg revealed case study with unseen questions. CpD Students will be expected to undertake and record their CPD in accordance with CIPD guidelines, demonstrating critical thinking, internally assessed and externally moderated.

1 Mean, median, mode, normal distributions elements of balance

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Practitioner-level Standards





49

practitioner-level Standards

practitioner-level Standards

50

Assessment philosophy for the Professional Development Scheme


51


55


151


157


185

Assessment philosophy | practitioner-level Standards

Assessment philosophy for the Professional Development Scheme (for educational centres)

1 philosophy, level and positioning of the CIpD professional Standards These Standards attempt to answer the question ‘What is a CIPD professional?’ The CIPD’s Professional Standards are an articulation of the knowledge and competence required to undertake a professional personnel or training and development role. The ‘business partner’ role represents a model to which CIPD professionals should aspire. In the future, roles will not exist for people who are not able to add value to the business objectives of the organisations for which they work. The level of the qualification has been compared both with those of other professional bodies and with development opportunities in other countries around the world. One of the key objectives of the CIPD is the establishment, monitoring and promotion of standards and ethics for the profession. The Institute has therefore defined standards across the whole spectrum of personnel and development, taking into account both generalist and specialist functions. These standards set out to define what a professional working in people management and development should be able to do or should be able to understand and explain, if he or she is to operate at a professional level, at a support level or at the level of an advanced practitioner. 2 professional Development Scheme (pDS) The PDS is the educational programme based on the CIPD Professional Standards. It is the route whereby the majority of new members of the Institute gain their professional qualification. The mission of the PDS is: ‘To set a professional standard of competence of CIPD Graduates.’ The PDS therefore sets out to produce people whose professional membership of the CIPD will signify to themselves and to others their willingness and ability to maximise the contribution of people to the achievement of corporate objectives, and their ability to offer a high level of expertise in their professional field.

entrants into the profession to progress to full professional status, and provides the basis for the development of the full ‘business partner’ role. 3 assessment philosophy The philosophy of assessment of the PDS is to assess whether candidates have demonstrated that they are CIPD professionals. In particular, we are trying to assess whether candidates have achieved: • the level of a CIPD professional as a thinking performer • the conceptual level of a business partner (Ulrich 1998). The aim of the PDS is not principally to train individuals for effective and efficient performance in their current roles in their current organisations, but rather to prepare them professionally for a variety of roles across a range of corporate scenarios (some of them unforeseeable). The key question that the CIPD asks (through its chief examiners and other examiners at internally assessed centres) is: Is this a person who should go out into the world equipped with the CIPD ‘badge’ of professional competence? 4 Consistency of assessment across internally and externally assessed centres For many years the CIPD and its predecessor institutes have operated two parallel approaches to assessment on programmes leading to certification against their Professional Standards for Graduate membership: • national assessment – a combination of locally set and marked assignments and management research reports, with national moderation on a sampling basis, and nationally set and marked examinations in each module taken • internal assessment – locally set and marked assignments, management research reports and examinations. The Chief Moderator, Standards, and the CIPD accredited examiners ensure consistency of standards through national moderation.

Personnel and development is an open-access profession, and the PDS represents a valuable mechanism for enabling

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practitioner-level Standards | Assessment philosophy

5 principles of assessment

7 level of the examinations

In order to ensure that consistency of assessment is maintained across internally and externally assessed centres, the following three principles are central:

PDS examination papers will be set and marked at postgraduate level. The criteria all postgraduates need to meet are:

• There must be some unseen assessment in any programme leading to Graduate membership of the CIPD. • The assessment must stretch across the whole range of CIPD Standards offered in the particular programme, of which a significant element must be unseen assessment covering a majority of Standards, since this is the most appropriate way to assess across the breadth of the Professional Standards. • No centre should compromise the validity of the unseen assessment by providing explicit guidance about the content of examination questions.

• a systematic understanding of knowledge and a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights • a comprehensive understanding of techniques • a conceptual understanding that enables the student to evaluate critically both current research and methodologies.

6 Crucial barriers to achievement of the pDS Standards These are: • excessive reliance on perspectives acquired from a single sector or single organisation • lack of awareness about significant new developments both in terms of important pieces of research and contemporary organisational practice • simplistic and naive assumptions, coupled with a lack of ‘political’ and ethical sensitivity and behavioural inflexibility • uncritical acceptance of the status quo (and thus the reluctance to absorb a continuous-improvement and transformational-change value system) • an unwillingness to think and act strategically by failing to produce action proposals linked to business and corporate purposes.

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This means that, in responding to questions, candidates must demonstrate: • an ability to analyse issues in a focused and strategically oriented manner • a critical awareness of the role that contemporary personnel and development issues can play in the management of people and organisations • a comprehensive understanding of how and why personnel and development initiatives may be appropriate in different organisational settings. They must show that they can: • deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively • make sound judgements in the absence of complete data • be original in tackling and solving problems • plan and advise on how to implement tasks at a professional-equivalent level • propose/make convincing decisions in complex and unpredictable situations • communicate their conclusions clearly to non-specialist audiences.

Assessment philosophy | practitioner-level Standards

8 CIpD national assessment

2 PDS examination papers: Section A – the case study or project-type question

The CIPD’s national examinations have addressed the principles of assessment, the barriers to achievement of the Standards and the level of the examinations by developing the following structure of national examinations. The following five competencies have been agreed as the key dimensions of the assessment process: • • • • •

business orientation application capability knowledge of the subject matter understanding persuasion and presentation skills.

In both Section A and Section B, questions are set on the performance indicators for a chosen module – and primarily on the knowledge indicators of that module. Since performance indicators do not represent discrete tasks but areas of competence and understanding that are in real life closely inter-related, a single question will often test more than one indicator.

In the PDS, all examination case studies and projecttype questions will test the candidates’ ability to be a thinking performer. They can meet this requirement particularly by: • requiring candidates to demonstrate thinking that is not limited to their organisational level • requiring them to demonstrate an understanding of organisation strategy and its context (both internal and external) • requiring them to demonstrate an understanding of how to produce plans that will effectively implement strategy at the business unit and individual levels of the organisation • requiring them to evaluate and advise on any wider personnel and development or business implications that their recommendations for action may have, so that those recommendations are feasible in the particular organisational context. 3

1

PDS Leadership and Management examination papers: Section A Although the specific approaches employed for the structure of Section A questions in each of the Leadership and Management subjects may differ in detail, the objectives remain identical: namely, to assess the ability of the candidate to ‘manage’ the broad sweep of the relevant subject, to reproduce knowledge that is both relevant and accurate, to evaluate and appraise that knowledge in ways that demonstrate sensitive understanding of the subject matter, and to devise application scenarios (for problem-solving or opportunity-seizing) that are persuasive, authoritative and convincing against business performance criteria.

PDS examination papers: Section B Section B is designed to assess across the whole range of CIPD Standards. The format of the questions will often present realistic ‘critical incident’ scenarios to which the candidate must respond briefly but convincingly. Thus, examiners will frequently use email, telephone messages, memos, meetings or similar, and ‘your own organisation’ (or one with which the candidate is familiar either directly or through reading or hearsay) formats. These ‘situational’ formats are particularly appropriate because they require candidates to address issues in a specific organisational context.

4

Assignments and management research report Assignments and the management research report are set and agreed locally, but must be designed to cover the Standards, address the barriers to the achievement of the Standards and be set at the appropriate level. They are nationally moderated.

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practitioner-level Standards | Assessment philosophy

9 Internal assessment

We suggest the following allocation of hours be adopted:

Internally assessed programmes must be designed to comply with the assessment philosophy of the PDS. In particular, they must:

• • • •

be set at postgraduate level address the barriers to the achievement of the Standards comply with the principles of assessment demonstrate that the principles of assessment are in line with the learning processes for their cohort of students and involve a range of assessment methods.

The CIPD’s national assessment system provides a useful example for the design of internally assessed programmes.

ULRICH, D. (1998) A new mandate for human resources. Harvard Business Review. January/February.

programme delivery The programme should aim to develop both content and process competencies by means of practical case study and assignment work as well as a structured teaching or learning programme (face-to-face, distance learning, or a combination of modes). Liaison with commercial and public sector organisations is encouraged in order to maintain an employer-led focus, and the involvement of practitioners in the course delivery process is desirable wherever possible.

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Total learning Teaching Self-study


360

180

180


240

120

120

Specialist/Generalist Personnel and Development

480

240

240


120

20

100

1,200

560

640

Skills development A major objective of the PDS is to develop students’ immediate operational competence as well as to provide a basis for future development. It is therefore essential that the knowledge gained is supplemented by the inclusion of key skills that will be required by most entrants to the profession. The development of the ten core competencies described on pages 11–13 should proceed as an integral part of the study programme. The development of these skills should also lead naturally on from the study of the relevant theory and practice. In order to provide the opportunity to develop and practise these skills, which require tutorial coaching and feedback, at least 20 per cent of the programme should be allocated to skills development.

Specialist and Generalist Personnel and Development Standards

People Resourcing Standards

Learning and Development Standards

Employee Reward Standards

Employee Relations Standards

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practitioner-level Standards | Specialist and Generalist Personnel and Development Standards

Specialist and Generalist Personnel and Development Standards

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People Resourcing Standards People Resourcing Managing Diversity and Equal Opportunities Selection and Assessment Career Management and Development

57

58

64

69

76

Learning and Development Standards Learning and Development Management Development Managing Organisational Learning and Knowledge Managing the Training and Development Function Designing and Delivering Training

81

82

89

97

103

110

Employee Reward Standards Employee Reward Pensions Performance Management

117

118

125

130

Employee Relations Standards Employee Relations Employment Law Health and Safety

137

138

143

147

People Resourcing Standards | practitioner-level Standards

People Resourcing Standards

People Resourcing

Managing Diversity and Equal Opportunities Selection and Assessment Career Management and Development

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practitioner-level Standards | People Resourcing

People Resourcing Purpose The pace of change affecting organisations shows no sign of slowing down and it has a strong impact on managerial expectations about: • employee behaviour and attitudes • corporate pressures on managerial performance • the employability potential and aspirations of labour market entrants • the criteria for success applied to those engaged in employee resourcing activities. Therefore, this elective is designed to recognise the following key points: • For any organisation to achieve its people resourcing outcomes, the people resourcing professional must be aware of the organisation’s strategic direction and be able to demonstrate that the resourcing policies, systems and procedures contribute to achieving the corporate strategic goals. • There is no guarantee that today’s organisations will exist in the indefinite future, either at all or in their present form. So this elective seeks to address the competencies that resourcing professionals are likely to need ‘everywhere and tomorrow’, rather than just ‘here and now’. • Administering employment systems in line with the law and recognised standards of fairness and good practice is important, but it doesn’t make the difference between success and failure in the market place. People resourcing professionals add real value through their contribution to the recruitment, selection, deployment, development and retention of people who themselves add value to the organisation, individually and collectively.

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• Many employers still use recruitment and selection processes for which there is little or no supporting evidence. The talents and potential of people are often dissipated or neglected, poor performers are still ignored, sidelined, promoted or dismissed without any serious attempt to resolve the problem, and performance review systems generate passionate debate because they appear unable to generate significant benefits for the organisation or the employee. Many of those engaged in employee resourcing concentrate on minor incremental efficiency or system changes and on the legalistic, ethical and procedural dimensions of resourcing – instead of on the added-value dimension, where there is considerable scope for further improvement. • The competent practitioner has to be familiar with the major tools and techniques related to people resourcing, and also be able to assess the potential for using them, determine their suitability for specific organisational scenarios, implement them with and through the co-operation of other stakeholders, evaluate their effectiveness and carry out any necessary modifications. This module crucially sets out to develop, demonstrate and assess these capabilities.

People Resourcing | practitioner-level Standards


1 people resourcing in context

2 The strategic significance of people resourcing





1 Make constructive contributions to the development or enhancement of people resourcing policies.

1 Evaluate existing people resourcing processes, systems and procedures and propose cost-effective improvements.

Knowledge indicators Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate:

Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate:

1 The underpinning rationale for people resourcing as a means for accomplishing corporate purposes, strategies and goals through people.

1 The environmental context in which people resourcing is designed, operated, reviewed and improved.

Indicative content

Indicative content

The changing world of work and organisations

1 The people resourcing function: the key role of people as contributors to the realisation of corporate purposes, strategies and goals. 2 The ‘customers’ for people resourcing: establishing priorities between various stakeholders and ‘customers’; creating, sustaining and developing partnerships with internal and external stakeholders such as: • managers with devolved accountabilities for people resourcing

• outsourced contractors

• recruitment agencies and executive search

consultants.

3 Managing their possibly conflicting/competing concerns, values and expectations.

1 The big picture: contextual themes relevant to people resourcing (such as globalisation, privatisation, ecological/environmental concerns, technological innovation, accelerating ‘customer’ expectations, competitive intensity and demographic change. 2 The corporate picture: evolving employer expectations about employee behaviour and attitudes, with special reference to ‘adding value’ obligations; new forms of work contract; the people resourcing significance of organisational transience. 3 The people picture: the future for the work ethic; processes of vocational choice; the job/career dichotomy; the concept of ‘employability’ and its implications.

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3 approaches to people resourcing

4 Human resource planning





1 Optimise the use of available tools and techniques in the field of IT (including the Internet) for all aspects of people resourcing.

1 Contribute to the development of human resource plans that relate to and help achieve business/ corporate goals.





1 The benefits, limitations and potential of existing and emerging methodologies in the generic field of people resourcing.

1 The nature, purposes, features, applications, benefits and disadvantages of the principal techniques for human resource planning, recruitment, selection, corporate socialisation and people performance.

Indicative content Indicative content 1 The traditional paradigm: a coherent corporate strategy leading to effective human resource planning, recruitment and selection, induction, training and development, performance review/management, employee retention, recognition and reward and release (voluntary or not). 2 New paradigms: the development of aspirational visions for people performance, contribution and commitment; systems that convert these visions into reality; people resourcing practices in the organic enterprise. 3 Contingency-based people resourcing: the specific features of people resourcing processes that typically exist in each principal occupational sector (private/ public/not-for-profit); variations from the traditional paradigm (eg for deliberately transient structures, in environments of extreme turbulence or circumstances of organisational crisis).

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1 The rationale for human resource planning: its potential benefits, disadvantages and dangers. 2 Designing, implementing and reviewing the effectiveness of a human resource plan: the use of appropriate measures (eg employee retention, turnover, productivity, profitability per employee). 3 Internal and external factors affecting human resource planning and implementation including: • trends in the labour market (both supply and

demand)

• competitor practices • technological change • political initiatives • the social background • enhanced customer expectations • strategic clarity and consistency within the

organisation

• corporate politics and the distribution of power.



6 people management





1 Undertake the full range of day-to-day functions for which a people resourcing professional generally is accountable (eg recruitment, performance, reward, retention, release).

1 Critically evaluate existing people resourcing systems and new approaches or methodologies.



Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The systematic approach to people resourcing, from the creation of a cost-effective human resource plan, through recruitment, selection, socialisation, training/ development, performance management, retention and review, to eventual employee release. Indicative content 1 The background to recruitment and selection: criteria for administering the process efficiently and effectively; alternative approaches to managing vacancies; job analysis; job descriptions versus accountability profiles; person specifications versus competency frameworks. 2 The recruitment process: the principal methods available – their features, benefits and disadvantages (eg media advertising, the Internet, employment agencies, executive search consultancies). 3 The selection process: the principal techniques available – their features, benefits and disadvantages (eg interviewing, individual/group simulation exercises, and psychometrics). 4 Measuring the effectiveness of recruitment and selection: techniques for monitoring outcomes to ensure continued business relevance, validity, reliability, and compliance: continuous improvement processes in recruitment and selection.


1 Contingency factors that influence the principles and practice of people resourcing across and within various employment sectors. Indicative content Optimising commitment and performance 1 Assimilating people into the organisation: the socialisation/induction process, transmitting corporate values and behavioural parameters. 2 Developing and improving performance: the benefits and limitations of appraisal; criteria for effective performance feedback; coaching, mentoring and other systems for achieving a productive balance between the employee’s needs and the employer’s requirements. 3 Dealing with performance issues: assessing the nature and causes of performance problems (eg absence, attitude, capability or output); the range of remedies/ solutions available; techniques for implementing action and monitoring consequences. 4 Motivating people: the elements of job design; the principles underpinning cost-effective reward and recognition strategies. 5 Keeping people: practical policies for employee retention and commitment, especially where long-term employment is not guaranteed. 6 Releasing people: the effective management of strategies, policies, systems and processes for retirement, redundancy, dismissal and voluntary turnover; mechanisms for preventing or alleviating problems where appropriate.

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7 Special-case scenarios

8 Support tools for effective resourcing





1

1 Co-operate positively with executive/managerial stakeholders – ‘customers’ – in the design and implementation of resourcing processes.

Assist with the design, development, implementation and review of people resourcing methods to resolve specific corporate scenarios (representative examples are geographical relocation, new business development, management of an acquisition, corporate restructuring, graduate/ expatriate appointments, delayering, devolution, decentralisation, retrenchment, using an outsourcing partner such as a recruitment agency).

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The operational need for pragmatic people resourcing programmes, in circumstances of organisational turbulence, crisis, closure or apocalyptic change. Indicative content 1 People resourcing policies, plans, processes and systems for particular (possibly short-term) corporate exigencies. Representative examples are: • recruiting expatriates (temporary or permanent) or graduates • choosing outsourcing agencies or recruitment consultants • creating (new) shiftwork teams and patterns • resolving resource problems in times of acute labour scarcity • establishing new corporate entities arising from mergers or acquisitions.

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Indicative content 1 The nature, scope, costs, benefits, and applications of information technology (including the Internet) for recruitment, selection and the retention/retrieval of employee data. 2 External sources of information, advice and assistance, including the CIPD, published research and benchmarking indices.


9 Compliance and ethicality obligations in people resourcing

10 people resourcing: the future





1 Advocate and secure compliance with all appropriate ethical and legal obligations associated with people resourcing.

1 Apply the principles and practice of CPD for their own personal development. Knowledge indicators

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The legal obligations governing the creation and use of all people resourcing strategies, policies, procedures and systems. 2 Ethical criteria for all key aspects of people resourcing, including the benefits of compliance and the risk associated with its neglect. Indicative content 1 The place of legal, ethical and professional compliance as a ‘critical failure factor’ for people resourcing practitioners and their employers. 2 The legal constraints and frameworks relevant to people resourcing. 3 The influence of legal and quasi-legal directives originating through the European Union and elsewhere. 4 Ethicality expectations within each major dimension of people resourcing, including diversity management, equal opportunities and discrimination. 5 Professionalism criteria: CIPD codes of conduct and publications from other sources.

Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 New developments in people resourcing and their application potential. Indicative content Note: Like practitioners in any discipline who are actively engaged in CPD, people resourcing practitioners are expected to be up to date with emerging people resourcing issues. The four listed here are representative examples only. 1 Debates over the future of work and employment, especially in view of continuing technological change, globalisation, and the growth of e-commerce. 2 The dilemma of seeking to reconcile the interests and preferences of individual employees with the requirements and expectations of organisations. 3 New thinking and research on topics relevant to people resourcing, such as: • matching personality types or learning styles with specific occupational roles • the effectiveness of psychometric tests • emotional intelligence • knowledge management. 4 Actual and potential developments in employment legislation and other compliance arenas.

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practitioner-level Standards | Managing Diversity and Equal Opportunities

Managing Diversity and

Equal Opportunities

Purpose The primary responsibility for implementing and managing diversity and equality of opportunity in the workplace rests with line management. The role of the personnel and development practitioner is to:

The practitioner must be aware of the strategic dimension in managing cultural change and understand the importance of context in the development of equality and management of diversity. This includes:

• interpret the legislative framework • develop and promulgate appropriate policies to promote equality of opportunity • monitor implementation • develop effectiveness.

• a broad understanding of the impact of globalisation and international influences • the potential for – and sensitivity towards – cultural clashes.

In particular the personnel and development practitioner will formulate arrangements for managing diversity that promote organisational effectiveness. She/he should: • concentrate on promoting equality at the level of best practice rather than minimum compliance • provide a clear business focus that demonstrates the positive benefit to the organisation, instead of the negative penalties and sanctions that come with failure to meet the legal requirements.

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Equality and diversity issues are both ethically desirable and commercially relevant for organisations. The content should be placed in the context of organisational effectiveness and should evidence outcomes that improve organisational performance. Managing diversity embraces policies, practices, procedures, attitudes and approaches at a range of levels both within and beyond the individual organisation. The business case for managing diversity should reflect the inter-relationships and complexity of the organisation. The socio-economic dimension is a key to understanding the interaction of a range of interests whereby managing diversity can improve organisational effectiveness.

Managing Diversity and Equal Opportunities | practitioner-level Standards


1 The structure and processes of inequality Operational indicators

Indicative content


1 The development of societal differences and inequalities created through class, race, gender and disability (including mental health). 2 The range of employment-related circumstances in which unfair discrimination may occur (eg sex, race, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, family status, mental and physical disability) and on which an organisational analysis can be carried out. 3 Labour market analyses in terms of vertical and horizontal occupational segregation and the changing nature of work, to allow organisations to understand and maximise the effective use of human resources. 4 Equality issues in the development of employee flexibility and the changing structure of working arrangements, to enable organisations to create flexible arrangements that improve organisational efficiency while maintaining and enhancing the quality of working life. 5 Evidence of persistence and change in structures of inequality to help develop a strategy to manage diversity. 6 The impact of organisational culture and subcultures (both formal and informal) and on attitudes and beliefs, and behaviour that can impede respect for diversity and organisational effectiveness. 7 Sector and industry differences in the nature of existing inequalities, so that approaches and initiatives to manage equality and diversity are based on an understanding of different business contexts.

1 Provide a convincing argument for the role of managing diversity, as a contribution to organisational effectiveness. 2 Formulate, devise, implement, review and (if necessary) modify policies and practices in the field of equality and diversity management that enable both business and ethical purposes to be fulfilled. 3 Demonstrate the competitive advantage that comes from managing diversity within the context of a clear understanding of the core business. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The negative effects of unfair discriminatory treatment on employee morale and organisational performance.

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2 approaches toward equality management Operational indicators

Indicative content


1 Frameworks for analysing inequalities, including: • equal opportunities • managing diversity • institutional prejudice • long and short agendas • positive action • positive discrimination • equal outcomes to ensure that the approach is appropriate to the organisational context. 2 Future trends, globalisation and international influences that may shape management in the twentyfirst century; approaches that ensure the organisation is able to meet these and other future challenges. 3 Frameworks for developing strategies for informing, persuading and developing managers who can manage diversity.

1 Offer correct first-level advice on legal and other aspects of equality management. 2 Research and clearly communicate labour market trends. 3 Implement diversity issues in a business context. 4 Train others in equality and diversity management, at both awareness and practice levels. 5 Undertake a risk-assessment exercise, taking account of both missed opportunities and non-compliance in interpreting risk and reviewing policies. 6 Use a range of integrated skills, including those needed to: • carry out a workplace audit of equal opportunities issues or practices • report the results • make recommendations for change • present a cost/benefit analysis • monitor subsequent indicators of change. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The relationship between the management of diversity and equality and general management practice.

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Managing Diversity and Equal Opportunities | practitioner-level Standards

3 The legislative and institutional framework Operational indicators

Indicative content


1 Statutory requirements, codes of practice and the role of Government and government agencies in promoting equality and establishing a framework within which organisations should operate. 2 The EU legislative framework and directives that shape the development of equal opportunities. 3 The role of key institutions – including CBI, TUC, trade unions, employers’ associations and the CIPD – and the resources available to assist organisations in the management of diversity. 4 Key legal cases that shape equality issues in employment and their relationship to and impact upon the individual organisation. 5 The role of campaign groups, lobbying and direct action in initiating change; the importance of organisational awareness, sensitivity and responsiveness to emergent agendas so that organisations retain a proactive rather than reactive stance.

1 Show, from a review of the equality management system: • the avoidance of direct and indirect discrimination • the maximisation of individual potential across a diverse workplace • compliance with statutory requirements and codes of practice (eg CIPD, Commission for Racial Equality, Equal Opportunities Commission and Disability Rights Commission) • responsiveness to social and political pressures for change • the removal of barriers to equality in key personnel and development areas (eg recruitment and selection, appraisal, career progression). Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The specific legislation and key case law – UK and European Union. 2 The implementation needed for employing organisations to comply with the spirit and practice of European legislation and case law. 3 The nature of direct and indirect discrimination; their avoidance in good practice (eg in fair and efficient selection procedures). 4 The role of statutory and other organisations concerned with the management of equality and how they relate to relevant legislation.

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4 Organisational change Operational indicators

Indicative content


1 Strategic issues for organisations that help ensure coherence of an approach related to organisational objectives, including: • individual and group attitudes and behaviour • cultural influences on policy effectiveness • equality and differentiation in managing diversity and change. 2 Implementing, monitoring and evaluating equal opportunity policy, including: • changing workplace culture through training, organisational policies, procedures and practices, so as to equalise employment opportunities, access and treatment • the organisational politics of managing diversity • understanding resistance and developing strategies for initiating change that will enhance organisational effectiveness. 3 Economic and financial analyses for developing equal opportunity initiatives, including risk assessment and opportunity/cost analysis linked to the organisation. 4 The concept of ‘career’ and its impact on different types of workers; the relationship of domestic labour to paid employment; groups not covered by current legislation; potential future developments in the management of diversity at international, national and local level that will/could support effective diversity management as a contribution to overall organisational performance.

1 Offer counselling and guidance in appropriate areas of the employment relationship (eg harassment and bullying). 2 Advocate and encourage the wider acceptance of equality management throughout the organisation, clearly communicating the issues and relating them to business need and organisational effectiveness. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The role and function of personnel practitioners at all levels within the organisation in the development, promotion and monitoring of equality management. 2 The effect of individual attitudes and behaviour on the attainment of equality in the workplace. 3 Changes in the nature and structure of employment, and their relevance for equality management.

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Selection and Assessment | practitioner-level Standards

Selection and Assessment

Purpose Selection remains a central part of the personnel and development function, whether it is carried out directly or as an advisory function. In recent years many more organisations have started to use psychological testing and assessment centres, not only for selection but also for development purposes. This Standard aims to provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and develop the skills needed to make use of tests and assessment centres, particularly in the context of best practice in employee selection. Successful completion will give the practitioner a perspective which includes: • a technical and historical overview of assessment • knowledge of the current tools used in selection and assessment, together with issues surrounding their uses • a view of the value that appropriate selection and testing methods bring to the organisation • an understanding of the whole process of selection and the contribution that testing can make.

However, because of the comprehensive nature of this Standard, a number of the skills areas it covers may need to be supplemented with specific competencies, in addition to the overview. Success in this Standard does not itself lead to the award of any BPS certificates or access to reputable tests from responsible publishers. There is plenty of room for improving the effectiveness of selection and assessment, and reducing the margin for error, in ways that balance the organisational need to further its strategic goals and the needs of the individual to accomplish their own potential. This Standard is intended for CIPD practitioners who are equally committed to objectivity, impartiality, strategic contribution and corporate cost-effectiveness in all selection and assessment mechanisms.

Those meeting the Standard will attain a practical and technical perspective that equips them to make practical and ethically informed choices when choosing and using objective selection methods. They will have a knowledge base should they wish to undertake nationally recognised courses leading to certification by the British Psychological Society as an occupational test user at levels A and B.

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practitioner-level Standards | Selection and Assessment


2 Selection and its organisational setting

1 Overview Operational indicators

Indicative content



1 The advantages, disadvantages and potential value of testing for the quality of appointments, and the benefit to the organisation, department and individual candidate. 2 Types of testing for employment and promotion (eg health, attainment, aptitude, personality). 3 Current trends and problems in the use of testing in an occupational setting. 4 The basic concepts of reliability and validity. 5 The significance of selection and assessment in relation to the strategic requirements of organisations and the needs of individuals.


1 Explain the significance of systematic selection and assessment for the furtherance and achievement of organisational goals. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The principal ways in which the changing context for organisations and employment impinges on selection and assessment, and the specific approaches to be used: employability, added-value and the decline of lifetime commitment to a single occupation or organisation.

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1 Explain the significance of systematic selection and assessment for the furtherance and achievement of organisational goals. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The legal and ethical obligations associated with selection and assessment, with special reference to ‘client’ confidentiality, feedback of selection/assessment results and data protection. 2 The importance and relevance of tests as a contribution to the organisation’s selection practices, and the recruitment of appropriate staff. 4 The history and development of testing for employment and promotion decisions.


3 aptitude testing

4 personality testing

Indicative content



1 The changing organisational and employment context and its significance for the dynamics of selection. 2 The changing social context, its relevance to selection and: • frameworks for classifying

individual differences

• attitudes to work and the future for the work ethic • alternative value systems • jobs and careers • the work–life balance • dual careers • ethnic and gender variables. 3 The role of selection and assessment in relation to organisational strategies: conformity, commitment and diversity, selection and assessment in unconventional organisations. 4 The psychological dimension – the significance of perception and personal values in generating judgements and interpretations of human behaviour. 5 The political dimension when choosing individuals for employment or career advancement. 6 The legal and ethical dimension – confidentiality, the Data Protection Act, other relevant legislation, and the feedback of test results to individuals.



1 Review a range of basic aptitude and ability tests in context, recognise which tests to use and interpret the results – weighting, access, recording and reporting/ feedback.

1 Review a range of personality and higher-level tests in context, recognise which tests to use and interpret the results – weighting, access, report styles, counselling and feedback.





1 The application of ability and aptitude tests. 2 Theories of intelligence, development, age and environmental (internal and external) effects, role of subjectivity (emotion and value), and cultural fit in selection and assessment. 3 The range of aptitude and ability tests in common use.

1 Types of personality test: basic background theory, examples of ipsative, normative, type, trait, interest, motivation, values and behaviour measures.

Indicative content 1 A breakdown of intelligence tests and sub-tests, power, performance, high and low levels, tests for jobspecific aptitudes.

Indicative content 1 The nature, purpose and application – with illustrations – of ipsative, type and normative measures, and tests of interest, values and behaviour/typical performance. 2 Communication and the use of test results – feedback, counselling, career/development, the Data Protection Act and the ‘shelf-life’ of results. 3 Limitations, benefits and misuse of psychological tests and/or results.

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5 Statistical techniques in test construction Operational indicators

Indicative content



1 Definition, purpose and application of relevant statistical techniques, including: • correlation (Pearson, scattergram, tables and formulae) • probability theory and normal distribution (SD, mode, median and mean, standard scores, Z and percentiles) • Standard Errors (SEm,

confidence limits)

• restriction of range. 2 Definitions of validity and reliability. 3 Identification and application of formulae to ascertain the reliability and validity of any assessment tool and the overall assessment process. 4 Identifying where testing is appropriate and economically viable. 5 Identifying appropriate tools to fit strategic and situational purpose. 6 Definitions – population control group, item bank, item, scale factor. 7 Test construction and piloting: • reliability (test, retest, split half, alternate form, internal) • validity (concurrent, predictive and face). 8 Monitoring the effectiveness, fairness and applicability of selection techniques.


1 Validate a selection method, test, assessment centre exercise, work sample or other test for use in an organisation. 2 Design appropriate activities – such as in-tray exercises and leaderless group discussions, for use in assessment centres – and validate their scoring and subsequent use. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Stages in the development of a reliable and valid test/assessment tool. 2 The relevance of appropriate statistical techniques to assessment, both for a single tool (eg interview test or intray exercise) and in relation to organisational requirements. 3 The security and confidentiality of test data.

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6 Other assessment

1 Organise and administer group selection and assessment centre programmes for recruitment purposes, and/or for individual or organisational development and change. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Development, nature and purposes of assessment centres and testing for specific group requirements. Indicative content 1 The nature and application of interviewer (formal, informal, structured, panel). 2 The nature and application of work sampling, in-tray exercise, trial periods. 3 The nature of alternative approaches (eg graphology, astrology, phrenology). 4 The effects of technology applied to assessment techniques (eg the use of telephone interviewing, Internet testing, biodata and criteria-oriented computer questionnaires). 5 The relationship between face validity and measured validity.


7 Group selection and assessment centres Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Brief managers on the observation and assessment skills needed for assessment centre activities. 2 Interpret the results of selection and assessment methods when applied collectively (in group scenarios) or to individuals. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The development, nature and purposes of assessment centres and testing for specific group requirements. Indicative content 1 The history and development of assessment and development centres. 2 The nature, purpose and applications of group selection for specific roles (eg management, sales, call centres). 3 The nature, reference and choice of assessment centre activities (eg in-tray exercises, group discussions; role-play, committee chairmanship, and presentations to the public and to a committee/ management team). 4 The role of the line manager, especially in assessment and observation. 5 Limitations, cost/benefits, cultural/ organisational problems.

8 Organisational issues 6 The overview, including: • the rationale for group selection and assessment centres • organisational and occupational applications (eg customer service roles, graduate entry, management development, senior executive positions). 7 The modus operandi for group selection and assessment centres, including: • aims, objectives, construction, and review • staff and observer support • the skills of behaviour observation, scoring and analysis for both individual assignments and team-based tasks. 8 Reliability and validity of group selection and assessment centres: evaluating their cost-effectiveness, conducting a review of the current evidence and identifying the lessons to be learned.

Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Make a case to senior management that the use of appropriate and relevant tests and selection methods enhances the quality of the selection process and optimises the standard of candidates recruited. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The attitudinal and methodological pitfalls of testing activities/ programmes as they affect both individuals and organisations. Indicative content 1 The effects of legislation, standards and good practice guidelines on practice and available methodologies. 2 The validity of the selection process at an organisational level. 3 Succession planning. 4 Assessment to facilitate organisational change. 5 The public relations side of assessment – the company’s image in relation to its assessments.

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9 The selection interview Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Exercise professional discretion within all the relevant legal and ethical arenas appropriate to selection and assessment, especially those associated with data protection and ‘client’ confidentiality. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The gains to be achieved through more accurate selection methods for both employee and employer. Indicative content 1 The overview, including: • the rationale for the selection interview • its objectives and limitations (both for selectors and candidates) • key features of alternative interview scenarios (one to-one, sequential, panel) • directive/non-directive, structured/unstructured interviews.

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2 The reliability and validity of the selection interview and: • the place of subjectivity, emotions, perception and objectivity in interview judgements • the role for a meaningful person specification (or competency framework) and job description (or accountability profile) as the basis for assessment • evaluation criteria (eg cultural ‘fit’) for

unconventional selection scenarios

• performance-based interviewing • the problems of hypothecation as opposed to

behavioural questioning

• review of the current evidence and the lessons to be learned • the direction of research. 3 Improving the effectiveness of the selection interview, including: • a competency profile for interviewing • question design • interpretation of ‘evidence’.


10 Technology-based selection techniques

11 Special-case and emergent selection/assessment scenarios





1 Participate constructively in various ‘hands-on’ selection and assessment processes, especially those concerned with interviewing, assessment centres and group selection.

1 Participate constructively in various ‘hands-on’ selection and assessment processes, especially those concerned with interviewing, assessment centres and group selection.





1 The likely future for selection and assessment and significant new developments, both generally and within specific organisational settings, taking account of technology-based techniques.

1 Specific organisational scenarios such as expatriate appointments, graduate entry, cultural transformation, career guidance and development, changing expectations.

Indicative content

Indicative content

1 The overview, including Internet-based testing and interviewing for preliminary screening and other purposes. 2 Applications, problems and opportunities: the emergent scope for use of technology in selection and assessment.

1 The selection of graduates, expatriates, senior executives, customer service [these examples are representative rather than exhaustive]; the empirical evidence about methods, applications, effectiveness and likely future developments. 2 Assessment: cultural ‘fit’, vocational choice and occupational guidance, teleworking suitability [these examples are representative rather than exhaustive]; the empirical evidence about methods, applications, effectiveness and likely future developments. 3 Selection techniques applied to organisational turbulence and transience (eg as a prelude to geographical relocation, organisational closure, manpower reduction, technology shifts and cultural transformation); the empirical evidence about methods, applications, effectiveness and likely future developments.

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practitioner-level Standards | Career Management and Development

Career Management and Development

Purpose Global competitive pressures, IT breakthroughs, heightened customer expectations and other, sometimes discontinuous, events are transforming organisations and the nature of the employment contract. Entrants to the labour market can no longer expect to have a stable career in the same organisation for all their working lives. Instead it is becoming much more common for individuals to experience a number of organisations and a number of ways of working. Against this background it has never been more important to manage one’s own career. From an organisational perspective, helping to manage the careers of others is a key aspect of personnel and development work. In doing so, the personnel and development professional has to consider and balance: • the aspirations and expectations of individual employees, who are increasingly aware both of their marketability and their vulnerability to market forces and therefore conscious of the need to acquire and maintain a portfolio of transferable capabilities • the organisation’s need to secure its skills base, and develop people’s potential and commitment, in the face of global competition for knowledge-workers and scarce managerial talent. • the way people are increasingly concerned about maintaining a balance between work and ‘quality of life’.

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This Standard looks at the psychological and sociological factors that influence employee thinking about careers, and the strategic, managerial and operational issues associated with career management and development within organisations. It aims to help practitioners acquire an understanding of careers and career management; and develop the skills needed to manage their own career and the careers of others.

Career Management and Development | practitioner-level Standards

performance indicators 1 The labour market context for career management and development

2 Career as a concept





1 Advise on how to integrate career management and a career advisory service with the strategic direction of an organisation.

1 Demonstrate to key organisational decision-makers the contribution that career management and development can make to recruitment, retention and commitment strategies. 2 Practise, role-model and teach the key skills needed for career management of oneself and others.

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 How the wider economic, technological, political and social environments affect the nature of the employment contract and the careers of individuals. Indicative content 1 The impact of forces such as globalisation, technological innovation, mass customisation, mergers and acquisitions, and competitive pressures on career management and development. 2 The implications of employer expectations of individuals: ‘task’ performance versus addedvalue ‘accountability’; instrumentality versus commitment; constrained role definition versus customer-focused autonomy; individual identification versus team loyalty. 3 Employee expectations of work and careers; the future for the work ethic; the work–life balance; lifestyle patterns and the dual career family; the influence of social class, ethnicity, gender, age and other considerations in creating assumptions about careers, jobs and work; the portfolio model.

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and

critically evaluate:

1 The relationship between the job/work/career aspirations of people in the labour market and organisational strategic goals. 2 External sources of support and specialist information on career management and development issues, including government programmes to support: • young people in training • those returning to work • new business ventures. Indicative content 1 Theories and models of career, including: • trait theories • matching theories • differential versus developmental theories of

occupational choice

• theories of occupational fit. 2 Transitions and processes in career building; continuity and discontinuity, detailed career ‘planning’ versus the benefits of opportunism. 3 Careers versus jobs. 4 Lifelong career development, career anchors and the

meaning of career to individuals.

5 New ways of working, the changing nature of

employment contracts.

6 Types of career pattern and paths, vertical versus lateral career development; the tournament notion of a career; the use of international and expatriate assignments, short-term secondments, sabbaticals.

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3 The organisational management of careers Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Advise on current approaches to work and flexibility in employment contracts. 2 Design, implement and review internal processes and procedures for career development and succession planning within an organisation. 3 Advise on the formation and implementation of an organisational outplacement policy. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The benefits and added value of effective and professional career management and development for individuals, the organisation and the wider community. 2 The role for outplacement and support networks. Indicative content 1 The attribution of accountability for career management and development; the role of the organisation, line management, careers guidance specialist and individual. 2 The relevance of career management and development to the organisation’s strategic direction and its human resource strategies.

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4 The individual’s role in their own career management 3 The benefits and added value of professional career management for the organisation, the individual and the wider community. 4 The employer’s role in personal and professional development; supporting and resourcing the acquisition of transferable skills and learning. 5 Systems and mechanisms for career management and development; performance management and review, personal development planning, identification of potential; succession and replacement planning, career path analysis. 6 Optimising employee contributions; career as a part of organisational reward, recognition and commitment structure. 7 How organisational structure, culture, size and ownership and control affect careers. Career management/development in multinational and global organisations. Centralised versus devolved structures. 8 The psychological commitment/ contract, employability and the interaction between individuals and the organisation.

Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Identify and predict possible patterns of career development for individuals within organisations. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The subjective and objective meanings of career as a dynamic concept. 2 The nature and importance of self-assessment, and the creation and maintenance of selfconfidence in individuals as they face job or role changes. 3 The differing career development needs of a diverse population, and the differing ways that work or role transitions affect and apply to individuals at various ages and stages of their working lives.

Career Management and Development | practitioner-level Standards

5 Careers guidance and counselling Indicative content


Indicative content

1 The importance of self-reliance and taking personal responsibility; analysis and evaluation of career options against alternative employment and non-paid work scenarios; personal decisionmaking and choice. 2 The establishment of personal career goals, objectives and action plans plus the specification of intermediate milestones; personal development plans and action plans; implementing decisions; the place of CPD. 3 The nature, relevance and importance of: • negotiation skills • presentation skills (written

and oral).

4 Self-assessment of aptitudes, personality, motivation and interests. 5 Awareness of skills and limitations; past assessment, present strengths, future development. 6 The relationship between selfconcept and self-efficacy; selfprojection. 7 The value of personal and professional networks. 8 The balance between work and life outside.


1 Approaches towards helping people to discover/clarify needs and directions, set goals and form action plans. 2 Exploring and acknowledging differences in motivation and commitment. 3 Encouraging creativity. 4 The skills of careers counselling, mentoring and coaching. 5 The emotional content of career decisions. 6 Diagnostic and assessment tools for career guidance. 7 Psychometrics and the available aptitude, interest and personality measures including what they can and cannot do. 8 Development and assessment centres. 9 Ethical principles, confidentiality, obligations and legal guidelines for careers guidance and counselling.

1 Support and counsel individuals who may be addressing the possibility of career change, whether voluntary or otherwise. 2 Provide guidance on the value and application of psychometric tests and other diagnostic tools that might be employed to facilitate career management and development. 3 Handle the emotional implications of career management and recognise and deal appropriately with various reactions to: • job loss • managed career change • difficult situations • disappointment • success. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The psychological impact of continuity and discontinuity in careers, and its implications for the psychological/commitment contract between individual and employer. 2 The tools and techniques available for diagnosis and assessment in the field of career management, development and guidance.

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6 The infrastructure for career management and development Operational indicators

Indicative content


1 Sources of technical assistance, expert advice and codes of practice: relevant professional bodies eg the CIPD, the British Psychological Society and institutes and associations working in related areas, such as: • the British Association of Counselling • the Institute of Careers Guidance • the Equal Opportunities Commission • the Commission for Racial Equality. 2 Government and EU policy initiatives and influences impacting on careers, including: • National Vocational Qualifications • Training Credits • the Technical and Vocational Education Initiative • the Careers Advisory Service • National Targets for Education and Training • LEONARDO. 3 Statutory and non-statutory referral agencies, including the Careers Research and Advisory Centre and the National Institute for Careers Education and Counselling. 4 Business and education partnerships; the role of schools, colleges and universities in career development.

1 Communicate relevant messages to ensure that people in an organisation understand the rationale for, and implications of, changes that may impact on their career. 2 Comply with all statutory and ethical requirements, obligations and conventions when practising or advising on job/work/career transitions. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The legal and ethical dimensions of career management and development, including equal opportunities, gender and ethnic monitoring, and confidentiality. 2 Mechanisms for evaluating the contribution and effectiveness of career management and development systems, practices and support agencies from the perspective of both individual and organisation.

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Learning and Development Standards | practitioner-level Standards

Learning and Development Standards

Learning and Development Management Development Managing Organisational Learning and Knowledge Managing the Training and Development Function Designing and Delivering Training

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practitioner-level Standards | Learning and Development

Learning and Development

Purpose The organisational process of developing people involves the integration of learning and development processes, operations and relationships. Its most powerful outcomes for the business are to do with enhanced organisational effectiveness and sustainability. For the individual they are to do with enhanced personal competence, adaptability and employability. It is therefore a critical business process, whether in for-profit or not-for-profit organisations. Anyone working in the learning and development field has interrelated responsibilities to: • the organisation(s) they work for • the people they are helping to develop • the human resource community to which they belong. To make the essential professional-level contribution to organisational as well as to individual performance and progression, the learning and development practitioner must be concerned with integrative activity and future planning, as well as with developmental operations here and now. This Standard: • requires the mastering of a body of operational expertise in learning and development practice at the level of a generalist practitioner • calls for a broad-based understanding of the contribution that people development can make to the performance and progress of the organisation and the individual • requires those with learning and development responsibilities to consistently demonstrate in their values, behaviour and practice that they are both business partners and ethical practitioners • provides the integrating performance framework to shape the activity of anyone in a learning and development role. No personnel or development activity exists in a vacuum. So it is inevitable that this Standard reinforces some of the core operational and knowledge indicators that appear in the People Management and Development Standard, and in the Specialist Standards related to learning and development.

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It is relevant for: • any personnel/human resources practitioner at a relatively early stage in their career, responsible for a range of basic personnel operations and wanting to develop deeper and broader knowledge and skills to enable them to make a professional contribution to the learning and development process. Such a practitioner is likely to aspire to a senior human resources or learning and development position ultimately • line managers who need to build broad-based learning and development skills and knowledge because they hold learning and development responsibilities • externally-based consultants, such as training providers, and those working in training and learning and development agencies, providing advice and services in many organisational types, sectors and settings. To be effective in their performance, learning and development generalists must be holistic in their approach and integrative in their operations. They must continuously relate their operations and advice to wider human resources and business policy and practice in their organisations. They must also act as business partners, creating and maintaining collaborative and business-focused working relationships with those most involved in, and affected by, planned learning and development processes. In addition to the knowledge that underpins their operational expertise, learning and development generalists must have a broad-based understanding of the learning and development field. In order to have credibility they must be informed about, and be able to explain, the learning and development implications of a wide range of issues.

Learning and Development | practitioner-level Standards

performance indicators 1 The integration of learning and development activity and organisational needs, with special reference to: Operational indicators

Indicative content


1 The external environment of: • global, international and more localised trends relevant to the organisation’s present position and future progress; the current, planned and emergent position of the organisation in its external environment, and learning and development implications. • national vocational education and training policy, its implementation at regional and local levels, and practical implications and opportunities for the organisation. 2 The internal environment of: • corporate and business unit goals, strategies and plans (formal and informal)

• organisational structure and culture

• strategies and plans (formal and informal) • personnel/human resources policy and practice • the performance management process. 3 How to identify and respond to emergent trends and issues relevant to learning and development. 4 How to formulate the learning and development plan for the business and align it with wider human resources policy and with corporate goals and strategy. 5 How to identify and respond to new contingencies, and produce relevant divisional, group and individual learning, and learning and development plans.

1 Co-operate with learning and development stakeholders in learning and development policy, strategy and plans, in order to integrate learning and development activity with wider personnel and business policy. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The organisation’s business environment and internal context. 2 The goals of the stakeholders in learning and development, and the building and sustaining of partnerships that will produce and communicate effective learning and development processes and initiatives. 3 The formulation of the organisation’s learning and development goals and strategy, and their implementation at different organisational levels.

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2 The provision of a value-adding learning and development function Operational indicators

Indicative content


1 The value chain of the business and: • learning and development processes and initiatives with value-adding potential. • the difference between ‘value for money’ and

‘adding value’.

• how to create awareness of the value that learning and development can add for the organisation. 2 Different structural options to ensure that the learning and development process has a business focus and efficient operations. 3 Typologies of learning and development roles, and their relevance, use and development in different organisational settings. 4 The financial base of learning and development in the business: • general measures to ensure cost-efficient and wellregulated learning and development operations • the role of the learning and development budget in the provision of a well-managed, organisation focused learning and development function. • national, regional and local funding opportunities to support and inform learning and development operations in the organisation. 5 Processes and tools (including the learning development audit) to aid continuous improvement in the learning and development field. 6 The purpose of marketing the learning and development process; marketing methods and approaches. 7 How to build, operate and maintain effective businessfocused partnerships with internal and external learning and development stakeholders: • interpersonal skills and personal strategies to create and sustain effective business partnerships in different organisational settings • identifying and responding to barriers to the

partnership process

• handling issues of power, politics and conflict.

1 Advise on how to achieve a well-managed, appropriately staffed and value-adding learning and development function. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 How the learning and development process adds value for the organisation and the individual. 2 The organisation, management and evaluation of the learning and development function and roles. 3 The delivery of organisationally focused projects to time, cost and quality. 4 Aids and barriers to effective performance as a learning and development consultant.

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3 learning and development’s contribution to the recruitment and performance management processes

4 learning and development’s contribution to the retention of employees





1 Contribute to learning and development that will aid the processes of recruitment and performance management.

1 Contribute to learning and development that will help the organisation retain the people it needs for the future.





1 Induction, basic skills training and continuous improvement that will motivate learners, achieve competent performance, and build commitment to organisational goals and values.

1 Career and management development processes that help identify, develop and use people’s potential and adaptability and aid their continued employability. Indicative content

Indicative content 1 The value of effective, relevant, well-publicised learning and development strategies and practice for the recruitment process. 2 The role of marketing in communicating a positive image for learning and development to potential applicants. 3 The importance for the performance management process of well-planned and effective induction, basic skills training, continuous learning and improvement. 4 Problems of balancing control and learning and development drivers in the performance management process, and ways of responding to these.

1 The role of career development in aiding employee retention. 2 Criteria for effective design and management of career systems and: • assessment processes to identify and develop

potential

• strategies to prepare people for changed career paths, and to increase their employability security. 3 The management development process and: • how the management development programme contributes to current organisational success and builds future organisational competence • different approaches to the design of management development programmes, including work-based and more formalised processes and initiatives.

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5 learning and development’s contribution to building organisational capacity and facilitating change

6 The stimulation of strategic awareness and development of knowledge





1 Contribute to learning and development that will expand the organisation’s overall capacity and competence, and will help to introduce and embed organisational change.

1 Promote learning that will stimulate strategic awareness, and will develop and help to disseminate organisationally valuable knowledge. Knowledge indicators

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate:

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1 The skills and attitudes needed to work effectively in changed/changing organisational roles, structures and working environments, and how they can be developed. 2 Learning and development strategies for organisational culture change.

1 Learning and development initiatives and processes to stimulate strategic awareness, creativity and innovation. 2 Learning strategies and processes to develop, share and disseminate knowledge that is valuable to the organisation.

Indicative content

Indicative content

1 Components of organisational capacity: structure, culture, networks, business routines, systems and procedures. 2 Helping to expand or contract organisational capacity through learning and development strategies for re skilling, multi-skilling, role and job change. 3 Learning and development initiatives and processes to: • ensure effective functioning of personnel in crossfunctional, project-based and similar roles • improve workforce adaptability and flexibility • aid and embed change in organisational culture. 4 The learning and development professional as change agent; the tensions and challenges of that role and ways of responding to these.

1 Learning initiatives and processes to promote strategic awareness and the identification of strategic issues at all organisational levels. 2 The importance of unlearning and relearning, and of learning processes that can stimulate challenges to established routines and prescriptions in ways that will help the organisation. 3 Barriers and aids to understanding the knowledge process, and to generating, sharing and disseminating knowledge. 4 Types of internal and external learning partnership that can produce or expand knowledge valuable to the business. 5 Roles and tasks for the learning and development professional in ‘knowledge management’.


7 The design and delivery of learning processes and activity

8 The evaluation and assessment of learning and development outcomes and investment





1 Contribute to the design and provision of effective learning processes and activity, using new technology as appropriate.

1 Evaluate learning outcomes, and help to assess the returns on the organisation’s past and planned investment in learning and development.





1 The planning, design and delivery of learning processes and activity that will add value for the organisation and for individuals. 2 The appropriate application of new technology to training and learning.

1 Methods and models for: • evaluating the outcomes of learning and

development processes and activity

• evaluating the organisation’s past learning and

development investment.

2 The identification and assessment of learning and development processes and activity that will benefit the organisation in the short- and longer-term future.

Indicative content 1 Principles of effective planning, design and delivery of planned learning events, and their practical application, including: • processes to ensure accurate identification of needs • how to achieve shared ownership of learning

programmes and events by the stakeholders.

• how to integrate workplace learning with more formalised training and learning and development initiatives, when appropriate • factors involved in achieving effective transfer of learning. 2 Developments in new technology, and their implications for learning processes and programmes, and for the administration and assessment of learning events. 3 How to monitor ongoing programmes and events to ensure a continued focus on their learning objectives, and the achievement of intended learning outcomes. 4 How to respond to any contingency calling for a change in objectives or strategy in a learning programme or event.

Indicative content 1 Models and processes to measure and evaluate the specific outcomes of learning and development processes and activity. 2 How to assess the relative effectiveness, efficiency and feasibility of different learning and development processes and activity in the particular situation. 3 Ways of calculating the ‘payback’ and ‘payforward’ of the organisation’s overall learning and development investment, in order to ensure added value. 4 Essential data and information sources for evaluation and assessment activity.

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9 The role and tasks of the ethical practitioner

10 The importance of continuing professional self-development





1 Identify and promote learning and development processes and practices that meet or exceed legal, mandatory and ethical requirements.

1 Continuously develop their own expertise, professionalism and credibility in the learning and development field.





1 The impact on, and implications of, diversity of people, style and employment contracts for learning and development policies and practice and organisational learning strategies. 2 The information and actions needed to identify and achieve legally compliant and ethical learning and development practices and processes.

1 Methods and processes of continuing personal and professional development, including coaching, counselling and mentoring. 2 Databases and information sources that provide up-to date information about current and emergent theory, practice and issues in the field. Indicative content

Indicative content 1 Sources of information and guidance that help to identify and clarify ethical issues for the learning and development practitioner. 2 Ways of creating awareness in the organisation about ethical issues involved in learning and development policy and practice, and of gaining commitment to tackle them. 3 Sources of information and advice that clarify legal and ethical responsibilities, and help learning and development practitioners to deal fairly and consistently with diversified workforces. 4 How to ensure that all learning and development operations and processes conform to relevant statutory, legal and ethical standards.

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1 National occupational and professional standards in learning and development and their implications for the conduct of learning and development in the business, and for the enhancement of the learning and development practitioner’s competence and employability. 2 Methods and processes of continuing personal and professional development, including coaching, counselling and mentoring. 3 Self-assessment and self-development, and tackling barriers to the self-development process. 4 Roles and responsibilities of learning and development practitioners in promoting and participating in external sectoral and professional networks, initiatives and programmes. 5 Databases and information sources that enable learning and development practitioners to regularly update their knowledge about theory and practice in the field, and about emerging trends and issues.

Management Development | practitioner-level Standards

Management Development

Purpose Management is the focus of this Standard, which is concerned with maximising the potential of managerial talent. As the importance of people in achieving sustainable competitive advantage is increasingly acknowledged, managers are pivotal to organisational success, both through their own actions and through their role in the motivation and development of employees. The main factors that drive the management development process include: • changes in the core competencies needed by managers • a need for organisational culture change, and the promotion of specific ethical values in an organisation’s managers • a requirement for flexible managers who are able to initiate, implement and adapt to change • the devolution of human resource responsibilities to line managers • the creation of corporate unification after a merger or take-over • organisations’ increasing exposure to international and global markets. To respond to these factors, management development may be: • anticipatory – to prepare managers to contribute to the long-term success of the organisation • reactive – as a response to unanticipated changes or to a need to resolve/pre-empt performance problems • motivational – geared to individual career aspirations. This Standard is concerned with the operational expertise central to management development at business unit or equivalent level, in for-profit and not-for-profit organisations of any size and type. Such expertise requires a broad-based understanding of the contribution that management development can make to the achievement of the organisation’s current business targets and its longerterm goals, and to the fulfilment of individual potential.

• learning and development/management development practitioners at an early stage in their career who have the desire to understand the nature of management; increase their awareness of the impact that managers have on others, and engage with managers. At their current level of responsibility practitioners are likely to report to a senior specialist, but to aspire to a senior management development role, whether in an employed or self-employed context • line managers who have managers and supervisors working to them • external management development consultants – especially, but not solely, in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Practitioners will inevitably be working to the performance indicators at their own operational level – for example, a practitioner at an early stage in their career will tend to work with junior/supervisory levels of management, while more experienced practitioners will tend to work with senior managers and those making the transition to director level. No developmental activity exists in a vacuum. So it is inevitable that this Standard reinforces some of the indicators that also appear in the People Management and Development and in the Learning and Development Generalist and Specialist Standards. It is likely that specialist management development practitioners will also have been assessed, or seek assessment, against the Learning and Development Generalist Standard, or have equivalent expertise. This Standard would also combine very effectively with the Standards for Managing Organisational Learning and Knowledge, Designing and Delivering Training, and Career Management and Development. It is possible that the advanced Standard for Personnel and Development Consulting will be of interest to practitioners in their future career.

Management development practitioners must consistently demonstrate through their values, behaviour and practice that they are able to work with all management levels, including the most senior. This Standard is therefore relevant for:

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practitioner-level Standards | Management Development


1 The nature of management work

2 The shared creation of management development strategy





1 Demonstrate a sound understanding of managerial work reflecting the contested nature of both management and leadership.

1 Work collaboratively at all organisational levels to create management development strategies that are appropriate for the organisation.





1 The nature of managerial work, roles, politics and ethics. 2 The way that managers operate on a day-to-day basis. 3 The impact that managers have on others. 4 The distinctive concepts of managing and leading.

1 The changing environment affecting management development strategy at national, organisational and individual levels. 2 Issues involved in working with stakeholders to formulate appropriate management development strategy. 3 The development of management development strategy in line with corporate goals and strategy, including the identification of difficulties in the process and how to tackle them. 4 Issues involved in achieving the horizontal integration of management development strategy with other human resource strategies and with workplace practice. 5 Criteria for producing cost-effective management development strategies.

Indicative content 1 The changing nature of managerial roles, tasks and competencies, including: • issues of role ambiguity and role conflict • changing occupational and professional standards and qualifications for managers. 2 Distinctions between ‘management’ and ‘leadership’, leadership components in managers’ roles, and differing models of leadership. 3 Ethical issues and dilemmas for managers. 4 How managers motivate and develop others.

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Indicative content 1 The external context of management development, including: • the relevance of management development to various UK interest groups and organisations • dominant ideas among management development practitioners • management development in major competitive environments, especially the USA, Japan and continental Europe • the management development implications of take-overs and mergers, and of other forms of organisational change and restructuring. 2 The process of formulating management development strategy and: • different strategy-making modes • methods and problems in achieving vertical fit of management development strategy with corporate strategy, and horizontal fit with human resource policy and practice • the impact of politics on management development strategy-making. 3 How to tailor management development strategies to different organisational contexts, including distinctive approaches for large and for smaller organisations, management development in for-profit and not-for profit organisations, and management development strategies for diversified workforces.

4 How to work with organisational stakeholders to formulate and implement management development strategy, including: • how to identify stakeholders and their goals in the strategy-making process • processes to tackle tensions in stakeholder goals and expectations • the need to gain and maintain a partnership approach to the development and implementation of management development strategy and plans • issues of equality of access and opportunity in management development activity.

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3 learning activities to implement management development strategies and plans Operational indicators

Indicative content


1 Methods of assessing the past organisational and individual value of the management development investment. 2 Assessing the likely future value of different management development options for the organisation and individuals. 3 How to identify and secure financial and non financial resources needed to implement management development strategy. 4 Networking and benchmarking and other methods of keeping track of new thinking and ideas. 5 Challenges in the design of management development processes and programmes, including: • how to involve key stakeholders in the design, delivery, evaluation and continuous improvement of management development activity • how to design relevant development programmes for different levels of management, including those in transition to director/board-level roles • how to ensure the acquisition, adoption and internalisation of appropriate management skills, knowledge and values. 6 How managers learn, including: • constructivist approaches to learning • meta-skills of learning • learning styles and strategies • continuous and discontinuous learning • role-modelling, mentoring, action learning and other work-based methods • formal programmes • self-development methods. 7 The selection and evaluation of modes, methods and techniques for management learning, including: • assessing the relative costs, feasibility and impact of learner-centred and trainer-driven approaches • processes and methods for the collaborative monitoring and evaluation of management activity • frameworks and processes for the management development audit.

1 Advise on and design management learning activities that are cost-effective, politically and culturally sensitive, reflect current good practice and are relevant to needs. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Criteria for implementing cost-effective management development strategies. 2 How to identify, prioritise and respond to management development needs at organisational, unit and individual levels. 3 How to identify and make appropriate use of leading ideas, trends and practice in management development. 4 The management development design implications of different learning needs, styles and skills in the management population. 5 Processes and methods of designing relevant, effective and efficient management development processes and programmes. 6 Models, methods and processes for monitoring and evaluating management development activity.

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4 a partnership approach to the development of managers’ current performance Operational indicators

Indicative content


1 The performance management process, including: • the determination of management competencies needed for effective performance • the choice, use and value of competency frameworks in managerial work • performance appraisal and feedback systems • management incentive and reward systems • common barriers to development in performance management systems, and how to tackle them. 2 How to work collaboratively in management development activity to improve managers’ current performance, including: • supporting individual managers as developers

of others

• facilitating the development of groups of managers. 3 Development/use of behavioural and functional competency frameworks.

1 Work with others to ensure the effective development of individual managers’ competence and performance in their current job. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The performance management process, its stakeholders and its relationship to management development strategy and practice. 2 The range of management competency frameworks, and their implications for management development strategy and practice.

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5 The collaborative provision of management development processes to meet future needs

6 The development of managers to operate in international or global contexts


Indicative content



1 Processes and techniques to recruit and select managers and: • the psychological contract between manager and organisation • its practical implications for the recruitment and selection process • how to ensure fair and valid managerial selection. 2 The career development of managers and: • how to build mutuality of interest into the career planning process • the design and operation of fair and effective career development systems and processes • the use of competency and other frameworks to aid career development and succession planning. 3 The contribution of assessment and development centres to future-oriented management development: • the distinction between the goals and operation of ‘assessment’ and ‘development’ centres • the specification and identification of ‘promotability’ • the use of assessment and development centres related to different manager levels • the evaluation of assessment and development centres in the management development process • the support of managers who are not yet ready to progress, or who are unlikely to progress in the future.


1 Advise on collaborative processes to ensure that managers are developed in line with the future needs of the organisation and of individuals. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Building mutuality of interest into recruitment, selection and continuous development of managers. 2 Processes and methods to: • build a stakeholder approach to future-oriented management development • ensure alignment between the recruitment and selection of managers and the goals of management development strategy • identify and assess talent and potential via formal and informal processes • develop managers’ potential in line with the organisation’s and their own future needs.

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1 Contribute to the development of managers operating in an international or global context. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The perspective and environment of international management. 2 The developing global environment of management activity and its implications for management development. 3 Criteria and methods for the development of international and global managers.


7 The expansion of overall organisational competence Indicative content


Indicative content

1 The perspective and environment of international management, including: • major international trends and differences in the socio-political environment and managers • major human resource and industrial relations policies, practices and methods relating to managers in Europe and other international competitor countries • the background for strategic planning in the international context. 2 The developing global environment of management activity and its implications for management development, including: • the globalisation of business through the impact of innovative technology • the accelerating pace of global mergers and their impact on the business environment. 3 The development of international and global managers, including: • criteria for choosing overseas postings or purchasing countrybased talent • methods of gaining

international experience

• identifying, understanding and working effectively with cultural and human resource management differences.


1 Current trends in organisational design and their implications for management roles and tasks. 2 Tools for designing and managing changes in: • organisational structure and culture • business processes and routines • inter-organisational business and knowledge networks. 3 The role and tasks of managers in the development and management of organisational knowledge and: • how to identify and tackle

problems in knowledge

management

• the importance of a partnership approach in the knowledge management process • management development tools to support specific strategic initiatives at corporate and business unit levels.

1 Contribute to the expansion of overall organisational competence by equipping managers to respond to, design and/or implement: • organisational structure and culture change • continuous learning and

improvement processes

• flexible working practices. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Trends in organisational design and the implications for management development. 2 Managing structural, behavioural and culture change. 3 Management development needs related to specific organisational improvement strategies. 4 Ways of tackling managerial barriers to collective learning and knowledge development.

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8 The continuing self-development of management development practitioners Operational indicators

Indicative content


1 Methods of self-assessment and self-development for management development practitioners. 2 The identification and use of national occupational and professional standards and qualifications relevant for management development practitioners. 3 Information sources to give guidance on current and emerging ethical issues affecting the practice of management development. 4 The skills needed by: • management development specialists to work as consultants and business partners in the management development process • managers, in order to develop other managers • managers and others aspiring to that level, in order to assess and continuously develop their own managerial competence and potential.

1 Continuously develop their own management development knowledge, values and expertise. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 National and professional standards and qualifications relevant to management development practice. 2 Current and emerging ethical issues facing management development practitioners. 3 Methods of keeping abreast with good practice in management development.

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Managing Organisational Learning and Knowledge | practitioner-level Standards

Managing Organisational Learning

and Knowledge Purpose Knowing and applying a range of learning theories, concepts and approaches is the foundation for building and managing effective learning environments and processes. The growing importance of information and knowledge to organisational success and the need to manage the generation and distribution of these key resources is now a well-established feature of hi-tech companies. It is increasingly apparent, however, that all organisations, whatever their size and business orientation, depend on the knowledge, skills and expertise of their employees to ensure that their products and services are delivered in the most efficient and competitive way possible. Learning is the fundamental human process by which information and knowledge are generated, distributed and used. Increasingly, learning is also seen as a characteristic of organisations, linked to the key features of an organisation’s internal environment such as its culture, structure, management style and practices, and critically, the impact of formal and informal learning processes. Modern organisations increasingly recognise that generating, sustaining and making knowledge widely available is crucial for organisational change and improvement. Anyone involved in learning and development activities must be able to initiate and shape processes that contribute to the generation of organisationally valuable knowledge. They must be able to support those processes by creating appropriate environmental conditions within which such knowledge can be generated, disseminated and effectively utilised. To be effective, the specialist learning and development practitioner and the line manager with learning and development responsibilities must be able to influence the management of ‘organisational learning’ and to contribute to the effective utilisation of learning, generated by a range of different, but complementary, learning processes and opportunities operating within the organisation.

Professionals who manage workplace learning environments and processes must establish a clear relationship between the rationale for learning, the experiences that support it, the resources it needs and the work-related and organisational objectives towards which the learning is directed. They must also have a sensitivity and regard for those managing or undertaking learning activities, recognising that real, sustained learning happens only when individuals are motivated to learn, know why they are learning, and are supported by others. This Specialist Standard is relevant to those who intend forging a career as learning and development professionals, but it also provides very real value to the human resources generalist who needs to acquire a more strategic vision of what managing people and their learning environments involves. This Standard should also be attractive to line managers who need to understand the implications of organisational learning and knowledge management for their role. This Standard has complementary links with the Learning and Development Generalist Standard, and the Standard for Managing the Training and Development Function. The Standard gives recognition to: • the increasing importance of supporting people’s learning at work, and the self-management of learning • the effective management of the workplace learning environment and the need to provide both formal and informal learning opportunities • the way learning – as distinct from specific interventions such as training initiatives – is increasingly seen as the fundamental process by which people at work ‘become more than they were’ and acquire new behavioural capabilities • the nature and importance of knowledge, and the importance of establishing and maintaining an organisational learning climate where learning leads to the creation and use of organisationally valuable knowledge.

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practitioner-level Standards | Managing Organisational Learning and Knowledge


1 Collaboration in building knowledge productive environments

2 Collaborative processes to support creativity and innovation





1 Work with others to build an organisational climate where learning will lead to knowledge creation.

1 Work with others to establish effective processes that support creativity and innovation in the workplace.





1 The links between organisational structure, culture and learning. 2 Organisational activities that generate knowledge and organisational barriers to knowledge creation and dissemination. 3 The organisational benefits of learning and knowledge management, in terms of competitiveness and productivity, and the benefits to the individual of adaptability, long-term employability and personal growth.

1 Collaborative, effective and efficient use of resources to promote creativity and innovation. 2 Processes and models of decision-making. 3 Ways of thinking and models of the problem-solving process.

Indicative content 1 Theories of individual, team and organisational learning. The concept and management of strategic learning. 2 The influence of organisational culture and structure on knowledge creation, dissemination and application. The concepts of knowledge and information, and the reasons behind the growth in the knowledge economy and the knowledge-worker. 3 Organisational practices and behaviours that limit learning, knowledge creation and the sharing of knowledge and information. 4 Different ways people at work learn eg modelling, through experience and experimentation, through action learning opportunities, by working with others in collaborative ways etc; categories of learning eg single and double-loop learning, learning how to learn, expanding and deepening learning and understanding, levels of learning.

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Indicative content 1 Concepts and models of creativity and innovation. Collaborative organisational and management practices that encourage creativity and innovation as opposed to conformity. 2 Models and processes of decision-making. Different categories of decisions eg operational and strategic. Information requirements to support decision-making processes. 3 Conventional approaches to thinking. Characteristics of lateral and parallel thinking, and their application to decision-making. 4 Approaches to problem-solving. Different kinds of problems, distinguishing underlying causes from symptoms, distinguishing solutions from outcomes, both intended and unintended.


3 Organisational roles, structures and networks that support learning and the management of knowledge

4 The relationship between learning and performance





1 Advise on roles, structures and networks for capturing, sharing, communicating and disseminating knowledge across and between organisations.

1 Manage the effective transfer of learning coming from formal training processes, to enhance organisational performance.





1 Patterns of organisational communications and influence. 2 Functional and professional networks and informal groupings. 3 Organisational and professional value systems.

1 Mechanisms for sharing learning between individuals, groups and the organisation overall. 2 The application of learning to organisational problem-solving. 3 The links between job structures and individual performance.

Indicative content Indicative content 1 Variations in organisational roles, structures and internal and external networks; how they support or inhibit learning and the development and management of knowledge. 2 How people communicate in organisations; patterns of communication and communication networks. Basic model of the communication process. Strategies for influencing people. 3 Flexibility in organisational design; designing jobs to provide challenge and flexibility. Characteristics of jobs that limit individual contribution and suppress learning and creativity. 4 The concept and characteristics of formal and informal organisation, and of formal and informal learning. Team-based organisational structures; learning in teams; functional responsibilities and team roles. 5 Professional and personal values, ethical issues in organisations; professional ethics and professional networks.

1 Models and theories around the transfer and use of learning. Barriers to the effective transfer of learning. 2 The difference between individual, team and organisational performance. Models of human performance at work that help to identify where learning can play an important part in enhancing performance. 3 Barriers to sharing learning and knowledge eg psychological and social tensions within the working environment. Understanding how personal and professional conflict can disrupt co-operation and collaboration at work. 4 The development of strategies to overcome barriers and blockages to organisational learning eg dealing with employees’ fear of taking risks and making mistakes and evaluating the role and effectiveness of different reward and punishment practices. 5 Models of job performance showing the contribution of learning and capability in relation to other influences/factors. How to distinguish between the potential to perform and actual performance levels.

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5 processes and resources that facilitate 6 The importance of integrating learning and support learners learning with working

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1 Recommend processes and resources to support learners, before, during and after formal learning events.

1 Directly influence and advise on the optimum opportunities for integrating learning with working, to enhance job performance.





1 The links between learning climates and learning effectiveness, and mechanisms to provide psychological and practical support to learners. 2 The relationship between learning styles and learning outcomes. 3 Generating and using organisational resources.

1 Integrating individual and organisational learning requirements. 2 Strategies and developments in the provision of workbased learning and development opportunities. 3 Using competency frameworks to establish standards for development and performance.

Indicative content

Indicative content

1 Different ways of identifying individual and team-based learning needs and requirements, and of relating these to corporate needs. 2 Models of the Learning Cycle and their practical applications in formal and informal learning situations. The identification and generation of key learning skills, such as reflective thinking, continuous self-assessment, obtaining peer feedback, and constructing learning plans. 3 The advantages and disadvantages of conventional approaches to learning through training. Alternative approaches based on learner-centred approaches. Learning linked to personal and professional development processes. How to design and use personal development plans and learning logs. 4 Organisational and managerial support for learners through building commitment to learn, including the use of learning contracts. Creating and providing feedback on a range of internally and externally provided learning opportunities, both formal and informal. 5 Strategies for generating learning resources and the funding and expertise needed to optimise their effective use. Creating and monitoring staff development/training budgets and developing criteria for the allocation of resources to different individuals.

1 Individual and social dimensions to the integration of learning and working. Issues involved in the prioritising of learning and learners in relation to changing work requirements and pressures. 2 How to formulate organisation-wide workplace learning objectives within the context of corporate planning. Identifying the key policy- and decisionmakers who influence the integration of learning with working and who evaluate its impact on individual and team performance standards. Learning and development linked to competency frameworks and the use of such frameworks for assessment and development purposes.


7 The assessment of learning 3 The management of financial and non-financial rewards to motivate learners. Sources and characteristics of constructive feedback on workplace learning. Recognition and rewards for managers with responsibilities for integrating learning and working in the workplace. 4 How to balance tailored and personalised learning programmes with collectively based approaches. The theory, practice and skills related to supportive learning processes such as mentoring and coaching, and the organisational conditions they require to be effective. Innovative approaches to the management of learning and development such as ‘corporate universities’ and how to manage linkages with external educational providers.

Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Establish effective approaches and mechanisms for assessing formal and informal learning. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The roles and responsibilities in the assessment of formal and informal learning. 2 The assessment of learning using different methods and processes. 3 Using outcomes of assessment to build and reinforce learning. Indicative content 1 Characteristics of formative and summative approaches to the assessment of formal and informal learning. The assessment of learning using normative and criterionbased standards. Assessment methods and practices appropriate to different learning objectives, eg technical skill, social skill, an area of competency, knowledge etc; self- and peer-group assessment methods. 2 The role of the line manager in the assessment of formal and informal learning and its application within job boundaries and the wider environment. Incorporating different contributions on employee development to produce a multi-dimensional picture. 3 Techniques and approaches appropriate to the assessment of organisational learning and performance; the use of performance indicators, internal and external benchmarking, employee and customer satisfaction measures. Using the balanced scorecard technique. 4 The concept of ‘learning potential’. Linking the assessment of learning potential to personal biographies. Individual and organisational influences that determine the potential to learn, develop and perform.

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8 The contribution of communications and information technology to individual and organisational learning

9 The contribution of organisational learning and knowledge management to the achievement of organisational objectives





1 Make the best use of communications and information technology to support individuals’ workrelated learning and the development of knowledge.

1 Show how knowledge management and the development of organisational learning add value for the organisation.





1 Designing and managing communications systems. 2 The effective use of Internet and intranet systems. 3 Difficulties and requirements associated with the use of IT-based learning.

1 The roles and responsibilities for initiating and managing organisational learning. 2 The role of personnel and development professionals in facilitating learning and creating a knowledgeproductive learning environment. 3 Developing mechanisms for assessing and evaluating the outcomes of knowledge management and organisational learning processes.

Indicative content 1 Developments in computer-based learning. Using computers to support home-based and distance learning. Advantages and disadvantages of using computers to train employees. Issues of access and the skills necessary to operate computer software. 2 Using computer conferencing facilities to support organisational networks and learning communities. Sharing knowledge and information through access to shared areas on computer networks. Using shared-area facilities to support the dissemination of knowledge. 3 The impact of corporate communications policies and corporate values on the sharing of knowledge and information and its effective transfer ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’. 4 The characteristics of web-based learning; web-based learning resources. Using intranet systems as direct learning opportunities and as resource bases.

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Indicative content 1 The concept and characteristics of learning organisations. Strategies for moving organisations towards this state. 2 Implications arising from the growth of knowledgeworkers for the process of managing expectations, rewards and relationships. 3 The role and contribution of human resources in influencing organisational environments and management practices. The structure and agenda of the human resources function; relationships with organisational stakeholders. Strategies for assessing and evaluating changes in organisational learning and the impact of this on performance criteria and standards.

Managing the Training and Development Function | practitioner-level Standards

Managing the Training and Development Function Purpose Training and development is potentially a powerful strategic function. It can make a major contribution to organisational, group and individual effectiveness, efficiency, growth and success. It is important that other functional managers accept the training and development specialist as a business partner, whether operations are co-ordinated as a centralised specialist function or are controlled by line managers.

To be effective, the specialist professional manager of training and development operations must be able to establish, manage and evaluate a cost-effective, valueadding function appropriate to the needs of a particular organisation. She/he must ensure a good ‘fit’ between the vision and strategy of training and development and organisational vision and goals. This ‘fit’ is more important than any form of idealised ‘best practice’.

This managerial-level Standard is relevant for those with overall responsibility for the whole range of formal and informal training and development activities within a business, delivering solutions to meet organisational needs. The Standard is appropriate to the functional head of training and development or equivalent, either in an organisation where training is a support function or in one providing specialist training and development services to a range of clients. It applies to:

The Standard incorporates many requirements of the NVQ/SVQ Level 4 in Learning and Development and some of the level 5 requirements. It also covers the management of relevant, efficient and cost-effective policies and practices for vocational education and training. To be fully effective, the functional manager in this area probably also needs to meet the Standard in Managing Organisational Learning and Knowledge.

• a specialist who sees the management of training and development as a career route • a manager for whom a period managing training and development activities is part of a career path • a senior practitioner operating as a consultant in a training organisation.

No personnel or development activity exists in a vacuum. So it is inevitable that this Standard reinforces and confirms some of the issues that also appear in the People Management and Development Standard, and the Generalist Learning and Development Standard. Because of its management focus it also relates to some content in the Leadership and Management Standards.

This Standard reflects changing work roles and organisational structures and the context where some responsibility for training and development is devolved to line managers. It emphasises the need to tailor training and development activities to organisational objectives and business needs and includes reference to managing the development of non-employees and outsourced and subcontracted work.

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practitioner-level Standards | Managing the Training and Development Function


1 The contribution of training and development to the business

2 The training and development function





1 Manage training and development operations in order to make a contribution to the achievement of an organisation’s strategic goals.

1 Plan, establish, manage and improve a training and development function appropriate to organisational context, practices and priorities.





1 The links between training and development and the business and the integration of training and development with broader human resources policy and practice. 2 Strategies that contribute to organisational effectiveness.

1 The structure and roles of training and development in a variety of organisations and factors to consider when deciding role and structure. 2 Processes appropriate to the implementation and monitoring of policy strategy and plans in a variety of organisations.

Indicative content Indicative content 1 Political and legal, economic, sociological and environmental and technological factors affecting organisations. 2 Current national and EU initiatives and standards affecting training policy and qualifications. 3 Current challenges facing organisations: changes likely to have training and development implications. 4 Aligning training and development with business goals and needs at corporate, unit and specialist/operational level. Vertical and horizontal integration of training and development within organisations. 5 Using training and development strategically as a source of sustainable competitive advantage. 6 Relationships between training and development and human resource policies, strategies and practices such as appraisal, performance management, career management etc.

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1 Organisational structures and cultures. 2 Structures and roles for training and development in a variety of organisations (eg the specialist function, the line management-led function, the function as a profit centre, the outsourced function etc). Factors to consider in deciding the role, structure and priorities for a training and development function. 3 The systematic approach to managing training and development through the training cycle. 4 Processes needed for the effective management of training and development, including project management. Processes involved in providing advice, support and consultancy. 5 Positioning the training and development function in an organisation (eg reporting lines, connections, power and influence).


3 The identification of organisational training and development requirements

4 policy and strategy issues





1 Identify and prioritise current and future organisational training and development requirements.

1 Develop policy and strategy on training and development issues, including those relating to externally recognised qualifications and mandatory training.

Knowledge indicators Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Strategies, methods and techniques for establishing training needs within an organisation and for nonemployees – including the documents and other sources of information likely to indicate training/ learning needs. 2 The distinction between issues and needs that can be addressed by training and other non-training issues, and how they may be recognised. Indicative content 1 The value of needs analysis to organisations and when it may be necessary. The importance of performance standards as a basis for identification of needs (and evaluation). Sources of information (eg performance data, business plans and objectives, appraisal records). 2 Processes for co-ordinating and prioritising needs. Methods for establishing needs, at organisational, departmental or functional and individual levels. 3 Responsibilities for identifying training and development needs. Recognising the difference between needs, problems and opportunities that lend themselves to a training solution and those that require other management action. 4 The role of the training and development functional head in collaboration with line managers in the setting and evaluation of performance standards.

Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The purpose and likely content of a written training policy and alternative ways to establish and communicate policy. 2 A range of training and development strategies and the conditions under which they may be appropriate, including: • technology-based strategies • the nature and impact of initiatives by external bodies in vocational education and training, including the details and relevance of nationally and EU-recognised qualifications and standards. Indicative content 1 The advantages and disadvantages of a written training policy. 2 The purposes and likely contents of written policies. Why policies are not always effective. Alternative ways to communicate policy (eg service-level agreements, contracts, procedures). 3 Choices in the provision of vocational education and training. 4 Strategies for implementing policy (including outsourcing, internal and external, formal versus informal, technological versus traditional delivery).

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5 The management of financial resources

6 The management of physical and technological resources





1 Negotiate and manage the training and development function’s financial base effectively and efficiently, whether as a cost, profit or outsourced centre.

1 Identify, generate and manage the physical and technological resources appropriate for providing training and development in an organisation.





1 Factors (financial and non-financial) in establishing and managing the budget and: • the advantages and disadvantages of centralised and decentralised budgets • the concepts of value-added and cost/benefit analysis • external sources of funding.

1 The physical and technological resources needed to manage training and development. 2 The advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing.

Indicative content 1 Managing cost centres and profit centres.

2 Sources of external funding and how to access them.

3 Costing training and development programmes.

Traditional and alternative methods of budgeting (zero-based, project-based, incremental, etc).

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Indicative content 1 Technology-based learning resources and their integration into training and learning strategies. Using technology in the management of the function. 2 Physical resources needed for the effective implementation of training and development strategies and policies. 3 The case for and against using a dedicated training centre (eg learning resource centre, residential management centre).


7 The management of training and development professionals

8 Collaboration with stakeholders





1 Manage internal and external training professionals, including their recruitment and development.

1 Support, advise and collaborate with line managers and other stakeholders, inside and outside the organisation, in the running of the training and development function.

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The skills and knowledge that training and development practitioners need and how they may be developed. 2 The identification of training services and providers, including: • sources of training expertise within organisations • factors to consider when negotiating the purchase of training services • negotiation and management of contracts • management of external consultants and other training providers.

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Identification of the stakeholders and their values and aims in the training and development process. 2 The roles of line managers, both in organisations where training and development is centralised and where it is decentralised. 3 Factors in the work environment likely to enhance or inhibit the performance of individuals and teams. Indicative content

Indicative content 1 Characteristics and skills of effective training and development practitioners; nationally recognised skill standards and qualifications for training and development professionals. 2 Building, deploying and managing the training and development team and ensuring its continuous professional and career development. 3 Utilising the expertise available within the organisation to support vocational training. 4 People inside and outside the organisation who can contribute to the provision and support of training initiatives (eg as part-time trainers, mentors or coaches). Managing external consultants and other training providers, including: • criteria for selecting external suppliers of services • drawing up contracts for the purchase of training services • negotiating and managing such contracts. 5 Effective support arrangements (including administration and development).

1 Stakeholder analysis, inside and outside the organisation to identify the critical relationships. Primary and secondary customers/clients. 2 Attitudes to training and development within organisations. Political factors likely to undermine the effectiveness of training and development. 3 The identification and management of the expectations of a range of stakeholders (eg senior management, line management and personnel/human resources management).

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9 The marketing of the training and development function

10 The evaluation of the training and development function





1 Develop the profile and credibility of training and development within an organisation using marketing principles.

1 Use appropriate methods to audit and evaluate critical training and development operations and processes in the organisational context, so as to demonstrate the efficiency, effectiveness and added value of the training and development function.

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Strategies for building and enhancing the image and reputation of training and development. 2 Marketing principles and practices. Indicative content 1 The benefits of raising the status of the training and development function. Strategies for building the status and credibility of the training and development function. 2 Principles of marketing and how they may be applied (eg training as a business, customer/client analysis and segmentation, resource analysis, developing a marketing plan). 3 The marketing mix, as applied to training and development (eg training products/services, promotion, place, pricing). 4 The relationship between training needs and marketing.

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Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Criteria for deciding an evaluation strategy. 2 Evaluation practice and techniques, including: • a range of quantitative and qualitative performance indicators • using audits and benchmarking as part of an evaluation strategy. Indicative content 1 Principles of evaluation of: • the training and development function • alternative training strategies, arrangements and activities. 2 The range of purposes of evaluation in relation to different stakeholders and the uses to which information from evaluation may be put. 3 A range of strategies, methods and techniques appropriate for evaluation and their strengths and weaknesses. 4 The purpose, principles and practices of training audits and benchmarking.


11 The implications of political, diversity and ethical issues for the training manager Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Model good management practice and deal professionally with political and ethical issues that arise in the course of managing the training and development function and its operations, and in relation to its policies and plans. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Equal opportunities and diversity issues. 2 Critical relationships and political dilemmas in organisations. 3 The role of the professional training practitioner in modelling organisational values and good management practice. Indicative content 1 The legal framework around diversity and equal opportunities issues. 2 Ethical and political factors likely to be encountered (eg confidentiality, performance issues, relationship difficulties). 3 Dilemmas to balance (eg organisational and individual needs, demands and expectations of different stakeholders).

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practitioner-level Standards | Designing and Delivering Training

Designing and Delivering Training

Purpose Training is one of the most widely used processes in the learning and development field, whether in an organisational or national context. Its purpose is to produce timely, cost-effective and efficient learning that is well tailored to needs. Full account must be taken by trainers of the context in which this purpose must be achieved if training is to achieve its most important benefits of: • removing blocks to desired individual and organisational performance levels • building and maintaining competence • facilitating changes in organisational culture, structure and processes through carefully targeted initiatives. Training practitioners must continuously relate their operations to the human resource and business policy and practice in the organisations they work for, or to employment policy and practice in the wider labour market if that is their main context. They must deliver activities that are relevant, accessible and well managed, and that utilise new technology in appropriate and innovative ways. They must think beyond the operational confines of the immediate training task, in order to assess what training events will add most value at organisational and individual levels. Even in the most operational situations, they must be able to demonstrate that they know the ‘few most important things to do’ – and how to do them equitably, to time, cost and target.

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This Specialist Standard relates to the processes involved in the systematic identification of needs, and in the subsequent analysis, design, delivery and evaluation of training to meet those needs. It identifies core expertise and knowledge relevant for: • training providers who are delivering training for a variety of clients, including governments, and are increasingly being required to act also as facilitators and advisers in relation to training activities. They must strike an appropriate balance in responding to their clients’ sometimes dissonant mix of training needs and expectations • line managers, team leaders, employed specialist trainers and any others in an organisation who hold designated training responsibilities. They too have a difficult balance to strike in responding to individual, team and organisational training needs. The level of the Standard is equivalent to NVQ/SVQ Levels 4/5. A fully competent training practitioner should also be able to meet the kind of performance criteria set in the complementary Standard, Managing Organisational Learning and Knowledge.

Designing and Delivering Training | practitioner-level Standards


1 The organisational context and business environment

2 The identification of training needs





1 Analyse and interpret the broader organisational context and business environment in order to ensure that training meets business needs and achieves stakeholder support.

1 Use effective investigative and analytical methods to advise and assist clients in identifying needs, at all organisational levels, to which training is the most appropriate response.





1 The business environment, the organisation’s corporate goals and business targets, its current skill supply strategy and skill profile and the practical implications of these for the trainer. 2 Current and likely future skills imbalances across the external labour market and within the organisation, and their performance and training implications. 3 Types and choices of trainer roles to fit different organisational contexts.

1 How to determine and gain agreement on those organisational and individual needs for which training is the best solution. 2 Competency frameworks in current or planned use in organisations; their implications for training needs identification. 3 Choice, use and monitoring of different training needs analysis approaches and techniques. Indicative content

Indicative content 1 The organisation and its business environment. The organisational context of structure, corporate and business strategies, technology and work processes, and employment relations. 2 Human resources policy and practice in organisations and in the external labour market; the opportunities and constraints they present for training design, delivery and impact. 3 Fitting specific training initiatives to wider organisational and labour market contexts; how training can aid planned change in the organisation’s external and internal labour market. Problematic issues for training in the change process, and approaches to handling these. 4 How to identify and tackle blocks to the effectiveness of training that an unfavourable external or internal organisational context can produce. 5 How training roles are typified in research, and are chosen, influenced and extended or contracted in practice. Criteria for choice of roles in different organisational contexts.

1 Top-down/strategic and bottom-up approaches for identifying and analysing job-related and individual needs for which training is the most appropriate solution; how to provide support and advice on those needs for which it is not. 2 Principles of performance consulting applied to the identification of training needs. Criteria for selecting and using analytical approaches and techniques to fit the particular situation. 3 Common models and frameworks for aligning training events with business needs and: • their strengths and weaknesses • the skills and processes they involve. 4 Demand-led approaches to training inside or outside employing organisations; their typical positive and negative influences on training decisions. How to achieve relevance and value for training in a demandled training culture.

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3 The planning of training solutions Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Work with stakeholders to plan fair, accessible, effective and timely training solutions to meet those needs. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 How to work with stakeholders to plan training solutions to agreed training needs. 2 How to identify the costs and benefits of options to meet needs, and to assess the likely added value of each. 3 Sources and utilisation of internal and external funding, expertise and other resources for training. 4 How to reach agreement on plans that will respond to needs in fair, accessible and effective ways, and to an appropriate timescale. Indicative content 1 Issues involved in working with stakeholders to generate options to meet training needs and: • development of shared and realistic perceptions among stakeholders about training solutions

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4 The design of training events • handling the tensions involved in stakeholder relationships, including those relating to ethical training practice and equal access to training opportunities • tackling worst-case scenarios in ways that will aid training decision-making. 2 Methods of identifying the financial and non-financial costs and benefits of different options to meet training needs, and assessing: • how to secure and utilise necessary financial and non financial resources and other support from outside and within the organisation • criteria to ensure that chosen training solutions are feasible, fair and accessible for all types of potential learners. 3 How to plan training events that respond to organisational and individual needs and contexts; drawing up and agreeing plans that will: • meet learning needs arising from changes in business strategy • meet needs on departmental, team and individual bases • meet the needs of diversified learner types and cohorts • fit an appropriate timescale, whether through short formal and informal training events, or through longer training programmes.

Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Collaboratively design training events (including formal programmes) that are securely grounded in principles of learning and make efficient and effective use of available resources. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 How to achieve collaborative design of training, including agreement on measures to determine the success of training events (including short- and longterm programmes). 2 The implications for training design of organisational factors and learner characteristics. 3 Criteria to guide the use of formal and informal learning and training methods in different kinds of training event. 4 The choice, assessment and organisation of training materials. 5 The design of support processes and systems for learners.


5 The delivery of training Indicative content


Indicative content

1 The principles of learning in which training design, delivery, transfer and evaluation should be embedded. 2 How to identify and work with partners in the design process; how to handle conflict with the aim of achieving continuous collaboration. 3 Formal and informal learning processes and methods that can be incorporated into training activity, including: • their fit with the learning cohort’s characteristics and workplace culture • the value they can produce, given their financial and non financial cost • how to integrate chosen methods into training design. 4 How to choose or design, pilot, and assess training materials; how to incorporate them into training events. 5 How to incorporate learner support systems and processes into the design of training events.


1 How to work with other organisational and external personnel in delivering training events. Trainer roles, styles and behavioural characteristics, and how to adapt these to learners’ expectations and to the objectives of training events. 2 The operation of effective learning and instructional processes during training events, including: • how to build and sustain a conducive learning climate in short- and longer-term training events • how to establish and maintain effective learning, coaching and counselling relationships with a wide variety of learners • how to identify difficulties experienced by learners in different types of training and employment situations, and tackle these equitably and effectively. 3 Methods of monitoring training delivery and adjusting to ongoing contingencies.

1 Organise fair, accessible, effective and timely delivery of training. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 How to achieve an effective training team. 2 The implications for the delivery of training events of different trainer roles and styles. 3 The implications for the fair, accessible and timely delivery of training events of diversified types and categories of learners. 4 How to establish a climate conducive to learning. 5 How to tackle equitably and effectively the difficulties that learners experience in different types of training situations. 6 How to establish and maintain effective learning, coaching and counselling relationships with learners, during and after training.

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6 The incorporation of new technology into the training process

7 The transfer of learning





1 Incorporate new technology as appropriate into the training and learning processes.

1 Advise on, and help to ensure, effective transfer of learning.





1 Applications of new technology in the planning and design of training events. 2 Electronically-based assessment of training and of trainees. 3 Electronically-based aids to training administration.

1 The implications for trainers, learners and other stakeholders of positive and negative transfer of learning into and out of the training situation. 2 How to work collaboratively to achieve or improve the positive transfer of learning.

Indicative content

Indicative content

1 How to incorporate new technology in the design of training events, with special reference to: • keeping up with good practice and innovation • identifying and tackling human problems typically associated with the introduction of new or more advanced technology in training situations. 2 The uses of electronically delivered methods and media in the delivery and assessment of training and learning and: • their implications for the trainer • criteria for selecting feasible and appropriate approaches in specific situations.

1 The theory and practice of transfer of learning; ways of tackling problems that can arise in the transfer of learning into and out of the training situation. 2 How to involve stakeholders in: • gaining commitment to achieve effective transfer of learning into and out of the training situation, including the provision of support systems for learners • identifying major issues of concern related to

learning transfer

• reaching agreement on how these should be tackled in current and future training initiatives.


8 The evaluation of training

9 The management and marketing of training events





1 Carry out feasible, timely and cost-effective monitoring and evaluation of training programmes, and agree with stakeholders any necessary changes to training provision and practice.

1 Manage, administer and market training activity, using new technology as appropriate.



Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 How to identify the stakeholders in the evaluation of training events and ways of reconciling differing stakeholder goals. 2 Criteria for the selection of evaluation processes and methods. 3 How to work collaboratively to monitor, evaluate and continuously improve training events. Indicative content 1 Differences between monitoring, validation and evaluation and: • how to establish the monitoring process and gain agreement on how to operate it • formative and summative techniques for validating the learning of trainees • evaluation models, approaches and methods, and their application to different kinds of training events • criteria to apply in designing and implementing the monitoring, validation and evaluation of training outcomes (eg information needed, purpose, expectations of stakeholders). 2 Ways of responding to contingencies affecting training: • typical organisational and individual issues, problems and responses • planning and carrying out training audits and

ensuring action on outcomes.


1 The main tasks involved in ensuring well-managed and well-marketed training activity. 2 Databases and advisory sources that explain the legal and ethical responsibilities of the managers of training events. 3 The application of new technology to the management and marketing of training. Indicative content 1 The effective and efficient management of training events, including: • the choice, organisation, management and evaluation of subcontracted training services for various training events • budgeting and managing finances for learning

events

• identifying and dealing with issues concerning

equality of access, and with confidentiality and

ethics, related to training events.

2 The role of marketing in raising and spreading awareness about training events and their impact. 3 The main tasks involved in organising and delivering effective and well-marketed training events and: • how to obtain resources to facilitate those tasks • how to position and market training events to

ensure they meet needs

• how to collaborate with stakeholders so that

training events achieve their desired outcomes

• how and when to apply new technology to the marketing process.

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10 The continuous professional development of the training practitioner Operational indicators

Indicative content


1 Models of core competencies of effective trainers; continuing professional development and: • achieving external accreditation of skills, knowledge and attainments • regularly updating expertise and knowledge • identifying and making appropriate use of good practice and innovation in the field, related to training tasks and the training process • developing and participating in trainer networks. 2 Relevant codes of practice and practitioner guidelines for trainers, including: • sources of information and advice on training issues in the field, and on matters relating to the training and effectiveness of training professionals • official reports on training practice and problems and their implications for the development of training practitioners.

1 Take responsibility for their own continuing professional development. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Models and research relating to the core competencies and behavioural characteristics of effective trainers. 2 Techniques of self-assessment and of continuing selfdevelopment for the training practitioner.

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Employee Reward Standards | practitioner-level Standards

Employee Reward Standards

Employee Reward

Pensions Performance Management

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practitioner-level Standards | Employee Reward

Employee Reward Purpose Employee Reward covers how people are rewarded in accordance with their value to an organisation. It is about both financial and non-financial rewards and embraces the strategies, policies, structures and processes used to develop and maintain reward systems. The ways in which people are valued can make a considerable impact on the effectiveness of the organisation and is at the heart of the employment relationship. The aim of employee reward policies and practices is to help attract, retain and motivate high-quality people. Getting it wrong can have a significant negative effect on the motivation, commitment and morale of employees. Personnel and development professionals will be involved frequently in reward issues, whether they are generalists or specialise in people resourcing, learning and development or employee relations. An integrated approach to human resource management means that all these aspects have to be considered together so that a mutually reinforcing and interrelated set of personnel policies and practices can be developed. Personnel and development practitioners are expected to play their part alongside line managers in maximising the contribution of people to the achievement of corporate purposes. They must understand the business context and the importance of adopting a strategic viewpoint when meeting business needs in partnership with their colleagues.

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This Standard defines how thinking performers can meet these requirements in the field of employee reward. It is relevant for: • any personnel/human resources practitioner at a relatively early stage in their career, responsible for a range of basic personnel operations and wanting to develop deeper and broader knowledge and skills and make a professional contribution to the employee reward process • externally-based consultants providing advice and services in many organisational types, sectors and settings.

Employee Reward | practitioner-level Standards


1 The employee reward contribution

2 The conceptual framework



Indicative content



1 Contribute to the identification of an appropriate employee reward strategy from an analysis of an organisation’s corporate strategy, and take part in the preparation of reward plans.

1 Assist in preparing an employee reward policy statement and specify a process for ensuring its continuous review. 2 Participate as a team member in consultation or bargaining about the design, implementation and operation of a pay system.

1 The corporate, national and international context; the impact of the internal and external environments, including national and global competition, on reward strategies and practices. 2 The influence of organisational culture on reward strategy and practices. 3 The key economic theories and concepts that affect reward policies and practices and rates of pay, including: • external and internal labour markets • supply and demand • efficiency wage theory • human capital theory • agency theory. 4 The psychological contract and its significance and impact on reward practices. 5 Motivation theory, especially expectancy theory and goal theory and: • the significance of the concepts of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation • the link between money and motivation. 6 The role of financial and non financial rewards in a total reward system. 7 The significance of the concepts of equity, fairness, consistency and transparency as they affect reward policies and practices.

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The process of reward management; its components and aims. Indicative content 1 The concept of an employee reward system, and its component processes, practices, structures, schemes and procedures. 2 Elements of employee reward and their interrelationships, including base pay, contingent pay, allowances, total earnings, employee benefits, total remuneration, non-financial rewards and recognition schemes. 3 The role and aims of employee reward in the context of the organisation’s corporate and personnel and development strategies. 4 The impact of minimum wage legislation.

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The concepts of reward system, reward structure and reward levels. 2 The role of reward strategies and policies in an organisation, and their potential for supporting change when integrated with personnel and organisational strategies and policies. 3 The factors affecting reward philosophies, strategies, policies, practices and levels of pay in organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors, including pay determination through collective bargaining. 4 The key economic, psychological and motivational theories that influence reward policies and practices.

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3 employee reward processes

4 Job evaluation





1 Provide accurate and timely advice to line management, colleagues and employees on all aspects of employee reward policy and practice and the composition of an individual’s reward package.

1 Advise senior management on: • whether to introduce job evaluation and take part in the design and implementation of an appropriate scheme • the design or modification of a pay structure and methods of introducing it • general and individual pay reviews.


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1 The part that financial and non-financial rewards play in attracting, retaining and motivating people. 2 The factors that influence employee satisfaction with their rewards and the reward system, such as equity, fairness, consistency and transparency.

Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The objectives and limitations of job evaluation processes.

Indicative content

Indicative content

1 Reward philosophies and their influence on reward strategies and policies. 2 Reward strategy and: • key features • integration with corporate and personnel strategies • developing reward strategies. 3 Reward policies and issues such as: • pay stance • reconciling the needs for internal equity and external competitiveness • formulating policies. 4 Reward planning and: • auditing and analysing the reward system • diagnosing key issues • developing the system. 5 Approaches to employee reward in a range of organisations and new developments in this field.

1 The purpose and key features of job evaluation processes. 2 Basic methodology and: • selecting benchmark jobs • deciding evaluation factors. 3 The techniques of job and role analysis, and the assessment and definition of competence and capability. 4 Types of job evaluation, including: • non-analytical approaches such as ranking, job classification, internal benchmarking • the analytical approach (point-factor rating) • market pricing. 5 The advantages and disadvantages of each type in different contexts. 6 The limitations of job evaluation, especially in a flexible or process-based organisation. 7 Computerised job evaluation systems. 8 Introducing and maintaining job evaluation.


5 pay and benefit surveys (external benchmarking)

6 pay structures





1 Contribute to local or national pay and benefit surveys.

1 Promote fairness in reward practice and: • help to analyse a pay structure to assess whether it contains sex or other discrimination, and suggest ways of ensuring that a job evaluation scheme is free of bias • conduct an equal pay audit to identify any cases of pay discrimination and advise on methods of eliminating them.

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The concept of a market rate in local and national labour markets. Indicative content 1 2 3 4

The concept of a market rate.

Sources of data.

Criteria affecting the quality of data.

Presenting, interpreting and using the data.

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The criteria for an effective pay structure and contingent pay schemes. Indicative content 1 The purpose of a structure, and criteria for effectiveness. 2 Types of structure, including: • graded • broadbanded • job family • pay spine • spot rate. 3 The advantages and disadvantages of each type of structure in different contexts, and factors affecting which to choose. 4 Pay structures for manual workers. 5 Designing, introducing and operating pay structures, taking into account the need for equity, fairness, consistency, transparency and external competitiveness, and the need to manage change.

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7 pay discrimination and equal pay

8 Contingent pay





1 Promote fairness in reward practice and: • help to analyse a pay structure to assess whether it contains sex or other discrimination, and suggest ways of ensuring that a job evaluation scheme is free of bias • conduct an equal pay audit to identify any cases of pay discrimination and advise on methods of eliminating them.

1 Analyse the case for or against the introduction of a contingent pay scheme (paying for performance, competence, contribution or skill) and advise on its introduction, implementation and auditing. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate:

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The significance of relevant legislation, including the law on equal pay and the limitations on providing advice on pensions specified in the Financial Services Act 1986, the Pensions Act 1995 and the National Minimum Wage Act 1998. Indicative content 1 2 3

Reasons for pay discrimination. The legal framework and: • Article 141 of the Treaty of Rome 1957 • the Equal Pay Act 1970 • the Equal Pay (Amendment) Regulations 1983 • leading British and European cases • the impact of legislation and case law. The Equal Opportunities Commission Code of Practice on Equal Pay. 4 Designing and introducing a non-discriminatory pay structure. 5 Developing job evaluation schemes free of sex or other bias. 6 Processes for auditing and monitoring equal value issues.

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1 The factors that influence employee satisfaction with their rewards and the reward system, such as equity, fairness, consistency and transparency. Indicative content Paying for performance, competence, contribution or skill 1 Arguments for and against contingent pay. 2 Criteria for contingent pay. 3 The development and introduction of contingent pay schemes and the management of the change processes involved. 4 The nature, advantages and disadvantages of various forms of individual contingent pay and circumstances when each might be appropriate, including: • individual performance-related pay

• competence-related pay

• contribution-related pay

• skill-based pay.

5 Shop-floor incentive schemes and:

• piecework

• work-measured schemes

• measured day work

• performance-related pay.

6 Team pay – its features, advantages and disadvantages

and the requirements to be met when introducing it. 7 Rewarding organisational performance and: • profit-sharing • gain-sharing • profit-related pay • employee share schemes.


9 performance management

10 Managing the reward system for special groups





1 Advise on the management of change when introducing or modifying elements of the reward system.

1 Take part in processes to involve employees in the design or modification of reward systems and advise on methods of achieving transparency by communicating to employees on reward issues and practices.

Knowledge indicators Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate:


1 The principles underlying performance management. Indicative content 1 Issues concerning the agreement of performance objectives and standards and their role in measuring effective performance. 2 Problems of assessing and measuring outcomes. 3 The aims, nature and processes of performance management. 4 Performance management as a means of valuing people. 5 Links between performance management and pay. 6 The process and methods of performance rating, methods of rating and arguments for and against it.

1 New developments in employee reward and their application within the organisation. Indicative content 1 Directors and senior executives and: • executive incentive, bonus and share-option schemes • the impact of the Cadbury, Greenbury and Hample reports • the role of remuneration committees. 2 Expatriate rewards and: • home-based and host-based approaches and their respective advantages and disadvantages • tax considerations, allowances and benefits. 3 The nature, advantages and disadvantages of systems for sales and customer service staff, including minimum wage issues and: • basic salary

• commission only

• salary plus commission

• bonus schemes

• other methods of motivation.

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11 employee benefits and pensions

12 Managing and administering employee rewards





1 Evaluate the case for introducing flexible benefits.

1 Contribute to the administration of employee reward policies and processes and evaluate effectiveness and value for money.

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The basis on which flexible benefit systems work. Indicative content 1 Employee benefits policy and strategy, its aims and development and: • types of benefit and how to choose appropriate benefits • administering benefits • auditing the benefits system • controlling benefit costs. 2 Designing appropriate benefit packages for different occupational groups; evaluating the case for harmonising benefits; single status. 3 Designing, developing, implementing and reviewing a flexible benefits system. 4 The influence of government policy, including taxation on benefits policies and share schemes. 5 Basic features of pension arrangements and: • social and demographic issues, including equalisation • state and occupational provision, and issues of portability in a flexible labour market • characteristics of defined-benefit and definedcontribution schemes, and arguments for and against each • stakeholder pensions • providing information and advice to employees, to comply with the Financial Services Act 1985 and the Pensions Act 1995.

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Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The use of computer modelling in costing alternative reward policies and proposals. 2 The skills line managers need to implement reward practices and policies and how these skills can be developed. Indicative content 1

Responsibility for employee rewards and for their administration and: • the role of the personnel professional • devolving responsibility for employee reward to line management. 2 Employee reward procedures for: • grading jobs • determining levels of pay on appointment or promotion • hearing appeals. 3 Preparing employee reward forecasts and budgets, costing the changes and ensuring value for money. 4 Conducting general and individual pay reviews. 5 Monitoring and evaluating reward policies and practices. 6 Advising managers on pay practices and decisions. 7 Communicating to employees: • collectively on reward proposals and policies • individually on pay arrangements that affect them. 8 Involving employees in the development of reward systems. 9 Employing reward management consultants. 10 Using IT as a tool for administering employee rewards, including computer modelling to calculate the costs of alternative reward policies.

Pensions | practitioner-level Standards

Pensions

Purpose Pensions represent a significant cost for employers and the state. The pensions element of the total reward package has become a more complex and demanding subject for the personnel practitioner. For example: • employees now have the right to opt out of an employer’s occupational scheme in favour of a personal pension, or no private pension at all • there is now a limit on the amount of an employee’s earnings on which a tax-approved pension can be based • new disciplines have been imposed on personnel practitioners with respect to the management of pension schemes and the elimination of discriminatory practices between male/female employees and fulltime/part-time employees.

Other parts of the Standard focus on the provision of information and advice to scheme members and potential scheme members. Personnel practitioners also need to be aware of the impact of stakeholder pensions and an outline of the latest developments in this field. The personnel and development professional who holds this expertise and gives appropriate and accurate advice makes a real and valuable contribution to the organisation. Competent management of the pensions field is of real benefit to the individual employees and to the organisation as it optimises the value of the pension element of the reward package and provides an effective and cost-effective service within the business.

The Pensions Standard is designed to meet the needs of personnel practitioners and consultants rather than those specialising in finance functions. It focuses on the provision of occupational pension schemes and their place within wider employer reward policy and strategy. In particular, it develops the ability to give accurate and constructive advice to senior management on: • questions of scheme design • the appropriate balance between pensions and other elements in a reward package • the increasingly complex legal framework that pension funds now operate in.

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practitioner-level Standards | Pensions


2 employer and employee objectives

1 pension provision Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Make a major contribution to the formulation of an employer’s pension policy, ensuring it is free of sex bias and meets reward management objectives. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The reasons for the historical development of occupational pensions and their current position. Indicative content 1 The history of occupational pension provision and: • the early Civil Service schemes and private sector pension funds • the development of tax relief • growth in the occupational sector since 1945 • present coverage and the current position. 2 The historical development of state pensions and: • the State Earnings-Related Pension Scheme (SERPS) • the development of personal pension and stakeholder schemes • the Social Security Act 1986 • the Pensions Acts 1985 and 1995 • the Financial Services Act 1985 • the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 2000.

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3 The main types of pension provision, both state and private, including: • the impact of stakeholder pensions on occupational schemes • top-up arrangements (eg additional voluntary contributions and ‘buying years’). 4 Demographic trends and projections and: • the economic significance of pension funds • investment principles • labour market trends. 5 In an occupational pension scheme, the functions and roles of the: • employer • trustees • pensions manager • actuary • auditor • fund manager. 6 The balance of power in pension schemes and: • the distribution of powers between trustees • the use of surpluses • determining the contribution level • setting investment policy • amending the scheme • augmenting benefits.

Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Carry out a survey of employee perceptions concerning an organisation’s pension policy. 2 Advise managers on the appointment of trustees, and their role. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The objectives of employer pension provision and framing the organisation’s pension policy so that it can meet those objectives. 2 The potential role of pension provision in competitive reward strategies. 3 The potential effects of occupational pensions on labour markets.


3 Defined benefits schemes Indicative content


Indicative content

1 The reasons for occupational provision and: • welfare objectives • retaining and attracting staff • managing employee retirement and industrial relations considerations • the role of pension provision in employee reward strategies. 2 Employee perceptions of occupational pension schemes and: • reasons for joining or not joining • employee concerns about security • the extent of employee knowledge about pension schemes • the advantages and disadvantages of opting out of occupational pensions in favour of private pension arrangements or stakeholder schemes • factors affecting pension provision for beneficiaries other than employees.


1 The principles of defined benefits schemes and: • final salary and average salary forms • the variety of formulae/scheme designs • public sector schemes • the comparison between different designs in terms of funding, retirement income and complexity. 2 The advantages and disadvantages of defined-benefit schemes for employers and employees; the extent of coverage and employer risk. 3 The administration of final-salary schemes.

1 Advise senior managers on the advantages and disadvantages of the defined-benefit, definedcontribution and hybrid forms of pension, in the context of the organisation’s needs. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The distinction between definedbenefit and defined-contribution schemes and the potential advantages and disadvantages of each. 2 The principles behind the calculation of: • final salary pensions and lump sums • transfer values • early retirement benefits.

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practitioner-level Standards | Pensions

4 Defined-contribution and hybrid schemes

5 The regulation of occupational pension schemes





1 Advise senior managers on the advantages and disadvantages of the defined-benefit, definedcontribution and hybrid forms of pension, in the context of the organisation’s needs. 2 Advise managers of the advantages and disadvantages of: • providing insured or selfadministered schemes • the options and responsibilities relating to stakeholder pensions.

1 Advise senior managers on the regulation of occupational pension schemes and its implications for the organisation.

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The distinction between occupational pension schemes and stakeholder schemes and the employer’s responsibility to provide access to stakeholder schemes.

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Legislation concerning: • the disclosure of information to pension scheme members • the responsibilities of pension fund trustees • tax relief. 2 The implications of the Financial Services Act 1995 on the provision of information to employees. 3 The implications of legal requirements concerning equal treatment of men and women and the treatment of part-timers on occupational pension schemes.

Indicative content Indicative content 1 The principles of definedcontribution schemes and: • types of hybrid scheme • extent of coverage • the reasons for recent growth of defined-contribution forms. 2 The potential advantages and disadvantages of definedcontribution schemes for employers and employees; the advantages and disadvantages of hybrid schemes and the administration of defined and hybrid schemes.

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1 Regulation and: • the functions of statutory and advisory bodies, including the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Body (OPRB) • taxation principles and benefit limits • regulation of additional voluntary contributions • Inland Revenue approval

• regulations in respect of selfadministered schemes • contracting out of, and back into SERPS. 2 Disclosure of information regulations, information to be provided automatically and information to be provided on request. 3 The legal status and responsibility of trustees, including pensioner trustees and the principles of trust law. 4 Key recent legal developments, including: • the Barber Judgement and subsequent European Court of Justice (ECJ) rulings on pension ages • the position of part-time workers • self-investment limits • transfer rules • voluntary membership • rules for controlling directors. 5 The status of pension rights in cases of: • employer insolvency • unfair/wrongful dismissal • transfer of business ownership • early leaving • early retirement • death in service • divorce.


6 pensions policy and administration Operational indicators

Indicative content


1

1 Prepare and review standard literature on occupational pension schemes in accordance with regulations on the disclosure of information. 2 Brief new employees on the pension benefits the organisation offers and their membership rights. 3 Answer questions from employees about: • scheme rules concerning the level of employee contributions • additional voluntary contributions • death-in-service benefits • late retirement • provision for early retirement • ill-health retirement. 4 Advise employees concerned about business insolvency, the transfer of businesses and security of funding. 5 Provide accurate advice to early leavers on their options regarding occupational pension benefits. 6 Calculate the value of an individual’s pension benefits and lump sum prior to early retirement or at normal retiring age. Knowledge indicators

Costs associated with the administration of different kinds of pension arrangements. 2 Advantages and disadvantages of: • insured and self-administered arrangements • contracting in and out of SERPS • sponsoring approved or unapproved schemes. 3 The management of an occupational pension scheme’s investments and the custody of the fund. 4 The basis for deciding which staff groups should be entitled to scheme membership. 5 The potential role of pensions in cafeteria benefits systems. 6 Paying contributions into employees’ personal pension plans. 7 Basic actuarial principles and: • the calculation of transfer values • contribution refunds • early retirement pensions • retirement lump sums • final pensions. 8 Special arrangements for senior executives and ‘top hat’ schemes. 9 Small self-administered schemes. 10 Restrictions on tax benefits for high earners.

Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 New developments in pension provision, government regulation and legislation.

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practitioner-level Standards | Performance Management

Performance Management

Purpose Performance management is a strategic approach to managing the business. Its aim is to improve organisational effectiveness and add value by enhancing existing capabilities and building new ones. It is largely concerned with the continuous development of the organisation’s broad strategic capabilities and the specific capabilities of individuals and teams. It is strategic in the sense that it deals with: • the broader issues that the business has to face in its changing environment • the general direction in which the business intends to go to achieve longer-term goals. Performance management is not owned and driven by the personnel function, but by management in general and individual managers in particular. But personnel and development practitioners have an important strategic role to play as business partners in: • helping managers and individuals to develop the performance management processes and skills they need to meet business needs • advising on how to align corporate and individual or team objectives so that added-value outcomes are achieved.

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Performance management provides personnel and development specialists with a real opportunity to be proactive and innovative in influencing corporate strategy and contributing to bottom-line results.

Performance Management | practitioner-level Standards


1 The performance management contribution

2 performance management processes


Indicative content



1 The aims and role of performance management. 2 The overall process – performance planning, monitoring and reviewing performance, preparing personal development plans. 3 Performance management as an integrated and holistic process that improves organisational as well as individual and team effectiveness. 4 The significance of performance management as a means of improving organisational effectiveness, by integrating corporate, individual and team objectives and contributing to culture-change programmes. 5 The integration of performance management processes with other personnel and development activities, especially resourcing, development, reward, and with quality management and continuous improvement initiatives. 6 The contribution performance management can make to the continuous development of employees and the organisation. 7 Performance management as a means of valuing people.


1 Use the organisation’s strategic goals, core capabilities and values as the basis for aligning individual and corporate objectives and values. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The nature and context of performance management and: • the internal context of the business and the external national and international contexts • the need to apply performance management in the context of the organisation • the lack of any single best or right option, or universal practice • the need to set clear aims, identify key principles and evaluate the impact of performance management against aims and principles.

1 Present a business case to management for the development of strategic performance management processes. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Performance management as a natural management process and a bundle of interrelated processes, and not a rigid or prescribed system. 2 The features and application of 360-degree feedback processes. Indicative content 1 Performance planning and development agreements. 2 Setting objectives, performance standards and performance measures and: • the nature of objectives • the characteristics of good objectives. 3 Identifying competence requirements. 4 Measuring performance and levels of competence. 5 The characteristics and uses of 360-degree feedback. 6 Conducting performance reviews; focusing on the future rather than the past. 7 The case for and against rating performance and: • methods of rating • achieving fairness and consistency.

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3 performance management skills

4 performance management and employee development





1 Advise on the aims of performance management and how to evaluate its processes against those aims.

1 Persuade line managers and employees that performance management is more than the ‘dishonest annual ritual’ of traditional appraisal by pointing out the benefits for the organisation, managers and individuals.

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The distinction between performance management and traditional performance appraisal schemes. 2 The skills that managers and individuals need to carry out performance management activities; how these skills can be developed. 3 New developments and how they can be applied in organisations. Indicative content 1 Defining and agreeing: • objectives

• performance standards

• performance measures

• competence/skill requirements.

2 Conducting performance review meetings.

3 Providing feedback and gaining commitment to

action. 4 Drawing up and agreeing performance improvement and personal development plans. 5 Coaching, counselling and mentoring.

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Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Performance management and its power to: • align individual and team objectives and values with those of the organisation • link and integrate complementary personnel processes, especially resourcing, development and reward. 2 The tension between performance management as a developmental process and its role in performance or competence pay. Indicative content 1 Preparing, agreeing and implementing personal development plans. 2 The role of the line manager or team leader in coaching, counselling and mentoring their team members. 3 The use of performance management to identify learning needs and to encourage and support selfmanaged learning.


5 performance management and employee reward

6 Introducing performance management





1 In partnership with line management, define the performance management principles that fit the organisation’s culture and help develop the key processes (including concluding performance agreements, monitoring performance throughout the year, conducting formal performance reviews and preparing and implementing personal development and performance improvement plans).

1 Advise on, and help to develop, the performance management skills of others in: • agreeing objectives, performance standards and competence requirements • establishing and using performance measures • providing feedback • identifying development needs • coaching, counselling and monitoring.





1 Pay for performance, competence or contribution schemes and the role of performance management in relation to these schemes.

1 How to develop fair and ethical performance management processes that offer equal opportunity, manage diversity and prevent discrimination.

Indicative content

Indicative content

1 The links, if any, between performance management and reward. 2 Performance management as a means of valuing people. 3 Reconciling the tension between performance management as a developmental process and as a basis for performance-pay decisions. 4 The nature, advantages and disadvantages of pay-for performance systems.

1 The importance of involvement and communication in gaining the commitment and ownership of line management and employees. 2 The importance of the development of learning programmes for the acquisition of required skills. 3 Defining aims and principles. 4 The development programme: involvement, communication, design, pilot testing, training, evaluation. 5 Approaches to developing performance management skills.

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7 evaluating performance management

8 Managing under performers





1 Involve managers and employees in the development of performance management processes, and communicate to them the purpose of performance management, their role and the benefits of the process. 2 Advise on the purposes of documentation and its use.

1 Monitor the development and implementation of performance management and evaluate its effectiveness through the use of audits. 2 Monitor performance management to ensure the process complies with equal opportunity, diversity, and anti-discrimination policies.





1 How performance management can be used: • to value people and to provide for intrinsic motivation • with teams as well as individuals.

1 Methods of: • measuring performance • defining and assessing levels of competence/ capability • identifying and handling capability problems • managing under performers.

Indicative content 1 The importance of evaluation. 2 Methods of evaluation: questionnaires, attitude surveys, focus groups.

Indicative content 1 The role of the organisation in creating a climate that encourages high-performance work practices and commitment. 2 Approaches to managing under performers. 3 Capability procedures. 4 Performance management and discipline. 5 Handling problems at performance management meetings. .

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9 performance management roles Operational indicators

Indicative content

1 Performance management as a process owned by managers, individuals and teams. 2 The specific role of line managers and team leaders in: 1 Advise on: • links between performance management and operating performance management processes • any contingent pay schemes and the case for and against • using performance management skills • supporting the efforts of their teams and team rating performance members to improve their performance and develop • approaches to achieving consistency and fairness. their skills. 2 Advise and support line managers on improving 3 The role of the personnel and development practitioner motivation, handling under performers and using capability and disciplinary procedures. in: • encouraging the use of performance management • participating in the design and development of Knowledge indicators performance management processes Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and • gaining commitment through involvement and critically evaluate: communication • providing training and helping people to learn the skills required 1 The contribution that performance management can make to continuous improvement and development, • monitoring and evaluating the application of performance management. and quality management. Practitioners must be able to:

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Employee Relations Standards | practitioner-level Standards

Employee Relations Standards

Employee Relations Employment Law Health and Safety

137

practitioner-level Standards | Employee Relations

Employee Relations Purpose Employee relations is concerned with how to gain people’s commitment to the achievement of the organisation’s business goals and objectives in a number of different situations. It is also about ensuring that organisational change is accepted. This Standard widens and deepens the coverage of employee relations in the People Management and Development Standard, with the aim of achieving professional competence in this area. The Standard embraces the strategies, policies, structures and processes used to develop and maintain employee commitment. It will also broaden and deepen the general management skills of influencing and negotiating with: • managerial colleagues, both inside and outside the people management function • individual employees, on grievances and discipline • employees as a group, as well as their representatives. Personnel and development professionals are frequently involved in employee relations issues, whether they are generalists or specialise in people resourcing, employee reward or learning and development. An integrated approach to human resource management means that all these aspects have to be considered together so that a mutually reinforcing and interrelated set of personnel policies and practices can be developed.

138

Personnel and development professionals are expected to play their part alongside line managers in maximising the contribution of people to the achievement of current and evolving business objectives. In partnership with their colleagues they need to understand the business context and the importance of taking a strategic viewpoint when meeting business needs and managing change. This Standard defines how thinking performers can meet these requirements in the field of employee relations. It is relevant for: • any personnel/human resources practitioner at a relatively early stage in their career, responsible for a range of basic personnel operations and wanting to develop deeper and broader knowledge and skills and make a professional contribution to the employee relations process • externally-based consultants providing advice and services in many organisational types, sectors and settings.

Employee Relations | practitioner-level Standards


1 employee relations management in context Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Contribute to setting the strategic direction for an organisation’s employee relations policy and practice. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The various means and methods available for effective workplace decision-making and management policies and approaches to gain the commitment, co-operation and empowerment of the workforce. 2 The organisational, regional, national and international context and their potential impact on current employee relations policies, issues and practices. 3 The implications of European Union membership and the internationalisation of employee relations policies, issues and practices. Indicative content 1 The changing economic, social, political and technological environment of employee relations.

2 The parties in employee relations 2 The social dimension of the European Union and: • the Commission • the Council of Ministers • the Parliament • the Court of Justice • the European Trades Union Confederation (ETUC) • UNICE, CEEP, framework agreements and directives. 3 The role of the Government as an economic manager, through its fiscal and monetary policies etc and its implications for employer/ employee interests. 4 The role of the Government as legislator and: • employment protection legislation • maternity and parental leave • equal opportunities legislation • individual rights in relation to trade union membership (statutory recognition for collective bargaining purposes) • the law relating to industrial conflict • the health and safety legal framework • the role of employment tribunals and the Labour Court (Ireland). 5 The role of state agencies, including: • the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) • the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) • the Labour Relations Commission (Ireland) • the Certification Officer • the Health and Safety Commission.

Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Supply appropriate advice on the basic rights and obligations of employers and employees arising from the contract of employment and associated legislation. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The range of internal factors within an organisation that may affect the management of employee relations in the public, private, voluntary and not-for profit sectors. Indicative content 1 Management and: • objectives and styles of employee relations management • business strategy and the employee relations strategy and policies to achieve the business strategy • managing with or without trade unions • the role of the line manager and employee relations in change • the changing role and function of employer associations (eg Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the Retail Consortium and (in the Republic of Ireland) the Irish Business and Employers’ Confederation (IBEC) • management representative bodies at the EU level and at the EU sector (industry) level.

139


3 employee relations processes 2 Employees and: • different forms of employee voice, such as consultation and information giving and receiving bodies (consultative committees, works councils) • staff/employee associations • the role, function, status and values of trade unions • the role and functions of the Trade Union Congress (in the Republic of Ireland, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions) and European and international employee representative bodies • health and safety representatives. 3 The state as an employer and: • the exemplar and reflective role of the state as an employer • the state as a model employer • the implications of the liberalisation of public sector product/service markets on employee commitment in the public sector and quasi-public sector employing organisations.

Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Provide advice on the appropriateness of adopting different forms of employee involvement/participation and how to implement them. 2 Participate as a key team member in the effective implementation of organisational change. 3 Participate as a key team member in the consultation and communication process. 4 Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the organisation’s strategies, policies, procedures and processes to develop and maintain employee commitment. 5 Facilitate the resolution of differences with management colleagues within and between the management functions, as well as employees individually and/or collectively. 6 Draft policies and procedures dealing with employee grievances, discipline, redundancy, job grading, harassment and bullying, and ensure their effective implementation and management. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The impact of organisational change on relationships within an organisation.

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2 The mechanisms in both non union and unionised enterprises designed to reconcile the different interests of employers and employees for mutual gain. Indicative content 1 The range of techniques for practising employee involvement in organisations, including: • communication strategies and policies • problem-solving • task-based involvement • quality circles • team briefing • representative participation • financial involvement. 2 Advice, conciliation, mediation and arbitration. 3 Unilateral decision-making by employers. 4 Employee participation in management decision-making by information and consultation bodies, by worker directors, by collective bargaining (scope, level, formality, bargaining units, single-table bargaining etc) and by health, safety and environment committees. 5 Industrial sanctions, including strikes and lockouts. 6 Legal regulation to provide common standards, for example: • national minimum wage • working time regulations • parental leave • disciplinary procedures • transnational consultation and information regulations • statutory codes. 7 The role and function of health and safety committees.

Employee Relations | practitioner-level Standards

4 Outcomes

5 employee relations skills

Operational Indicators




1 Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the organisation’s strategies, policies, procedures and processes to develop and maintain employee commitment.

1 Participate in the preparation of a case at an employment tribunal on behalf of an employer. 2 Review and monitor an organisation’s safety and environment policies and programmes in line with current legal requirements and ensure their effective implementation and management. 3 Promote good occupational health by raising awareness through health surveillance and training. 4 Advise on contemporary developments in employee relations and their potential impact on the organisation’s policies and practices.

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The key features of the individual employment relationship, including the psychological contract.

Knowledge indicators Indicative content 1 Agreements and their: • types – substantive, procedural, partnership, technological, single-union/no-strike and workforce • authorship – solely by management (as predominates in non-union firms) or jointly (as normal in unionised organisations) • levels and formality – informal as against formal • scope – the subjects covered. 2 The impact of employee relations on economic efficiency.

Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The mechanisms that ensure organisations achieve a safe and healthy working environment. 2 The skills managers need for: • grievance handling • discipline in the workplace • group problem-solving • resolving differences within interest groups • negotiating with different interest groups whether unionised or non-unionised employees, management colleagues or managers from other management functions • managing and implementing change programmes.

141


Indicative content 1 Negotiation, its definition and: • groups that management negotiates with, including other managers, the workforce, customers and suppliers • different types of negotiating situation, including intra-management, grievance, bargaining, group problem-solving • the style of negotiations in different situations with different parties • the different stages of the process and the ‘ritual’ of negotiation. 2 Bargaining, its definition and: • the management skills needed to prepare for and conduct bargaining • preparation of claims, offers and counter-offers etc • skills in concluding bargaining • techniques in searching for the ‘common ground’ • skills in writing the agreement • sources of information. 3 Grievance, its definition and: • the management skills needed – including analysis, defining aims, determining strategy and tactics – to prepare for and conduct management grievance handling with individual employees or groups • interviewing skills • presentation skills • the skills needed to find the common ground and resolve employee grievances.

142

4 Discipline and: • the skills needed for handling disciplinary proceedings • interviewing skills • devising and reviewing procedures and the importance of ‘natural justice’ in procedures • criteria for evaluating whether the disciplinary procedure is operating effectively • the law relating to unfair dismissal • the concept of ‘gross misconduct’ • the importance of ‘good practice’ or best fit as opposed to the legal minimum • preparing evidence for management’s case at an employment tribunal. 5 Redundancy and: • the skills needed to manage redundancy effectively • the relevant law on redundancy to consider when negotiating, devising and implementing a redundancy agreement or arrangements. 6 Managing change and: • the skills needed to interpret and evaluate whether a new employee relations practice that works in one enterprise can be transplanted successfully to another • communication, influencing and negotiating skills to achieve the implementation of change in the light of changing business objectives.

Employment Law | practitioner-level Standards

Employment Law Purpose The volume of employment law has increased rapidly because of national legislation, the social dimension of the European Union, and case law based on interpretation of both national legislation and European decisions. Many areas that were considered relatively straightforward have become increasingly complex and more detailed. Personnel professionals need to advise other managers on existing law.

A personnel professional who meets this Standard will be able to ensure their organisation retains its competitive advantage by not falling foul of the law. In the event of legal action by an employee, the personnel professional will be a valuable resource who can: • take instructions quickly • analyse the situation effectively • represent the company at an employment tribunal, if necessary.

However, the professional personnel and development practitioner needs to take employment law beyond mere compliance. To add real value they should be capable of anticipating and evaluating proposed changes in the law, so that the organisation can plan, prepare and implement sound personnel policies. Personnel professionals must also be able to advise management about the implications of existing and impending legislation on resources and business objectives.

143

practitioner-level Standards | Employment Law


1 The institutions of employment law

2 Individual employment law





1 Read and explain an Act of Parliament and a European Directive. 2 Give advice on the stages at which the content of proposed legislation can be influenced by an organisation.

1 Work with, and find their way through, legal materials, including precedents, case law and legislation. 2 Analyse legal materials capably and confidently. 3 Act as the primary adviser to the organisation on employment law, and thus make a contribution that helps prevent the organisation falling foul of relevant legislation or regulations. 4 Use appropriate sources of information and find the information needed to keep up to date with case law etc. 5 Represent their organisation in employment tribunal proceedings, or instruct/brief a solicitor if or when appropriate. 6 Prepare the organisation’s witnesses who are to give evidence at an employment tribunal. 7 Explain the law – actual and intended – in language and concepts that non-legal management colleagues understand and can absorb. 8 Implement relevant and appropriate practice in: • recruitment • employment and contracts • termination of employment • employee relations policies • procedures based on legal principles and codes of practice. 9 Advise on and evaluate the likely impact of actual and intended legislation on the organisation’s policies, practices and resources.

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The role of the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) in determining claims for statutory trade union recognition and derecognition. 2 The influence of ACAS in resolving individual and collective employment disputes. 3 New developments in legislation and case law in both the UK and EU, and their impact potential on an organisation’s policies and practices. Indicative content 1 The civil and criminal court structure. 2 Employment and employment appeal tribunals; the labour court system. 3 The Central Arbitration Committee (CAC), Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS), the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) and the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE). 4 The European Court of Justice, the Court of Human Rights.

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The legal principles associated with the employment of people, both individually and collectively. 2 The influence of European Union employment law, particularly the impact of EU Directives and the way they are transposed into national legislation.

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Employment Law | practitioner-level Standards

2 Individual employment law (cont)

3 Collective employment law

3 The role of employment law in delivering the organisation’s business objectives. 4 How individual employee employment law enshrines good (best fit) personnel practices. 5 The benefit to the organisation of having a personnel and development practitioner with expertise in the relevant laws and regulations.


Indicative content


1 The nature and terms of the employment contract, the impact of employment protection legislation and: • maternity rights • time-off provisions, including parental leave and caring for dependants • holidays • working time • pay and deductions. 2 The law relating to: • advertising • interviewing • fixed-term contracts • temporary, part-time and casual employment • use of probationary periods • use of union and non-union labour. 3 Legislation and case law covering: • race, gender and disability discrimination • dignity at work (harassment, bullying, whistleblowing) • equal pay

• privacy

• human rights.

4 Termination of employment and:

• the concept of breach of contract

• legislation and case law relating to unfair dismissal

• redundancy procedures and payments

• the Transfer of Undertakings regulations.

5 Individual employee rights to be represented by a trade union (Employment Relations Act 1999).


Practitioners must be able to: 1 Advise on and evaluate the likely impact of actual and intended legislation on the organisation’s policies, practices and resources.

1 The legal principles associated with the employment of people, both individually and collectively. 2 The influence of European Union employment law, particularly the impact of EU Directives and the way they are transposed into national legislation. 3 The role of employment law in delivering the organisation’s business objectives. 4 How individual employee employment law enshrines good (best fit) personnel practices. Indicative content 1 The law relating to: • collective bargaining and agreements • freedom of association • disclosure of information • time off for trade union duties • statutory trade union recognition and derecognition. 2 The law relating to industrial conflict and: • the boundaries of lawful action • damages for unlawful action • the labour injunction; picketing • dismissal in industrial disputes. 3 Transnational information and consultation.

145

practitioner-level Standards | Employment Law

146

4 Confidential information and intellectual property

5 Health and safety at work





1 Advise on and evaluate the likely impact of actual and intended legislation on the organisation’s policies, practices and resources.

1 Advise on and evaluate the likely impact of actual and intended legislation on the organisation’s policies, practices and resources.





1 The benefit to the organisation of having a personnel and development practitioner with expertise in the relevant laws and regulations.

1 The benefit to the organisation of having a personnel and development practitioner with expertise in the relevant laws and regulations.

Indicative content

Indicative content

1 2

1 The legal framework and: • safety representatives and committees • safety policies • the enforcement of health and safety legislation • the rights and obligations of individual employees. 2 Rights and duties of employers and employees in relation to: • injuries at work • negligence • breach of statutory duty • working time • stress.

Patents, inventions and copyright. Protection of confidential information and: • the Data Protection Act • the Access to Medical Reports Act • the Access to Health Records Act • references.

Health and Safety | practitioner-level Standards

Health and Safety Purpose The underlying aim of health and safety is to promote the well-being of employees and others affected by the operation of any business, service or organisation. When a workplace is safe and people see that their well-being is respected, it is likely to improve morale and support other human resource policies. Work itself can have positive or negative long-term effects on employee health. It is an increasingly important aspect of health and safety to ensure that risks to physical or mental health are identified and controlled. Organisations successfully managing health and safety recognise that health and safety policies align with their other human resource management policies. Human resource management often encompasses the organisation’s health and safety function, particularly in low-risk organisations not directly linked to manufacturing or sophisticated technologies. This Standard is designed for those personnel and development practitioners who take responsibility for ensuring the health and safety of the workforce, recognising that health and safety is the direct responsibility of the line managers reinforced by legislation. This means that the personnel and development practitioner will need to interpret and provide guidance to line managers on specific requirements.

This Standard reflects the development of health and safety under the influence of the Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999, where employers are obliged to have access to competent health and safety advice. There has also been a rise in litigation from civil claims and strong pressure from insurance companies on employers to invest in ‘risk management’ as well as tighter audits of management action by the Health and Safety Executive. Other factors are that national and international standards are constantly being refined and there is increasing public awareness of health and safety. By playing a central role in preventing accidents and illness at work and limiting the risk of adverse effects on other stakeholders, the personnel professional adds real value. Accidents and illness affect not only those directly involved. They impact on productivity, morale, the organisation’s image – and the bottom line, as downtime and the costs of insurance, investigation and possible legal penalties have to be met.

Health and safety is an all-embracing multi-disciplinary topic and requires a knowledge of a wide range of subjects: law, risk/safety management, occupational health and hygiene, ergonomics and human factors. This Standard does no more than introduce these topics appropriately. The personnel and development professionals will gain enough knowledge and understanding of the topics to know when they have reached the limits of their competence and when to seek advice from specialists. This in itself is a valuable skill as personnel and development practitioners move on in their careers and perhaps become responsible for managing health and safety functions at boardroom level.

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practitioner-level Standards | Health and Safety


1 Safety management Operational indicators

Indicative content


1 Key health and safety terminology – hazard, risk, precautionary principle, danger, accident, dangerous occurrence, disease. 2 Identifying work hazards that may cause accidents or ill health. 3 Risk assessment methods and techniques and where to use them. 4 How to control the risks identified using the hierarchy of workplace precautions and controls, and specify the criteria for the types of workplace precaution and control. 5 The cost of controls and the legal requirements of ‘so far as is reasonably practicable’ stipulated in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. 6 The elements of a safety management programme such as HSG65, BS8800 or OHSAS 18001 and the management of subcontracting and the need to monitor and continually improve such programmes. 7 The nature, role purpose and requirement of an organisation’s safety policy. 8 Health and safety training requirements. 9 Arrangements for fire prevention and emergency procedures. 10 Consultation and communication with the workforce, health and safety specialists and others affected by work activities. 11 The nature and methods of rehabilitation for vulnerable groups of workers, including young people and those with disabilities (Disability Discrimination Act 1999).

1 Develop, organise, plan and implement an organisation’s safety policy: • in line with current legal requirements • in a way that is meaningful to employees at all levels. 2 Measure and review performance against the policy and make recommendations for continual improvement. 3 Recognise hazards in the workplace and develop an effective process of risk assessment and control that can readily be accessed by employees. 4 Specify health and safety training requirements and contribute to the arrangements for appropriate training. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The key elements, costs and benefits of a health and safety management programme. 2 Risk assessment and its relevance to the workplace. 3 The requirements for: • consultation and communication with the workforce • the need for accident reporting and investigation.

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Health and Safety | practitioner-level Standards

2 The health and safety legal system

3 Occupational health and hygiene





1 Advise on legal issues relating to health and safety.

1 Promote good health by raising awareness through health promotion and surveillance schemes.

Knowledge indicators Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The key requirements in civil law and statute relating to health and safety issues, major offences that may arise, and how these are enforced. 2 The role and functions of major agencies such as the HSC, the HSE, the DETR and local authority enforcement officers. 3 The concept of competence in relation to health and safety requirements. Indicative content 1 Historical development of health and safety law, including the influence of the European Union. 2 The principles of the UK legal system and its national variations, including common law, statute law, hierarchy and functions of the courts. 3 Civil and criminal liabilities, including relevant precedent-setting case law. 4 The enforcement of health and safety law and: • the roles of enforcement officers • remedies available to employers • reporting procedures. 5 Specific legislation – the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and related regulations (in particular the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999). 6 The nature of modern goal-setting legislation and the status of ACOPS and HSE guidance, including implications of duty of care.

Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The importance of good health and the concept of work-induced ill health or injury. Indicative content 1 Basic human physiology and the functions of key elements – the central nervous system, blood, kidneys, lungs, liver. 2 Routes of entry of hazardous substances. 3 Agents that have adverse effects on the body – physical, chemical and biological. 4 Exposure-level criteria and methods of monitoring. 5 Methods for controlling agents and their hierarchy (COSHH Regulations 1999). 6 Health surveillance techniques and: • health questionnaires

• management of health records.

7 Health promotion strategies.

8 The role and function of occupational health services.

9 Psycho-social issues affecting the health of individuals.

149

practitioner-level Standards | Health and Safety

4 ergonomics

5 Human factors





1 Specify health and safety training requirements and contribute to the arrangements for appropriate training.

1 Set up and develop communication and consultation channels with employees, contractors, emergency services and others. 2 Investigate workplace incidents and make recommendations arising from the results. 3 Recognise and deal with emerging issues relating to the well-being of people in the workplace, such as stress and violence to staff.

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The role of specialists in health and safety: occupational physicians, occupational health nurses, general safety practitioners, occupational hygienists, ergonomists.


Indicative content

1 The human factors that affect health and safety performance.

1 Principles of ergonomics, with particular relevance to health and safety issues – body structure, movement. 2 The basic principles of the cause of musculo-skeletal disorders and how to avoid them – manual handling, workstation design, repetitive tasks. 3 Practical ergonomic tools, techniques and checklists.

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Indicative content 1 Organisational, job-related and personal factors in health and safety and risk perception (distinguishing between individual or group attitudes and why people behave unsafely). 2 Relating good health and safety practice to the processes of recruitment, selection, placement, transfer, training, development and learning, taking those with special needs into consideration. 3 Causes of accidents, including behavioural characteristics. 4 The consequences and outcomes of accidents. 5 Stress – the causes and stress management techniques. 6 Violence to staff at work – the causes and techniques to manage it. Alcohol and drugs policies, no-smoking policies.

People Management and

Development Standards


151

practitioner-level Standards | People Management and Development


Purpose People Management and Development is a compulsory core for all candidates, whether on the Professional Development Scheme or seeking entry via competence routes. It is the spine of the entire Professional Development Scheme and CIPD Standards. Its purpose is to cover the essential knowledge and understanding which is then developed and extended in the other generic Standards. To achieve this purpose People Management and Development: • covers all key elements of personnel and development in the main generic areas of resourcing, development, relations and reward • provides sufficient knowledge and understanding for all personnel and development specialists to: – give informed advice and solutions at workplace and establishment level – contribute to improvements in organisational

performance

– undertake basic human resources processes across the board. It is also designed so that practitioners develop the essential ability to: • understand how their work is integrated with that of other personnel and development specialists, line managers, consultants and other stakeholders • gain the commitment of other stakeholders to their recommendations, advice and solutions • demonstrate the way in which these recommendations, advice and solutions can add value for the organisation.

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This People Management and Development Standard: • aims to develop core knowledge and skills in each of the generic areas of personnel and development, so the response and approach to people management and development issues is integrated, effective and professional • is a springboard for further learning and continuing professional development – not an end in itself; it is axiomatic that personnel and development practitioners have a professional responsibility to engage in CPD • is indicative rather than exhaustive; practitioners must keep up to date with developments in the field and changes in the law and international activities, and develop their knowledge and understanding of policy and practice • sees change management as a core issue – to be considered in relation to each subject rather than treated as a stand-alone topic. As with all Professional Development Scheme Standards, the notion of the thinking performer informs the performance indicators and indicative content. To be successful, interventions must be relevant to the circumstances, be seen to contribute to organisational goals and performance, have to make a contribution to the development of professional expertise and be presented accurately and effectively.

People Management and Development | practitioner-level Standards


1 Shaping the management and development agenda Operational indicators

Indicative content


1 The changing nature of work and employment: the contribution of people to organisational objectives; conflict and co-operation, commitment, loyalty and identity; changing organisational forms, flexibility and the reshaping of work. 2 Legal and political frameworks for people management and development: the role of the state and employment law in shaping the agenda for people management and development, common law, national and European legislation; government departments and agencies and their relationship with employing organisations; employment tribunals, ACAS and other relevant bodies. 3 Economic and institutional frameworks for people management and development: national, sectoral and local patterns of labour supply; initiatives in training, learning and skills; trade unions and employers’ organisations; labour market and employment data in Britain and at an international level.

1 Implement appropriate people management and development policies that maximise the contribution of people to organisational objectives and wider societal needs. 2 Supply accurate and timely advice on the rights and obligations of employers and employees arising from the contract of employment and associated legislation, bearing in mind conflicts of interest and issues of confidentiality. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The implications for the effective management and development of people that arise from the changing nature of work and employment. 2 The context within which people management and development takes place in terms of government actions, legal requirements and wider societal needs. 3 The relationship between employing organisations and the economic and institutional frameworks within which they operate.

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2 The contribution of people management and development expertise Operational indicators

Indicative content


1 Research and change management skills: planning and designing projects, setting objectives, establishing parameters and managing available time, building and working in teams; accessing, analysing and presenting data, using statistical sources and information technology, writing and presenting reports; processes of change and influence, persuasion skills, communicating with other people and gaining their commitment, overcoming barriers to change. 2 The growth and development of a specialist personnel and development function: welfare, administration, negotiation, legal expertise, organisation and human resource development, the strategic partner; the status and influence of the personnel and development function; the role of the CIPD. 3 Ethics and professionalism in people management and development: moral and practical issues in relation to the management of people; the nature and extent of disadvantage and discrimination on race, sex, disability, age and other grounds; positive benefits from equal opportunities and the management of diversity; codes of conduct and practice; personal and organisational responsibility for learning and continuing professional development.

1 Access, use and interpret data from a range of internal and published sources in preparing and presenting reports. 2 Contribute effectively to the planning, design and implementation of projects. 3 Manipulate people management and development databases, and provide advice on how to interpret the information and results they produce. 4 Demonstrate an ethical approach to people management and development. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The role of research and change management skills in organisations. 2 The role of information technology in supporting people management and development. 3 The nature and importance of ethics, professionalism, equal opportunities and managing diversity.

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People Management and Development | practitioner-level Standards

3 Integrating the people management and development contribution Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Contribute to the effective implementation of appropriate people management and development policies in different types of organisations. 2 Work in partnership with other stakeholders to help overcome blockages and barriers to change. 3 Make recommendations about the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing some or all elements of people management and development. 4 Provide and use benchmarks and other measures to assess the contribution of people management and development to organisational success. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The meaning of strategic management and its implications for people management and development. 2 How different aspects of personnel and development are integrated with each other, with business strategy and with organisational structures and cultures. 3 The ways in which people management and development is implemented by line managers, functional specialists and consultants, and how these interact with each other. 4 The contribution that people management and development can make to organisational success. Indicative content 1 Organisational strategy and the management of people: the nature and meaning of strategic management and strategic objectives; strategy formulation as a planned, reactive and incremental process; human resource management as a driver, as a strategic partner and as an agent of implementation; the resource-based view of the firm and its application to people management and development.

2 Vertical integration and ‘best fit’: contingency and configurational models of organisation strategy and their application to people management and development; converting organisational and human resource strategies into practice, blockages and barriers to implementation; organisational cultures and structures; the systematic implementation of people management and development at the workplace. 3 Horizontal integration and ‘best practice’: human capital advantage and high commitment management, bundles of human resource practice; integration between different elements of people management and development; best practice human resource management, organisational performance and employee well-being; knowledge-based organisations and people management and development; variations in people management and development between organisations and situations. 4 Line managers and people management and development: partnerships between the personnel and development function and line managers, conflicts and ambiguities; the role of line managers in people management and development, and the benefits and shortcomings of devolving human resources to line managers; developing the contribution of line managers to organisational performance. 5 Consultants and people management and development: the roles of internal and external human resources consultants and their contribution to organisational performance; expert/resource and process consultants; the rationale for outsourcing human resources and other activities, responsibility for performance, and the legal implications of outsourcing. 6 Measuring the contribution of personnel and development to organisational performance: criteria for evaluating the contribution; ratios, service level agreements and benchmarking; marketing and developing the personnel and development function; gaining support for personnel and development interventions; models of the personnel and development function and analysing reasons for variation.

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4 people management and development in practice Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Implement and operate cost-effective processes for recruiting and retaining the right calibre of staff for their organisation. 2 Contribute to the design, development and delivery of learning and training and to utilise measures to evaluate their effectiveness in supporting organisational goals. 3 Work in partnership with other stakeholders to develop procedures and processes that enhance the commitment of employees and resolve conflict at work. 4 Provide advice about how to motivate and reward people so as to maximise employee contributions to organisational performance. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 How effective recruitment, selection and performance management can contribute to organisational effectiveness. 2 How effective learning and training processes can contribute to enhanced employee skills and organisational performance. 3 How effective employment relations can contribute to increased employee potential and commitment. 4 How effective reward management practices can contribute to enhanced employee motivation and satisfaction at work. Indicative content 1 Cost-effective recruitment and selection: human resource planning and vacancy determination; job analysis, job descriptions, person specifications, accountability profiles and competency frameworks; recruitment methods and advertisements; choosing appropriate selection methods.

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2 Managing performance for added value: induction and employee socialisation; objective setting and performance review; performance improvement, managing poor performers and attendees, counselling and support. 3 Maximising the skills and contributions of people: shaping the culture for performance improvement through workplace learning and knowledge management; employability and career management; individual and organisational learning, the learning cycle and differences in learning styles. 4 Managing learning processes for organisational success: identifying training needs and devising learning plans to meet organisational goals and employee needs; planning and organising learning, selecting appropriate methods for different situations; evaluating the effectiveness of training events and learning processes. 5 Structures and processes for effective employment relations: management objectives and styles; managing with and without unions; employee involvement, communications and consultation; collective bargaining, partnership agreements and workplace union organisation. 6 Resolving differences and gaining employee commitment: grievance and discipline handling, contributing to bargaining; the role of procedures and the value of agreed mechanisms for resolving issues at work; line managers and employment relations; the importance of satisfactory personnel records. 7 Motivating staff and rewarding contributions: pay determination, choosing and implementing appropriate methods of payment and benefits; time-based systems, performance-related reward and competence-related pay; profit-sharing and employee share ownership. 8 Delivering equity and fairness in rewards: job evaluation and grading; pay levels and structures, internal and external labour market comparisons, differentials; equal pay for work of equal value; harmonisation and non financial rewards and benefits.

Leadership and Management Standards

Managing Information for Competitive Advantage

Managing in a Strategic Business Context

Managing and Leading People

Managing for Results

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practitioner-level Standards | Leadership and Management Standards

Leadership and Management Standards

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159


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Managing Information for Competitive Advantage

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Managing for Results | practitioner-level Standards


Purpose In all sectors and at all levels managers must have the knowledge, understanding and skills to enable them to grasp the right opportunities for themselves and the organisations in which they work, or may work in the future. The manager of the future faces many challenges and opportunities. Not least of these is the need to provide direction, gain commitment, facilitate change and achieve results. In a world where competition and survival are key concerns it is important that the focus is on customers, internal and external, quality and continuous improvement. The manager has responsibilities both inside and outside the organisation and must balance demands from each to ensure success in both, often in changing and uncertain circumstances. Managerial work remains complex and fragmented and job descriptions containing the word 'manager' continue to differ in the extreme. It must be acknowledged that some aspects of managerial work are aligned with the organisational performance infrastructure, or critical failure factors, that provide the bedrock in terms of what is acceptable and necessary. Managers should also be leaders and visionaries in minor and major ways. They must think and act to improve both their own and the organisation’s performance. This differentiation is what ensures that they, their staff and their organisations become the best at what they do. It is essential that Managing for Results seeks to analyse the very nature and value of the role of the manager in a variety of contexts and at all levels, from supervisor to director. A critical evaluation of the contribution made by managers and management should prompt the debate that there is no one ‘right way’. There are, however, fundamental activities, competences and competencies that need to be present in any organisation.

agreeing objectives, establishing mutual expectations with other managers, colleagues, team members, customers and suppliers, and also understanding systems, structures and processes relevant to the role. The content is outlined under four broad headings and these must be considered not only in terms of how they apply but also when and why they are appropriate. The related arguments need to be based on logical reasoning, actual good practice, recent research and emerging trends and new ideas. The practice of management Delivering change Enhancing customer relations Enabling continuous improvement

40 20 20 20

per per per per

cent cent cent cent

The practice of management This element critically examines the role of the manager and the existence of ‘management’. The managerial role: a critical review of the rationale for management. The managerial contribution: creating and maintaining the infrastructure and optimising performance through the differentiators. It can be argued that there are distinct and unique behaviours that can be identified, fostered and developed. Managers will always be leaders to a greater or lesser extent, but will leaders always be managers? What qualities differentiate the two and what tensions can this elicit? The manager must bear responsibility for their own contribution as well as that of others. They must be able to reflect on and identify their own values, motivations, capabilities and capacity, and be able to obtain feedback and constantly seek to improve themselves.

Self-management and development are key factors; managers need to develop an understanding of their role and their ability to undertake it, to be aware of their responsibilities and relationships and the potential contribution that they can make. This will include

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practitioner-level Standards | Managing for Results

Delivering change

enabling continuous improvement

Organisations and people naturally resist change but this isn't possible in the fast-moving environment of the twenty-first century. Managers are key players when it comes to embedding a climate for change, where people feel able and positively encouraged to think creatively, where innovation is fostered and new ideas supported. This calls for an infrastructure that allows for identifying, planning and implementing change. Managers need an understanding of how and why organisations work, grow and develop in order to effect meaningful and positive change.

Nothing stands still in today’s organisation. Managers must ensure standards are met and maintained while constantly striving to do better. It is important in this element to understand the meaning and importance of quality as a basic, fundamental requirement. This element also recognises the need for continuous improvement, from monitoring through to empowerment and innovation. It is evident that some organisations may need to totally transform themselves in order to survive and to meet the challenges of the future. Whatever the extent of this transformation, there are questions to be asked and lessons to be learned by all managers.

enhancing customer relations Customer care is about looking after customers to ensure their wants, needs and expectations are met and exceeded, thus creating customer satisfaction and loyalty. It is estimated that nearly three-quarters of customer loss is due to indifference to customers. Product and service design and delivery need to be firmly based on a thorough understanding of the customer, their needs and expectations. Developing and maintaining good customer relations, internal and external, will provide a sound performance infrastructure. Anticipating the needs and exceeding the expectations of customers makes all the difference.

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1 The practice of management Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Evaluate and challenge the role of the manager in a variety of contrasting contexts. 2 Assess the opportunity for and the contribution of managers and management to the effectiveness of the organisation. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and


1 The nature of management.

2 The managerial contribution to organisational success.

Indicative content performance infrastructure 1 Evaluating and adopting appropriate management standards and styles. The similarities and differences between managers and leaders and potential tension and conflict between them. Planning, organising, setting targets and agreeing objectives. The appropriate deployment of managerial approaches; leading, coaching, facilitation, delegation. 2 Developing and operating a network of lateral, functional and vertical relationships with senior and junior colleagues, peers, teams, individuals, and internal and external partners. 3 Communicating persuasively and convincingly in a manner appropriate to the audience and circumstances. Understanding organisational politics and influence, power and authority. 4 System and process management, including health and safety, and the conflicts and challenges that these may present. Assessment of working conditions and remedies to address unsatisfactory situations. Industrial and professional codes of practice, procedures, organisational and legal requirements.

5 Developing self and others through the identification of individual potential, values, motivators, capabilities and capacity. Knowing how and when to give, receive and act on feedback. Methods of management development; self-development, executive coaching, mentoring, personal networks, action learning sets. performance differentiators 1 Appraisal of the factors that individually and collectively contribute to the ‘added-value’ orientation within the management role and within management more generally. 2 The significance of strategic and visionary thinking for effective management and the managerial role. How to foster innovation and creativity. 3 The pivotal contribution of the line/middle manager in promoting appropriate behaviours; role model, exemplar, guide, coach and mentor. 4 Developing a shared vision and providing direction. Gaining support for the organisation’s vision and strategy. Inspiring and motivating others to make their full contribution and continually refining strategy and gaining support for plans. 5 Self-management strategies and opportunities; evaluating the impact of own performance and seeking out opportunities for development.

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2 Delivering change Operational indicators

performance differentiators


1 Identifying the need for change, proactive intervention, reactive/remedial recovery; identifying equilibrium, disequilibrium and stability. 2 Making the business case for change; with the drivers, benefits and risks identified, realisation of short-term wins as well as longer-term deliverables; planning for change, identifying barriers and solutions. 3 Communicating plans for change using media and styles appropriate to the people and situations. Promoting understanding and showing empathy with others’ needs, feelings and motivations. Taking personal responsibility for making things happen. 4 Agreeing goals and objectives, monitoring and evaluating progress. Ensuring flexibility of response and making adjustments while not losing sight of long-term goals.

1 Plan and implement a programme of change. 2 Advise on the development and maintenance of organisational structures and systems. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The ways in which organisations grow and change. 2 The elements that lead to the successful implementation of change. Indicative content performance infrastructure 1 Engaging in a critical review of organisational dynamics; comparative organisational types, structures, functions (marketing, operations, research and development, finance etc) and cultures, the relationship between them and the impact of these on the conduct and nature of the business and its capacity to change. 2 Developing and embracing a change culture, fostering innovation and risk. Assessing the organisation’s current position and customer perceptions in the sector or market relative to key competitors. Considering the need to embrace a change culture even when there is no obvious competition, but for the purpose of providing more efficient, effective services. 3 Critically analysing and reviewing models and theories of change management, their application and relative effectiveness. 4 Evaluating corporate culture, its significance, interpretation, causes and effects, links to internal and external change.

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3 enhancing customer relations Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Design and gain acceptance of a planned programme for the improvement of service to internal/external customers. 2 Advise on approaches to customer relations that will maximise customer satisfaction. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The nature of customer service and its relative priority. 2 How to assess customer needs, the importance of keeping customers and the means by which this may be assured. 3 The importance of customer service in all sectors and organisations. Indicative content performance infrastructure

reliability, responsiveness, competence, credibility, access. Mechanisms for dialogue with customers; surveys, questionnaires, focus groups. 4 Specific applications of customer service values for internal customers and for use in monopolistic and public sector environments. performance differentiators 1 Critical review of the evidence about changing customer dynamics and the need to go beyond satisfaction. 2 Creating a customer-centric culture; ensuring the competencies, creative and innovative skills are available to design, develop and deliver products and services based on customer needs. A critical evaluation of the factors behind the creation of such a culture; attitudes and behaviours for individuals, unit functions and organisations. 3 Identifying target customers for goods and services, communicating availability and benefits, and helping customers to select the products and services that best suit their needs. 4 Assessment of the contingent lessons to be learned from ‘world-class’ service enterprises.

1 Critical evaluation of the infrastructure factors essential to the development and maintenance of acceptable levels of customer-perceived performance; understanding the distinctions between customers, users, payers and clients. 2 Evaluating and distinguishing between models of customer service; service level agreements, preferred supplier status, telesales, help-lines, accounts management, call centres. 3 The crucial elements of customer ‘satisfaction’; the need to establish and maintain a good relationship with customers and potential customers that gives them confidence that their requirement will be met, on time, with cost-effective solutions and adequate support availability. The meaning of customer service;

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4 enabling continuous improvement Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Advise on the importance, requirements and implications of continuous improvement, from quality control and assurance through to transformation. 2 Foster a culture of continuous improvement. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Quality and continuous improvement techniques. 2 The conditions and behaviours that promote quality and continuous improvement. Indicative content performance infrastructure 1 Critical assessment of the rationale for continuous improvement and transformation; the continuous improvement framework, strategy, infrastructure, problem-seeking activities, problem-solving groups, problem-solving tools. 2 Evidence-based review of infrastructure models of continuous improvement; quality management systems and process compliance; establishing systems required to ensure products and services meet standards, auditing compliance with these systems and their contribution to organisational goals and objectives. Identifying tension and conflict between quality assurance and production/delivery targets. 3 Evaluation of differentiator applications for continuous improvement; proactive, opportunity-seeking, intuitive experimentation, empowerment; using methods for identifying and overcoming the barriers to continuous improvement.

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4 Assessment of the internal/external imperatives for continuous improvement in specific organisations and sectors. 5 Critical evaluation of the standardised/holistic approaches to quality rectification, maintenance and quality improvement. performance differentiators 1 Assessment of the factors that generate a continuous improvement transformation culture; top-down management, leadership, consistent focus, challenging goals, comprehensive people involvement. 2 ‘Holding the gains’; identifying and maintaining better practices and processes, cost savings, improved customer service.

Managing and Leading People | practitioner-level Standards


Purpose The underpinning purpose for Managing and Leading People is that it compels students to consider, evaluate, analyse and apply a set of principles, values and approaches to people leadership and management that (a) minimise and/or eliminate the barriers that typically inhibit performance, and (b) mobilise the energies of people in ways that enable them to maximise their added-value contribution to both their own development and corporate goals. Using the infrastructure/differentiator framework, therefore, Managing and Leading People seeks to address each of these elements: • An evidence-based assessment of the criteria for and the characteristics of successful organisational cultures, together with the causes/symptoms of organisational decline. • Analysis of the strategic and business-related benefits to be gained from the design and implementation of aligned and integrated programmes intended to create (or sustain) organisational success through a psychologically-engaged workforce – including, where appropriate, the employees of outsourcing suppliers and subcontractor organisations contractually committed to the client’s values. • Dispassionate evaluation of possible ways in which the performance and commitment of people in organisations can be optimised, and the obstacles to employee engagement minimised or removed. • The deployment of appropriate and defensible methodologies in order to construct specific mechanisms to resolve any performance issues involving people within their own organisation and to develop authoritative proposals for increased levels of people involvement, engagement and contribution.

• The contingent application of analytical tools as a diagnostic route to constructing plans for remedial action, performance improvement, transformational change and corporate excellence. Philosophically, the Managing and Leading People domain is founded on the belief – itself based on authoritative evidence – that despite the competitive, technological and other pressures applied to UK organisations over recent decades: • many employees in many organisations remain massively under-utilised and under-developed • 'in the majority of organisations people are not viewed by top managers as their most important assets' (Guest et al. (2000) Effective People Management. CIPD.) • people productivity in the UK economy remains lower than that achieved in many other comparable societies. By themselves the core Leadership and Management Standards cannot reverse or influence this state of affairs, but Managing and Leading People acknowledges the situation and as a result focuses on practical routes to improvement. As a recent CIPD publication expresses it, ‘People management represents the catalytic condition – the essential "X-factor" – that combines other factors into a formula for high performance.' (Raising UK Productivity: why people management matters. (2001) CIPD.)

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practitioner-level Standards | Managing and Leading People

The content outlined below incorporates three separate elements: The framework This element sets the context – past, present and future – to the world of work and organisations. It explores the attitudes and beliefs, players and influences that exist and the extent to which these help or hinder people and their organisations as they strive to achieve success. The performance infrastructure This element is included to ensure completeness, and also because a basic knowledge and understanding of the systems, processes, and routines that underpin people leadership and management is essential as a springboard for differentiator applications. Candidates already familiar with the basics of people resourcing, learning and development and performance management may be able to progress quickly through this element. The performance differentiators This element, the biggest of the three, examines and analyses the characteristics of successful organisations and of high performance people. Having established what these are, it is crucial to evaluate how and to what degree they may be emulated, and the extent to which such emulation is desirable. The element incorporates evidence from

166

research and published corporate case studies over a range and representative of a cross-section of business sectors. Benchmarking, comparative analysis and aspirational role-modelling are considered as further stimulants for continuous improvement and transformations within units/ functions/organisations as a whole. As a general guideline, candidates should devote their study time across these elements in the proportions 20:20:60 respectively, a recommendation that reflects the importance attached to assessment and evaluation of the strategic, managerial and organisational ‘differentiators’ that can unleash impressive levels of people engagement in their own development and in their commitment to corporate purposes.



1 The framework Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Analyse the significance of current and predicted changes in the external environment, so far as the attitudinal, behavioural, and skill requirements associated with employees are concerned. 2 Assess the nature and extent of the people-related factors that inhibit the achievement of organisational success, within their own organisations and others. 3 Challenge, authenticate and apply the infrastructure/ differentiator model to specific personal/team/ function and corporate scenarios. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The principal factors in the external environment (both current and predicted) and their impact on the deployment of people across the world of work as a whole. 2 The elements which typically prevent or determine the design, installation and delivery of strategies, leadership behaviours, processes and practices that lead to high performing people and organisations. 3 The principles behind, the logic and the practical implications of the performance infrastructure and performance differentiators framework.

3 The changing requirements for people; flexibility, responsiveness, entrepreneurialism, diversity, portfolio working, new patterns of core competencies, employability. 4 Common characteristics of poor-performing organisations; culture, leadership, strategic clarity, approaches to people management, underlying values, performance criteria, stakeholder priorities. 5 Factors that inhibit organisational concerns for highoutput people management and leadership applied to specific organisations and sectors. 6 Evidence of what is needed to 'do things right' and deliver acceptable levels of people behaviour and legal/ethical compliance; adherence to process and its problematical relationship with high-performance outcomes. 7 Evidence of what is needed to 'do the right things' and deliver genuine people involvement, commitment, engagement, discretionary behaviour and added-value contribution. The human capital perspective and its translation into organisational practice. 8 Analysis of the infrastructure/differentiator model’s application with ‘successful, less successful and unsuccessful' organisations. Links to alternative approaches for identifying the features of successful organisations (eg high-performance working).

Indicative content 1 The changing environment for organisations; globalisation, technology, societal values, work ethic. 2 The changing requirements for organisations; product/service differentiation, ‘customer’/’consumer’ dynamics, continuous improvement and change, cost reduction, stakeholder influences.

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2 The performance infrastructure

3 The performance differentiators





1 Evaluate the existence of system/process efficiencies, including legal/ethical compliance, throughout those routines that support effective people leadership and management in organisations generally and within their own organisation in particular. 2 Assess the degree to which such routines exemplify acceptable levels of efficiency, against appropriate performance criteria, in their own organisations (and in others), and to recommend/implement remedial action where necessary.

1 Establish suitable, defensible and widely credible criteria for defining and measuring organisational ‘success’. 2 Evaluate the reliability and validity of the available research evidence about those factors, which facilitate organisational ‘success’. 3 Apply the principles of ‘successful’ organisations to any given unit/function/corporate scenario in order to develop recommendations and/or action plans to sustain or stimulate a high-performance culture. 4 Consider and evaluate their own work-related attitudes and behaviour against the thinking performer paradigm and, if necessary, construct personal goals and action plans designed to address both remedial and continuous improvement issues. 5 Create business-like proposals and action plans for advancing high performance strategic, managerial and operational practices within any given organisational scenario. 6 Analyse the correlation between people leadership and organisational success, its actual and potential impact in any unit/function and corporate setting, and construct reasoned recommendations for improvement/transformation where required. 7 Develop recruitment, selection and performance management programmes that lead to the acquisition of high-performance people and encourage the retention of corporate contributors who will be motivated through positive job design, empowerment and role ownership. 8 Facilitate learning and development programmes, producing outcomes that will add value to the organisation and promote self-belief and self-esteem.

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The rationale for system/process efficiencies, including legal/ethical compliance, throughout the routines that support effective people leadership and management in organisations. Indicative content 1 The fundamentals of people resourcing; a critical overview of systematic recruitment and selection, including the methods deployed, the relevance of psychometric and other diagnostic tools, and the validation of recruitment/selection procedures. 2 Learning and development; a critical overview of learning and development strategies/practices in organisations, including approaches to the identification of learning needs for both individuals and organisations, and methods for evaluating the cost-effectiveness of corporately-funded learning activities. 3 People performance; a critical overview of systematic strategies for reviewing, rewarding and recognising employee effort and achievement at work; systematic techniques for addressing performance issues and other people-related problems, such as absence.

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5

Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The principal research evidence concerning the factors that promote organisational success through people. 2 The evidence concerning the effectiveness of the thinking performer paradigm and its related concepts. 3 The people leadership values, behaviours, mechanisms and specific practices, that contribute to the development of successful organisations. 4 The strategies for encouraging, rewarding, recognising and celebrating employee attitudes and behaviours that contribute positively to desired organisational outcomes.

6

7 Indicative content 1 Review and evaluation of research outputs related to organisational ‘success’, high-performance working and case-study scenarios derived from acknowledged high-performance or ‘world-class’ organisations, or organisations whose ‘success’ is measured against other meaningful criteria, in order to identify distinguishing characteristics (‘differentiators’) to be used as benchmarking instruments. 2 Assessment of contingent factors in the achievement of a ‘successful’ corporate culture; internal and external factors, the influence of stakeholders (owners, regulatory agencies, customers etc), the quality of leadership, the perceived contribution of the personnel/HR function etc. The barriers to generating organisational ‘success’; what they are, why they exist, how they may be overcome or minimised. 3 Relevant theories and models of motivation at work, leadership styles and job design. 4 Mechanisms through which engagement, contribution and commitment can be optimised; recruitment and selection, learning and development, performance management and reward.

8

9

10

Analytical evaluation of what ‘high performance’ signifies when applied to people (collectively or individually); such concepts and tools as the thinking performer paradigm, intrapreneurialism and organisational citizenship (discretionary) behaviour, including an assessment of the circumstances in which such attitudes and behaviour can flourish. Critical assessment of the evidence concerning the competencies associated with ‘employability’, the organisational/individual benefits and risks derived from a conscious concern for ‘employability’, and the elements required when seeking to create a positive psychological contract based on trust and respect. The barriers to high-performance attitudes and behaviours in a work-related context, how they may be overcome or minimised. The central concepts associated with effective people leadership in the organisation; the usefulness of leadership theories, vision and values, top-down rolemodelling, the importance of strategic alignment and integration (‘bundling’), bridging the gap between (corporate) rhetoric and (behavioural) reality. The roles of key contributors to effective people leadership in the organisation; the central directorate, the executive team, middle management, first-line supervision, team leaders and other significant stakeholders; the special significance of peopleleadership in both centralised and devolved structures. The people/position equation and the attitude/skill dilemma; recruiting and selecting people to fit the strategic vision while reaping the benefits of diversity; an assessment of the risks and opportunities associated with cultural conformity. Critical appraisal of the evidence concerning job design and employee performance; an evaluative overview of motivation theories, input competencies and output accountabilities, empowerment and other strategies for generating role-ownership. Performance management within a high-performance enterprise; the strategic imperatives, measuring what matters, fostering creativity and challenge in all employees as

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11

12

13

14

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part of the embedded culture, resolving the problems associated with the practice of performance review. Learning and development; defining, acquiring, imparting and nurturing the attitudes and skills associated with individual/unit/functional contributions towards organisational success, the promotion and care of ‘talent’, the nature of ‘employability’ and the benefits/risks linked to employability programmes. Reward and recognition; strategies for facilitating the attitudes and behaviours that advance organisational success, including the significance of both financial and non-financial inducements. People participation and contribution; communicating and sharing information about organisational progress, mechanisms for involving people in strategic, managerial and operational decision-making, the effectiveness of cross-functional project teams and other approaches to address remedial and continuous improvement issues. Analytical evaluation of examples of (apparently) sustained high-performance organisations in action; examples of cultural transformation (both towards high performance and away from it), the development and use of diagnostic tools for application across a range of corporate scenarios, predicting future performance on the basis of research evidence about, for example, the organisational life cycle, and the benefits, advantages, opportunities and dangers associated with the transfer of organisational learning, especially between business sectors. Overcoming the barriers to high performance within the management team, the management/functional groups and the workforce.

Managing in a Strategic Business Context | practitioner-level Standards


Purpose Organisations and those responsible for managing them are increasingly subject to environmental turbulence and uncertainty. The external contexts within which businesses, public services and voluntary organisations operate are no longer stable and predictable but increasingly volatile and subject to change.

In this respect they concern the achievement of performance differentiation.

As a result, managers have to identify, devise and implement appropriate strategies to ensure organisational survival, plan to achieve their goals and objectives and respond to market and contextual uncertainties. Managers also have to take account of the normative values and ethical standards within which organisations and society operate.

The Standards are divided into nine clusters, although many issues cut across these and draw on ideas or practices that are identified in just one of the nine. For teaching and learning purposes the approximate percentage of time that is recommended should be devoted to each is as follows:

The main purpose of these Standards is to ensure that personnel and development professionals are able effectively to identify, examine and analyse the major contexts within which organisations operate and to contribute to the formation of responses which take account of contextual diversity, continuous change and ethical ambiguities. Particularly significant in this respect are developments in the business environment which are directly relevant to personnel and development managers, which require them to respond and about which they are required to advise senior managers. Developments in labour markets and in employment regulation are the main examples. A further purpose is to arm personnel and development professionals with information and understanding about the business environment more generally, in order to increase their credibility and influence at senior levels of their organisation. The Standards are partly concerned with contextual factors, such as regulation, that affect the performance infrastructure of organisations and which require compliance on the part of leaders and managers. They also aim to give students knowledge and understanding of developments in the business environment, which provide opportunities for organisations to compete more effectively and/or to provide improved standards of service to customer groups.

There is greater emphasis within this module on knowledge and understanding, rather than on skills and competences.

The competitive environment The technological context Globalisation Demographic trends Social trends Government policy Regulation Developing strategy Social responsibility and ethics

10 10 10 10 10 10 15 15 10

per per per per per per per per per

cent cent cent cent cent cent cent cent cent

The competitive environment These Standards aim to ensure that CIPD graduates are familiar with the major features of a market economy and how organisations gain and subsequently maintain competitive advantage. The ways that organisations successfully respond to changes in markets for goods, services and labour are significant here, as is the role played by financial markets and institutions in the operation of market economies. The ways in which public and voluntary sector organisations interact with markets, and increasingly play an active role in their operation, also form part of these Standards. Developments in labour markets and their significance for organisations are particularly important.

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practitioner-level Standards | Managing in a Strategic Business Context

The technological context CIPD graduates should have a broad grasp of the major technological developments affecting organisations. Information technology, telecommunications and the development of Internet-based activity is the most significant general area of technology with which graduates should be familiar, but other areas are important too, especially insofar as they impact either directly or indirectly on particular industries or organisations. Basic familiarity with developments in the fields of transportation, biotechnology, medicine, energy and robotics is also necessary. Understanding of the actual and potential impact of new technology on employment markets is especially important for personnel and development professionals. The desirability of many technological advances is contested and is often the subject of ethical critiques. These debates also form a part of these Standards. Globalisation Another controversial development in the business context, both from a theoretical and a practical perspective, is internationalisation or globalisation. CIPD graduates are expected to have a good grasp of trends in this field and of the major debates that surround them. Of particular significance is the impact of globalisation on employment markets and practices, illustrated by widespread hiring of overseas nationals to fill skilled jobs in the UK and the outsourcing of some organisational functions to other countries. On the institutional side, the major developments of significance are EU-related, their implications for UK employers forming a significant part of these Standards. Graduates should also, however, have some basic understanding of the role played by other major international institutions whose decisions impact on UK organisations. Demographic trends The evolution, planned and unplanned, of the size and nature of our working population is a key area which personnel and development professionals need to understand and be in a position to advise their

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organisations about. While the focus in these Standards is on the UK, broad familiarity with European and wider global population trends is also necessary. Future projections are significant, especially insofar as they have potential implications for the future supply of labour, the age profile of the workforce, retirement/pensions issues, and markets for goods and services. Government responses to demographic trends and their impact on organisations are critical issues, as are wider public policy debates about population issues. Social trends The principal aim of these Standards aim to ensure that CIPD graduates are familiar with social trends that have implications for organisations in general and for employment markets in particular. Changing gender roles are of greatest significance, but CIPD graduates should also be familiar with other major trends such as the growth of consumerism, increased geographic mobility, declines in trade union membership and in political participation and developments in the position of ethnic minorities. Attitudes towards work, marriage and family, religion, morality and government are important. The evolution of our social structure in terms of income distribution, social class and social mobility also have a significance for organisations and their labour markets, as well as being trends which are influenced by employing organisations. Finally, these Standards focus on the major social problems of our age and, in particular, on the role that is played by organisations in contributing to them and their amelioration. Government policy Many areas of government activity impact directly and indirectly on organisations and on the activities of personnel and development professionals in particular. These Standards aim to equip CIPD graduates with an understanding of the major debates about government policy, its aims and effectiveness. Familiarity with rival opposition platforms is also important, as is the ability to develop original critiques based on experience and evidence. Economic and employment policy have the clearest direct impact on personnel and development


activities, but any policy area which has a long-term effect on labour markets or on organisational activities is significant. CIPD graduates should be familiar with major developments in education policy, social policy and trade policy, as well as the Government’s long-term industrial strategy. Developments at the EU level are also important, as is a broad understanding of alternative approaches pursued around the globe. Finally, CIPD graduates need to be able to advise organisations on how the direction of government can be influenced through lobbying activities, participation in consultation exercises and via the activities of employers’ associations. Regulation The practical outcome of policy debates is often regulation and sometimes de-regulation. These Standards focus on the major ways in which the state and its agencies regulate organisational activity and the purpose of such regulation. Central are the major principles of employment regulation and the ways in which it is enforced, as these are matters about which personnel and development professionals are required to give advice and which drive much personnel and development policy. The detail of employment law is covered in other sets of Standards, so these only require a broad overview. The major areas are discrimination law, dismissal law, the regulation of employment contracts, health and safety law and regulations aimed at helping people combine their work and family lives. Other areas of regulation have an impact on organisations generally and are thus matters about which CIPD graduates need to have an understanding. Competition and consumer law are the main examples, but regulation of specific sectors will often have a major practical impact on individual organisations. Knowledge of current and future regulation and its practical significance should be combined with the ability to present thoughtful critiques backed up with persuasive evidence. The main contours of the legal system are also covered.

Developing strategy These Standards focus less on the business context and more on the way in which organisations can develop responses to developments in their environments which are strategic in character. The operationalisation of business strategies are covered in other areas of the Leadership and Management Standards, so the focus here is on the development of strategy and on effective strategic leadership. While organisational strategy in general terms is covered, the emphasis as elsewhere in these Standards is placed on personnel and development strategy, the role of personnel and development professionals in forming strategy and on long-term, considered responses to developments in the personnel and development environment. These Standards require students to engage with theories about strategy and the major different views of strategy formation that are found in the literature. They also focus on the many constraints on the fulfilment or implementation of strategic objectives. Social responsibility and ethics The final group of Standards focus on ethics, corporate social responsibility, environmental sustainability and professionalism. To a great extent these cut across the other eight clusters of Standards and should inform students’ thinking on technology, globalisation, social trends and regulatory issues. However, aspects can be studied in isolation and students should be able to engage with the major theories and debates in these fields. The ability to reflect on the approaches taken by particular organisations should inform study of these Standards. There is a specific focus on the notion of the organisational stakeholder, on ethical dilemmas and on the conflicts that often arise between the most ethical courses of action and those which suit the interests of the organisation.

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1 The competitive environment

2 The technological context





1 Review the major current trends in an organisation’s employment markets and take appropriate action in response to their short- and long-term implications. 2 Analyse the competitive environment of organisations through the use of SWOT, PESTLE and network analyses. 3 Advise on the potential contribution of the personnel and development function in situations of intensified competition.

1 Identify ways in which technological developments affect the personnel and development function and an organisation’s employment markets. 2 Contribute positively to the formation of organisational responses to technological change.

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Major developments in employment and the labour market; their causes and consequences for organisations. 2 The concept of competitive advantage and ways in which it is gained and retained in the contemporary business environment. 3 Capital markets and the roles played by major financial institutions. 4 Contemporary trends and debates about the role of public sector organisations and their operating environments. Indicative content 1 The structure and workings of market economies, determinants of supply and demand, and the major features of the financial system. 2 Sources of competitive advantage; different competitive strategies and their implications for personnel and development activity. 3 Causes of and responses to intensified competition; economies of scale, mergers and acquisitions. 4 The business context for public sector and voluntary organisations. 5 Key short- and long-term labour market trends.

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Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Technological developments and their potential impact on the business environment of organisations. 2 The evolution of a knowledge economy and its implications for organisations. 3 Likely long-term applications of evolving technologies. 4 Debates about the desirability of technological developments in terms of their impact on people and the environment. Indicative content 1 Major current and likely future technological developments in information technology and other fields (examples would include biotechnology, transportation, telecommunications, energy supply, medicine and robotics). 2 The direct impact of technology on organisations. 3 The impact of technology on markets for goods and services and on employment and labour markets. 4 Resistance to the evolution of some new technologies. 5 Debates about the increasing significance of knowledge in organisational and economic life.


3 Globalisation

4 Demographic trends





1 Assess the likely impact of trends towards globalisation on the particular business sectors and organisations. 2 Advise on the role played by international institutions in shaping the business environment.

1 Evaluate the short- and long-term implications of demographic developments for organisations. 2 Advise managers on the likely impact of demographic developments for organisations. Knowledge indicators

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Major contemporary debates about globalisation and its consequences. 2 The current and likely future evolution of the EU. 3 The implications of EU membership for organisations.

Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Current and likely future demographic trends in the UK and internationally. 2 The reasons for recent patterns of population increases and falls. 3 The concept of population ageing and its implications for organisations.

Indicative content Indicative content 1 The causes and extent of globalisation processes. Major debates about the significance and desirability of globalisation. 2 The response of governmental organisations to globalisation processes. 3 The impact of globalisation on markets for goods and services and on employment and labour markets. 4 The role and function of the EU and its major institutions. Debates about the evolution of the EU. 5 Major international bodies which impact on the business environment of organisations.

1 Patterns of birth and death rates in the UK and globally. Emigration and immigration trends and forecasts. 2 The size and make-up of the working population. 3 Implications of demographic trends for markets for goods and services and for employment and labour markets. 4 Implications of demographic trends for government. 5 Debates about responses to demographic trends in the UK and internationally.

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5 Social trends

6 Government policy





1 Report on social trends and their relevance for organisations. 2 Advise on the potential role played by employers in creating, exacerbating or ameliorating social problems in the UK and internationally.

1 Advise on the impact for organisations of current and future government policy. 2 Positively contribute to activities aimed at influencing the direction of government policy. Knowledge indicators

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Causes of key social trends and social problems in the UK and internationally. 2 Debates about ways of reducing social problems and/ or their impact. 3 Patterns of change in social attitudes and their significance for organisations.

Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The objectives of government and EU policy on trade, industry, education and in the wider social field. 2 Critiques of current policy and of rival opposition platforms. 3 The current and likely future impact of government policy on organisations. Indicative content

Indicative content 1 Major current social trends; changing social attitudes and the evolving social structure. 2 Implications for markets for goods and services and for employment and labour markets. 3 Major social problems, debates about causes and possible solutions. 4 The role played by organisations in shaping social trends and attitudes.

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1 Major policy developments and debates in industrial and economic policy, education policy and social policy. 2 Implications of developments in these fields for markets for goods and services and for employment and labour markets. 3 International variations in government policy. 4 The evolution of EU policy in the social, industrial and economic fields. 5 The main ways in which organisations seek to influence the development of government policy.


7 Regulation

8 Developing strategy





1 Analyse the significance of existing and new regulation for particular industrial sectors and organisations, particularly in the employment field. 2 Contribute effectively to debates about organisational responses to existing and new regulatory measures. 3 Suggest ways in which an organisation can seek to influence the evolution of its regulatory environment.

1 Contribute to the processes of strategy-making and strategic review. 2 Lead strategy-making in response to environmental developments which primarily affect personnel and development. 3 Advise on effective strategic leadership in response to environmental developments. 4 Develop and lead programmes resulting from developments in labour markets, employment regulation and other fields which directly affect people at work.


Knowledge indicators 1 The evolution of governmental and EU regulation of business activity. 2 The objectives of new regulation/deregulation 3 Debates about the need for and desirability of regulation from an organisational perspective. Indicative content 1 Principles of the laws of contract and tort. Principles of criminal law. 2 Competition and consumer law, its aims and impact. 3 Major features of and new developments in employment law, its aims and impact. 4 The major features of health and safety law, its aims and impact. 5 The impact of regulation on particular industrial sectors and labour markets. 6 Influencing governmental and regulatory organisations.

Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Diverse approaches to strategy-making; the concepts of strategic search, choice and implementation. 2 The major constraints on an organisation’s activities created by its business environment. 3 The role played by the personnel and development function in developing organisational strategies. Indicative content 1 Debates about different approaches to strategymaking and their relative merits. 2 The major tools and techniques of environmental analysis. 3 Major stages in strategy-making from formation to evaluation. 4 Internal and external constraints on strategy and how to overcome them. 5 The role played by organisations in shaping the corporate environment. 6 Debates about effective strategic leadership.

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9 Social responsibility and ethics Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Identify and advise on ethical dilemmas faced by organisations. 2 Carry out a stakeholder analysis and advise senior management about the impact of decision-making on particular stakeholder groups. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The relevance of business ethics and corporate social responsibility for organisations and managerial decision-making. 2 The concept of professionalism and its consequences for an organisation’s relationships with stakeholders. 3 Environmental sustainability. Indicative content 1 Major debates about corporate ethics. 2 Stakeholder theories, accountability and professionalism. 3 Corporate social responsibility; ethical responses to developments in the competitive environment. 4 Relationships with customers and suppliers; ethical approaches to pricing policy, health and safety, sales and advertising, employment. 5 Debates about organisational ethics and the compatibility of social responsibility with business results.

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Managing Information for Competitive Advantage | practitioner-level Standards

Managing Information for Competitive

Advantage Purpose Effective and efficient conversion of resources into goods and services that meet the present and future demands of their customers is central to the success of all organisations. In this module, the view is taken that successful management of information will depend on: 1 The efficient collection and processing of data through information and communication systems to support managerial decision-making in the area of resource use and conversion. 2 The effective design and management of information, communication and knowledge systems. 3 The effective use and interpretation of information by managers in the decision-making and problem-solving processes. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and its use in organisations is evolving rapidly. Worldclass organisations have long since moved on from rudimentary applications that mechanise administrative procedures and increasingly realise its strategic potential – that in the twenty-first century, ICT will be about increasing competitive advantage through enhanced problem-solving, decision-making and organisations' internal and external communication. There are two broad dimensions to this. Internally, it means using ICT to improve learning and the transfer and availability of knowledge and information for employees, all with the ultimate objective of enhancing the quality of decision-making and improving profitability or level of service throughout the organisation. Externally, it involves using ICT to scan the environment, to network, and to benchmark in pursuit of world-class performance in the provision of goods and services. Networking will also involve developing creative relationships with customers and suppliers – the kind of partnership sourcing that is now being exploited by many organisations to foster innovative product design, and new processes and means of distribution.

Thus, ICT forms the bedrock on which the effective management and conversion of information and resources will be secured. The rate at which ICT is becoming homogeneous in all organisations means that cutting-edge ICT developments are likely to give competitive advantage for only a relatively short period, since the ICT infrastructure of organisations will swiftly incorporate the new developments. For this reason, it is considered important to distinguish in this module between performance infrastructure and performance differentiators, the former encompassing the factors which are essential for organisational survival, and the latter leading to organisational excellence. Outstanding performance will require cognitive skills such as evaluation and critical analysis together with the behavioural skills of adaptation and innovation management. Performance at this level will also require up-to-date knowledge of ICT applications in the human resource and general management fields though research and wider reading. The overriding purpose of these Standards is to ensure that the ‘thinking performer’ will, through the effective use of information and organisational knowledge, be able to: 1 resolve complex issues in a systematic and creative way, recognising and taking account of all the important variables in a problem scenario 2 make convincing and sophisticated decisions in complex and unpredictable situations with greater awareness, understanding and assessment of risk 3 avoid simplistic and naïve assumptions and uncritical acceptance of the status quo 4 be aware that concept and theory may not deal with the whole of the complexity of a problem and, therefore, be able to evaluate the reliability and validity of any research in order to understand its value to the problem solving process.

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practitioner-level Standards | Managing Information for Competitive Advantage


1 Managing information performance infrastructure

performance differentiators





1 Manage information systems efficiently. 2 Use information to make decisions. 3 Communicate information to others.

1 Evaluate the design of information and knowledge systems. 2 Analyse and review information and knowledge systems. 3 Develop and manage organisational knowledge systems. 4 Manage projects effectively.


Knowledge indicators 1 2 3 4

Communication processes in organisations. Basic data structures. Systems attributes. The range and nature of organisational information systems, to include supplier management systems.

Indicative content 1 Communication models. 2 Data analysis – entities, attributes and relationships; systems and data flow diagrams. 3 Database models – file management systems, hierarchical, network and relational databases. 4 Current software applications for data processing, report generation, modelling and communications. 5 Systems attributes; boundary, environment, open, closed, lag, positive and negative feedback, the control model. 6 The organisation from an information perspective eg types of organisational information system; informational requirements of different organisational functions and activities, to include partnership sourcing, customer–supplier relationships and networking.

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Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The strategic role of Information Systems (IS) and ICT. 2 The role of e-commerce within the business systems domain. 3 Organisational decision-making processes. 4 Systems concepts. 5 Information systems design methodology. 6 Knowledge management processes and systems. 7 Systematic and intuitive approaches to problem-solving. 8 Up-to-date software applications in the human resource and general management fields.


2 Managing finance performance infrastructure Indicative content


1 The contribution of IS/ICT to the attainment of competitive advantage/competitive effectiveness for organisations. 2 Decision-making processes in organisations – eg rational, limited rationality, disorder, conflict, symbolic, emergent – and the role of information; risk and sensitivity analysis. 3 Knowledge management processes and systems. 4 Systems concepts; definition of a system, structure and process, holism, emergent properties, complexity, systems diagrams. 5 The organisation from an information perspective, eg types of organisational information system; informational requirements of different organisational functions and activities, to include procurement management systems. 6 Methodologies for systems analysis and design, eg Structured Systems Analysis and Design Method (SSADM). 7 Problem-solving frameworks, methodologies and techniques. 8 Developments in human resource management and general management IT applications.

Practitioners must be able to: 1 Manage financial resources to achieve goals and objectives through the budgetary planning and control process. 2 Interpret information from key financial statements. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and


1 Financial statements and their meaning.

2 The budgetary process.

3 Flow of money in a business.

Indicative content 1 Structure, content and interpretation of simple balance sheets, profit and loss accounts and trading statements. 2 Ratio analysis – definition and interpretation. 3 Basic costing concepts and techniques; analysis of costs, marginal costing, standard costing. 4 Cash flow and cash budgets. 5 Budgetary planning and control.

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practitioner-level Standards | Managing Information for Competitive Advantage

3 analysis of data and presentation of information performance differentiators

performance infrastructure





1 Evaluate business plans for functional organisational projects. 2 Critically appraise proposals for capital projects. 3 Analyse financial and other information used in making outsourcing decisions. 4 Evaluate the financial implications of sustainable development.

1 Search for and collect data from primary and secondary sources. 2 Use appropriate software to process and interpret data. 3 Generate reports for informing managerial decisionmaking. Knowledge indicators

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and


1 2 3 4

The business planning process.

Capital budgets and project appraisal.

Outsourcing – the 'make or buy' decision.

Concepts of sustainable development.

Indicative content 1 Structure and content of business plans. 2 Project appraisal; discounted cash flow (net present value), accounting rate of return, pay-back, cost– benefit analysis. 3 Marginal costing. 4 Financial aspects of sustainability in relation to resource management.

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Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Basic statistical concepts. 2 Application of statistical concepts. Indicative content 1 Sources of data; government, public authority, proprietary databases. 2 Statistical concepts; probability and probability distributions, sampling, estimation and inference, hypothesis testing, regression and correlation, time series analysis, index numbers, decision theory, control charts. 3 Use of current software applications for computation and presentation of statistics.


performance differentiators Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Analyse and process complex data and interpret the information produced. 2 Select appropriate presentation formats for communicating complex information. 3 Use appropriate software to model complex problems. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Statistical modelling techniques. Indicative content 1 Statistical concepts; probability and probability distributions, sampling, estimation and inference, hypothesis testing, regression and correlation, time series analysis, index numbers, decision theory, control charts. 2 Use of software applications for computation and presentation of statistics.

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Applied Personnel and Development Standards

Management

Report

Continuing

Professional

Development

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practitioner-level Standards | Applied Personnel and Development Standards

Applied Personnel and Development Standards

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187

Management Research Report

188

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

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Applied Personnel and Development Standards | practitioner-level Standards


Standards Purpose In order to be admitted to Graduate membership of the CIPD, candidates are required to satisfy the Applied Personnel and Development Standards, no matter what route to membership they choose: • • • •

educational – both nationally and internally assessed professional assessment NVQ/SVQ accreditation of prior certificated learning (APCL).

The Applied Personnel and Development Standards contain two aspects, both of which will be assessed: 1 2

management research report CPD/learning log.

The core competencies of the thinking performer are also included as indicative content in these Standards as they define the qualities the CIPD expects from its Graduate members.

Successful completion of the Applied Personnel and Development Standards will not in itself lead to any grade of membership if completed on its own. However, Graduate membership of the CIPD will be achieved only when the candidate has met the Standards of this field and those in the other three fields contained in the Practitioner Standards, ie Leadership and Management, People Management and Development, and four electives. At the heart of the Applied Personnel and Development Standards is the central concept of the thinking performer. This is defined as: • thinking – that is both operational and not limited to their current organisational level, and with an appreciation of organisational strategy • performer – operational capability at a business unit level.

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practitioner-level Standards | Management Research Report

Management Research Report Purpose The CIPD considers that the development of a management research report is the element of assessment that comes closest to demonstrating professional competence.


1 project management

Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Identify a suitable project for their management research report, in terms of its feasibility and relevance to an organisation, as well as to key issues in personnel and development. 2 Plan and design a project that demonstrates an awareness of strategic issues and has the potential to make a contribution to improvements in organisational performance. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The rationale for their choice of project aims and management research report. Indicative content 1 Planning and designing a project that has relevance to the organisation and is likely to add value to the organisation and the individual. 2 Understanding the importance of having clear objectives, terms of reference and, if appropriate, hypotheses. 3 The principles of time management, ordering of priorities and project development. 4 Awareness of blockages and barriers and how to overcome these.

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Management Research Report | practitioner-level Standards

2 The substance of the project

3 Collecting data





1 Demonstrate a satisfactory knowledge of existing literature, of contemporary personnel and development practices, and of policy issues in the subject area chosen for the management research report.

1 Access and interpret data from primary and secondary sources in compiling material for their management research report.



Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The contribution that personnel and development can make to performance at an organisational, professional and societal level. 2 The nature and importance of a number of major issues in the existing personnel and development literature and contemporary personnel and development practice. Indicative content 1 Drawing on appropriate Professional Development Scheme Standards, having a systematic understanding of the literature that is central to the investigation and of examples of human resource practice in other organisations. 2 Understanding the importance of vertical and horizontal integration (internal and external fit), and of the role and influence of human resources within organisations.


1 The range of primary and secondary sources from which information can be gathered for a management research report. 2 The advantages and disadvantages of different research methods and their relevance to different situations. Indicative content 1 Knowledge of sources of material and evidence, both internal and external to the organisation, and of published sources; understanding of different methods of data collection. 2 Collection (eg interviews, questionnaires, participant observation and documentary analysis) and of the circumstances in which they might be used. 3 A rationale for choice of method and a comparison with other methods.

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practitioner-level Standards | Management Research Report

4 presenting and analysing data

5 Conclusions and recommendations





1 Make appropriate and correct use of techniques, such as interviews, questionnaires, participant observation and documentary analysis, in gathering data for their management research report. 2 Analyse the data that have been collected for their management research report, by the use of qualitative and quantitative methods as appropriate.

1 Draw realistic and appropriate conclusions from their management research report. 2 Present their management research report in a clear, logical and systematic manner in order to persuade key decision-makers of its merits. 3 Prepare a plan for implementing the recommendations made in their management research report within a reasonable time frame. 4 Undertake a critical review of their management research report and identify ways in which their project could have been undertaken more effectively.


Knowledge indicators 1 The use and value of different analytical tools for interpreting data. 2 The structure and content of a management research report. 3 The principal techniques of communication and persuasion that are used when writing and presenting a management research report.

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Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The principal techniques of communication and persuasion that are used when writing and presenting a management research report.

Indicative content

Indicative content

1 Clear and logical presentation of data in line with terms of reference, with diagrams and charts as appropriate. 2 The systematic analysis of data collected, explanation of any patterns and indication of how to deal with conflicting evidence. 3 Skills of report writing.

1 Drawing of sensible conclusions from data collected and presented, realistic and timely recommendations, including costings where appropriate for implementation of findings, and awareness of potential sources of resistance to recommendations. 2 Consideration of professional and ethical issues.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) | practitioner-level Standards

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

1 The self-managed CpD process

Purpose The CIPD policy is that: • All members are expected to structure their learning and keep a record of their CPD. • It is a requirement that all professionally qualified members provide evidence of CPD when applying to upgrade their membership. • CPD is a requirement for all full members. The Institute will survey CPD activity. The essential principles are: • Development should be continuous in the sense that the professional should always be actively seeking improved performance. • Development should be owned and managed by the individual learner.


• CPD is a personal matter, and the effective learner knows what he or she needs to learn. Development should begin from the individual’s current learning state. • Learning objectives should be clear and, wherever possible, should serve organisational or client needs as well as individual goals. • Regular investment of time and learning should be seen as an essential part of professional life, not as an optional extra.

Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Systematically manage their own continuing personal and professional development, using appropriate strategies, frameworks and techniques. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Philosophies, principles and practices of CPD and life-long learning. 2 CIPD policies. 3 Techniques and strategies for the self-managed CPD process.

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practitioner-level Standards | Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

2 presenting CpD evidence

3 learning opportunities and reflection

4 personal development plans







1 Provide evidence of this selfmanaged CPD process, in a format of their choice.

1 Reflect and learn from their work and professional experience, as well as from formal and informal learning opportunities.

1 Identify personal improvement or development needs and translate these into learning objectives and personal development plans.





1 The range of learning opportunities, formal and informal, work-related and personal, that are available to individuals (and are all recognised as appropriate by the CIPD). 2 How to develop reflection skills, alone or by sharing learning with others. 3 The value of reflection in terms of personal learning and helping others to learn and develop.

1 Individual/work goals and objectives. 2 Support networks available to the professional.

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Different ways to present evidence of the CPD process.

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Advanced Practitioner Standards





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advanced practitioner Standards

advanced practitioner Standards

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195


200


204


210

Strategic Personnel and Development | advanced practitioner Standards


Purpose People and development issues belong at the top of an organisation’s strategic agenda. Strategic personnel and development approaches have the potential to put personnel and development at the centre of the core business and the operational processes that drive organisations.

Strategic personnel and development aims to develop, deliver and manage high-quality personnel and development policies and practices which, when they are effectively undertaken: • contribute to the organisation’s strategic intent • help to produce and mark out high-performing organisations. The strategic approach focuses clearly on the importance of personnel and development to organisational success. Instead of personnel and development being seen as support functions or add-ons to the core business, they are seen as key factors in developing and maintaining organisational success and a competitive edge.

Among these issues are: • the identification of key business or organisational goals • the integration of human resources into the strategic thinking, direction-setting, planning and operation of the organisation • the development of employees’ knowledge, capabilities and skills to enable improved organisational performance and responsiveness and facilitate organisational learning.

The aim of this Standard is to provide an analytical and multi-perspective framework to enable the student to recognise, identify and evaluate key personnel and development issues which critically impact on organisational performance and strategic direction.

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advanced practitioner Standards | Strategic Personnel and Development


1 The connection to business strategy Operational indicators

Indicative content


1 Competitive positioning and personnel and development • value-adding/value-sapping personnel and

development

• quality enhancement and personnel and

development

• distinctive competence and personnel and

development

• contributing to the organisation’s strategic intent. 2 Operational and strategic considerations; the contribution of a coherent set of personnel and development strategies to an overall strategic intent. 3 Business performance, ‘fit’ and coherence and the strategic links between personnel and development and competitive outcomes. 4 The involvement of personnel and development in major culture change programmes • how to articulate cultural matters in personnel and development strategy • the case for embedding personnel and development issues in corporate core values; ethical considerations. 5 The contribution of strategic personnel and development in creating synergy across business units • horizontal strategy • ‘fit’ versus ‘split’ issues • the ‘everything but’ rule. 6 The impact of globalisation on personnel and development and the role of international personnel and development as a transmission belt for personnel and development practice; global versus local orientations. 7 The strategic implications for personnel and development of mergers, acquisitions, strategic alliances and joint ventures.

1 Diagnose the strategic capability and degree of sophistication of the strategic personnel and development effort in a given organisation. 2 Conduct an environmental analysis, including key external personnel and development factors, and identify issues that influence organisational policy. 3 Formulate an approach to strategic personnel and development which: • reflects a full understanding of business imperatives and internal and external contextual forces • meets the needs of key stakeholders. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The relationship between personnel and development activities and the strategic imperatives facing the organisation. 2 The contribution that strategic personnel and development can make to achieving the organisation’s strategic intent.

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2 personnel and development constructs and frameworks Operational indicators

Indicative content


1 Models of strategic personnel and development, including: • normative models • the classic Harvard model • contingency perspectives for matching employment practices to business strategy. 2 The use of strategic planning models in the contemporary business context. 3 The relationship between structural forms and strategic personnel and development; the impact of virtual and network organisations; locationindependent working. 4 Alternative frames of reference for evaluating strategic personnel and development, specifically: • structural versus cultural versus political versus

symbolic lenses

• unitary versus pluralistic mind sets • command and control versus reward-driven versus commitment versus developmental perspectives • balancing contractual compliance/performance

versus learning oriented/people development

orientations.

5 Choosing and formulating strategies; ‘fix and maintain’ versus ‘build and develop’ versus ‘move and relocate’ versus ‘liberate and recreate’ approaches.

1 Carry out a strategic appraisal of an organisation’s strengths and weaknesses, paying particular attention to its human resources. 2 Develop personnel and development structures and processes that enhance the organisation’s ability to respond to strategic issues/problems. 3 Adopt a ‘multiple lens’ perspective for orchestrating and evaluating strategic personnel and development. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The difference between deliberate and emergent approaches to strategic personnel and development and the strengths and limitations of the sequential/ rational approach (ie strategy analysis, formulation and implementation). 2 The rationale behind differing approaches to strategic personnel and development, in a range of practical organisational case examples. 3 Arguments for and against differentiating strategic human resource management from strategic human resource development. 4 The relationship and interplay between personnel and development considerations at operational and strategic levels. 5 Contingency and normative models of strategic personnel and development.

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advanced practitioner Standards | Strategic Personnel and Development

3 The contribution of the personnel and development function to strategic personnel and development issues and thinking Operational indicators

Indicative content


1 The contribution of the personnel and development function to the strategic personnel and development effort; arguments for and against having a dedicated personnel and development function and viewing personnel and development as a single functional area in strategic terms. 2 A business focus on personnel and development and: • running personnel and development as a strategic business unit • marketing the personnel and development function • anticipating and responding to pressures for changes to products and services. 3 The organisation’s value chain; primary versus support value chain; vertical integration (backward and forward); the insourcing versus outsourcing continuum. 4 The relationship between the personnel and development practitioner and the strategic management process; the ‘business partner’ in context. 5 The relationship between the personnel and development practitioner and functional management: the development of the internal ‘consultant’ role. 6 Evaluating the strategic personnel and development effort; the balanced scorecard; best practice and competitor benchmarking.

1 Establish whether, and why, personnel and development is seen as adding value; develop value-adding strategies. 2 Identify and apply the key organisational roles and responsibilities needed to develop and sustain the strategic personnel and development effort. 3 Demonstrate the interpersonal skills needed to generate commitment among key stakeholders and business partners for a changing strategic personnel and development agenda. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The difference between ‘strategic personnel and development’ and ‘managing the personnel and development functional areas strategically’. 2 The place of the personnel and development function in the organisation’s value chain. 3 The implications of the insourcing/outsourcing debate, for strategic personnel and development.

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4 Strategic personnel and development themes Operational indicators

Indicative content


1 Bundling personnel and development practices to achieve strategic coherence and consistency; soft versus hard contracting and strategic choice. 2 Teams, team-based work and high-performance work systems. 3 Talent and: • the search for talent • the concept and implications of a talent war • whether the ‘employer of choice’ is rhetoric or reality • career development as a means of attracting and retaining talent • market-driven approaches to retaining talent • implications of strategies for core workers (talent) versus peripheral workers. 4 The role of individual competence within the organisation; ‘employability’, ‘performance’ and ‘performance management’; relationship to other personnel and development issues – reward management, career development, retention strategy and employee relations. 5 Corporate learning philosophies, including: • intellectual capital • knowledge management • learning organisations • corporate universities • learning as a distinctive source of competitive

advantage.

6 The identification and development of strategic management competencies, especially: • responsiveness • innovation • emotional intelligence.

1 Evaluate the case for and against introducing socalled high-performance personnel and development practices in a given organisation. 2 Benchmark the organisation’s strategic personnel and development practices against a ‘best practice’ example. 3 Develop an appropriate personnel and development strategy to deal with mergers, acquisitions, strategic alliances and joint ventures. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Whether and how ‘bundling’ personnel and development practices can add to the overall strategic personnel and development contribution for a given organisation. 2 Research into the relationship between business results and so-called high-performance personnel and development practices. 3 The significance of, and responses to, emergent PESTLE forces and their impact on strategic personnel and development (including virtual working, new contractual forms, changing career expectations, global shortage of `talent’, new industrial relations climate). 4 The significance for the strategic personnel and development effort of intellectual capital, knowledge management, learning organisations, corporate universities and top management’s growing interest in all aspects of learning and learning-related issues. 5 The identification and development of strategic management competencies (skills and behaviours).

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advanced practitioner Standards | International Personnel and Development


Purpose Business is increasingly global, and very few organisations can ignore the international context. A few organisations are truly transnational, owing their character to an amalgam and synergy of influence from all the countries in which they operate.

Many organisations have international dimensions and either: • have international customers, or • are in foreign ownership, partnership or strategic alliance, or • own foreign businesses themselves. Some organisations apparently have few international dimensions, but in an increasingly global arena they may still: • seek to draw understanding, information and knowledge from abroad • recruit employees from other countries • benefit from a greater background understanding of the international context. All these different aspects can influence the character, culture and ways of organising and managing people, and these influences are not always automatically and immediately helpful for an organisation pursuing its objectives. The personnel and development professional is in a position to make a real and valuable contribution to the organisation’s current and future success, by helping the organisation and its managers understand and apply the knowledge and skills needed for success in an international context.

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This Standard is intended for personnel and development professionals who aim to contribute to aspects of people management and development in an international context, whether as generalist or specialist practitioners. This includes, for example: • professional managers of expatriate staff • personnel and development practitioners in UK or Irish companies under international ownership • personnel and development practitioners who operate internationally.

International Personnel and Development | advanced practitioner Standards


1 Human resource plans and organisational context Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Help formulate and communicate human resources strategy and practices for organisations operating across national boundaries, including the European Union (EU) and its member states, the contiguous USA, Japan and south-east Asia. 2 Provide informed up-to-date comment on the implications of local/regional issues for international business management. 3 Develop and maintain an up-to-date awareness of the sensitivities of cross-national organisational interfaces and: • establish/maintain rapport and avoid alienation though ignorance • identify what should/might and can be done, and what should not, and give attention to the positive priorities. 4 Assess the relative strengths and weaknesses of HR support resources and mechanisms in a subsidiary/ associated companies and gain acceptance for making appropriate constructive adjustments. 5 Operate with appropriate sensitivity and responsiveness in cross-cultural situations; assert viewpoints in a culturally sensitive way, avoiding offence or misunderstanding, and exercising influence and persuasion in situations where communications are difficult. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Different aspects of national culture, their sources and implications for international organisations.

2 Organisational impacts of international economic/ business factors and: • international labour economics • competition and trade • social and political influences • regulations and barriers • the role of the state in employment matters in the EU and its member states, the contiguous USA, Japan and south-east Asia. 3 The contributors to and different aspects of national culture, the implications for organisations and: • issues in cross-cultural communication

• operating under different cultural models

• acknowledging and assimilating differences using appropriate communication media. 4 Workplace organisation and employment relations processes in the EU and its member states, the contiguous USA, Japan and south-east Asia. 5 Structures and roles of personnel and development functions in different countries. 6 The impact on personal economic, social and domestic lives of expatriate appointments, for oneself and others. Indicative content 1 Global economic, social and political trends and: • their impact on international businesses and local labour markets • the role of international institutions and agencies. 2 The elements of an international human resources strategy and its flexible implementation in different local contexts and cultures. 3 The constituents of national and organisational ‘culture’. 4 The management of cultural differences and behavioural expectations in an international context.

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advanced practitioner Standards | International Personnel and Development


3 Training and development





1 Locate and organise people resources to meet local/ regional/international human resource management needs, including permanent, consultancy, support and temporary staff. 2 Organise recruitment and selection procedures for different countries.

1 Diagnose learning needs, install learning programmes for staff entering international/cross-cultural situations, (including experiential learning and off-the-job learning initiatives) and monitor their effectiveness. 2 Diagnose needs and plan for effective learning, generally, in different cultures, and specifically crosscultural awareness learning for specific cultures programmes for the development of effective binational and multinational teamworking. 3 Recognise the limitations of one’s own international/ intercultural knowledge and capabilities, and where/ how to tackle those limitations.

Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Methodologies of expatriation practice; selection, decision-making, preparation, adjustment, repatriation; reasons for failure. 2 Selection procedures and the appropriateness and acceptability of various selection methods in different national contexts. Indicative content 1 Employee resourcing in an international context and: • societal norms and values • legal constraints and obligations • attitudes towards work • careers and the employment relationship. 2 Recruiting across national frontiers and expatriate, local/national and consultant/contract/temporary staff.

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Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain critically evaluate: 1 Structured means of cross-cultural collaboration, including techniques and processes for creating effective bicultural and multicultural teams. Indicative content 1 Employee development in an international context and developing: • the competencies of the ‘international manager’ • cross-cultural awareness. 2 Selecting, building and developing international/ multicultural teams at staff, project and board levels.

International Personnel and Development | advanced practitioner Standards

4 performance management and employee relations Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Monitor and assess how changes in employee management and development in one country might impact on operations in others. 2 Install appropriate communications/information and monitoring systems for local/regional/international, relating to internal/external purposes. 3 Plan and implement change in different organisational/cultural contexts. 4 Handle discipline and grievance issues in unfamiliar situations. 5 Manage or professionally influence local payment and benefit systems, including transnational and expatriate management reward systems. 6 Manage the people-related ambiguities arising in international contexts. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Special needs in relation to health in different environments and geographical climates, and stress management in ‘hostile’ environments. 2 Employment and other laws and practices in other countries and: • historical and other sources of differing methods of HR operation • management structures and processes in different countries. 3 Means and reasons for different individual and collective representation, communications, co-ordination and negotiation in different countries. 4 The role and effects on organisations of international bodies such as the EU and its component parts, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), General Agreements on Tariffs and Trades (World Trade Organisation) and the United Nations (UN).

5 Different social security and pay and benefit systems in different countries. 6 Concepts of transnational co-ordination and control, and centralised, decentralised, regional and local control models. Indicative content 1 International and local payment systems, employee benefits and expatriate rewards. 2 Institutional arrangements, processes and practices of national employee relations systems, with particular emphasis on EU member states, the USA and AsiaPacific countries. 3 Trends and comparisons in national employment law systems, with particular focus on EU member states, the USA and Asia-Pacific countries. 4 The relevance and appropriateness of various approaches to employee communications and: • involvement and decision-making in different

international contexts

• works council and other systems • ‘task’-related participation. 5 Information systems in international human resources planning and career management. 6 The particular pressures of an international job and the impact of stress, conflict and ambiguity on physical and mental well-being and the range of preventative and coping strategies.

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advanced practitioner Standards | Organisational Change and Transition

Organisational Change and Transition Purpose In most organisations the management of change and transition is considered to be a core activity in the achievement of survival and growth, whether it is the relatively ‘light touch’ or a more radical transformation. Significant shifts in the economic, political, social, and technological environments mean that organisations need to increase their capability to respond creatively to new challenges and ways of working.

Whether the change processes are essentially unplanned and discontinuous, planned and strategic, or incremental or revolutionary, they have profound implications for people management and development. Change of any sort evokes the need for innovation, creativity, learning and culture change, all of which lie legitimately within the sphere of interest of personnel and development. Professionals working in personnel and development can be central actors in the management of change in such matters as people resourcing, learning and development, reward structures and the development of new sorts of employee relations all in a strategic context. Personnel and development professionals at a senior level need to demonstrate the contribution they can make in helping people in the organisation to: • recognise and interpret the relationship between organisational vision, capability and the internal and external environments • mobilise processes that enable change processes at the appropriate level for the requirements of the organisation.

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The purpose of this Standard is to enhance understanding of issues and controversies in the management of change, transition and transformation and relate them to personnel and development. It is concerned with the development of the capabilities that personnel and development professionals need to play a powerful and proactive role in this dynamic and complex arena.

Organisational Change and Transition | advanced practitioner Standards


1 The causes and context of change and transformation Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Identify the influence of the political, social and economic environment on the organisation and change as a reactive or proactive response. 2 Undertake diagnosis of the influence of such events and processes as mergers, acquisitions, strategic alliances, downsizing, delayering. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The implications of globalisation, mergers, take-overs, acquisitions and strategic alliances in the development of organisations as dynamics in the change and transformation processes. Indicative content 1 The emergence of the virtual and network organisation. 2 The influence of concepts such as best value and changing stakeholder requirements. 3 The identification of triggers for change within the organisation. 4 The relationship between change and innovation in organisations.

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2 Change processes and their implications Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Identify the relevance of the major models of planned change and the different levels of risk they carry, and relate them to different organisational situations. 2 Help to build those processes, routines and systems that ensure transfer of information and understanding from individuals and small groups to the organisation as a whole, to influence strategic decisions and produce the foundations for new capabilities. 3 Judge what will and will not work in the change management context and ensure that the personnel and development role in the change management process is clearly adding value by helping to drive organisational improvements. 4 Make informed choices between large- and smallscale approaches to change management. 5 Assess the level of change required at different epochs in the organisation’s life cycle; issues of style and speed of change. 6 Analyse the elements for successful change at each stage of the process. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 Different levels and types of the strategic change process: • from ‘light touch’ to radical, transactional to

transformational, continuous to discontinuous

• and the ways each level and type of change is

likely to have different effects on people and

organisational performance.

2 The ways organisation members understand, identify and use different triggers of change and transformation, both internal and external.

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3 Processes for the evaluation of success, failure and risk in the change process, recognising the implications of success or failure for future change processes in the organisation. 4 Strategies and techniques for the successful implementation of the change-management effort – project management, participation and process management. Indicative content 1 The dynamics of change and: • the strengths and limitations of Lewin’s fundamental change model • the assumptions that underlie different approaches to change. 2 The strengths and weaknesses of the planned change approach. 3 The distinctions between emergent, planned and discontinuous approaches to change. 4 The role of the senior management group and the chief executive officer in the change process. 5 The scope of managerial decision-making in relation to change, transition and transformation. 6 Issues of `top down’ and `bottom-up’ change and reconciling them both. 7 Risk assessment/management in change and transformation situations. 8 Processes that mature, successful organisations can use most effectively in the change processes. 9 The critical significance of diagnosis to identify the need for, and the processes of, change, transition and transformation.


3 Transition and transformation processes Operational indicators

Indicative content


1 The significance of visionary processes in the management of change. 2 Transactional versus transformational changes. 3 The implications of the differences between, for example, alpha, beta and gamma change. 4 Chaos and complexity theories to explore what underpins transformation. 5 The key stages and processes of managing transitions. 6 The advantages and disadvantages of transformational leadership. 7 The advantages and disadvantages of such transformational change technologies as: • organisational development • total quality management • managing intellectual capital • business process re-engineering • whole system intervention. 8 Systems-wide changes and the relationship to organisation structure and culture management. 9 Organisational learning, double-loop and deutro learning; the organisation as communities of practice and knowledge. 10 The paradoxes of organisational change and transformation.

1 Stimulate creativity in order to challenge and regenerate the knowledge base and attitudinal base of the organisation in relation to change issues. 2 Generate structures and cultures that ensure that: • personnel and development practitioners creatively, constructively and constantly question and consider their role as reflective practitioners • they value and use the essential ambiguity of the change process and are realistically sceptical about change technologies and approaches to change. 3 Develop holistic/total system consideration of the change issues and proposed remedies. 4 Maintain the momentum of change through executive action, strategic advice and consultancy, on processes and initiatives to help change any inhibiting and dominating mind sets and cultures in the organisation. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The relationships between strategic vision, leadership, power and control, and: • the development of effective teamwork in the dynamics of change, transition and transformation • the development of a climate of learning and

willingness to change.

2 The role of personnel and development in the development of a realistically sceptical approach to transformational interventions such as organisational development, business process re-engineering and total quality management and: • how to distinguish between change technologies that are fads and fashions and those that add real value and can endure • the relationships between technology-driven processes of change and the human dimension.

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4 The effect of change on people Operational indicators

Indicative content


1 Emotional intelligence, emotional capability and spiritual knowledge – fads or enduring aspects of the change and transformation processes. 2 The levers for change; surfacing dissatisfaction with the status quo. 3 Ethical issues in the management of change, transition and transformation.

1 Develop strategies and techniques for the successful implementation of change, by helping to develop and sustain across the organisation a framework for generating stakeholder commitment to transition and change while maintaining current operations where appropriate. 2 Develop strategies to deal with issues around resistance to change and: • resistance as a political label and/or a positive

contribution to change

• contingency approaches to dealing with resistance • the differences between resistance and apathy. 3 Identify and evaluate the advantages and problems associated with the ambiguity of the change process. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The relationship between individual and collective learning at a strategic level and: • the development of the organisational knowledge bases as a key aspect of organisational survival and advance • the contribution of the personnel and development professional to the development of this process. 2 The cycle of adjustment models and the role and contribution of personnel and development professionals at each of the stages. 3 Personal mastery of change as a key aspect of the learning organisation in order to create and sustain change.

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5 The personnel and development role Operational indicators

Indicative content


1 Strategic alliances with other key stakeholders in the development of change and transformation processes. 2 The role played by personnel and development professionals with staff in post-change situations – such as the ‘survivors’ of a merger or delayering – during the transition and on transformation. 3 Approaches to the psychological contract and levels of commitment in a changing organisational environment. 4 Identification of and responses to reconfigured competencies and capabilities at all levels in the organisation. 5 Handling the dynamics of internal and external consultancy approaches at a strategic level. 6 Handling political and power issues in relation to the development of strategic alliances with stakeholders. 7 Establishing appropriate strategic and ethical positioning of the personnel and development function. 8 The role of personnel and development professionals in developing people to deal with the ambiguities and uncertainties of change.

1 Identify and secure the commitment of the necessary internal and external resources, including internal and external expertise, process consultants and organisational consultants. 2 Develop champions of change, including line and other functional managers, who are sensitive to: • changing needs and the dynamics of the

organisation

• the organisation’s environment in the context of: • intra- and inter-organisational politics and power • the organisations’ stage of growth and strategic direction. 3 Identify personnel and development priorities in the change management process and their relationship to the priorities of other stakeholders. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The strategic and value-adding role of personnel and development in managing the psychological, emotional, spiritual and sociological processes involved in the different stages of the change process. 2 The role of personnel and development professionals in managing and implementing planned change, transition and transformation – acting as executive, expert, adviser and consultant. 3 The ethical issues for the personnel and development professional in the management of change, transition and transformation. 4 Techniques for understanding the likely impact of change, transition and transformation on HR systems, culture and practice.

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advanced practitioner Standards | Personnel and Development Consulting


Purpose Successful candidates on a personnel and development consulting programme will have achieved the PDS qualification or pursued an equivalent route to graduate membership of the CIPD.

The qualification is intended for:

The Standards can be used:

• Chartered MCIPD or Chartered FCIPD personnel and development professionals operating as consultants – either internal consultants employed by the organisation to which they are providing services, or externally appointed under a contract for services • senior managers of all disciplines contracting for the services of personnel and development consultants in a wide range of personnel disciplines. • Chartered MCIPD or Chartered FCIPD interim personnel and development managers providing both generalist and specialist personnel services.

• as a stand-alone qualification in its own right • as part of a masters or equivalent level academic programme • selectively as part of an organisation’s management development programmes.

The personnel and development Advanced Practitioner Standards are intended to aid the improvement of performance, skills and knowledge in: • strategic diagnosis and project planning of an organisation’s need for personnel and development consultancy • planning, managing and evaluating the consultancy business and the consultancy project • information-gathering techniques, diagnostic tools and consultancy interventions aimed at constructive changes in organisational effectiveness and efficiency • corporate ethics, governance, values and conflict resolution.

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Personnel and Development Consulting | advanced practitioner Standards

performance indicators 1 Strategic diagnosis and project planning of an organisation’s need for personnel and development consultancy diagnosis Operational indicators

Indicative content


1 The nature and implications of current influences and trends in business and organisations and the impact of personnel and development regulations, policies and practices from an international, national and organisational perspective as appropriate. 2 Holistic and heuristic models of organisation processes and systems. 3 The nature of organisation cultures and values. 4 The politics of power and influence within an organisation. 5 International dimensions – global aspects, international and national agencies as they impact on personnel and development within an organisation. 6 Practical examples, including comparisons of differences between organisations in the UK and worldwide where appropriate.

1 Diagnose and assess the advice or services the business, organisation or individual needs for performance improvement in the context of CIPD Standards and codes of conduct – taking account of the added-value benefits for the client, value for money and the client’s economic health. 2 Benchmark the client against other organisations’ best practice and, where appropriate, against other countries or international organisations. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The political, economic, sociological and cultural factors that can affect an organisation’s performance in the market place and why a personnel and development consultant needs to take these factors into account. 2 The roles and different accountabilities of in-house and external consultants and the different types of consultant, including expert, diagnoser/prescriber and process consultant. 3 The different types of consultancy organisation and an assessment of their strengths and limitations. 4 International and cross-cultural aspects of consulting, including differences in: • laws • behaviours • communications and decision-making processes • economic factors (including currency exchange).

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2 planning, managing and evaluating the consultancy business and the consultancy project Operational indicators Practitioners must be able to: 1 Produce a marketing and sales plan for their personnel and development consultancy, having identified where the consultant can add value from their advice or services, and how other consultants use, market and manage projects. 2 Write proposals for the advice or service(s) to be provided, setting out the: • range, any limitations and expected outcomes • legal aspects, professional liabilities and any special conditions • charges and payment terms, warranties and procedures for resolving difficulties and terms for engagement/disengagement. 3 Justify the nature, range and appropriateness of required advice or services against all reasonable alternatives, and specify and schedule the necessary resources to undertake the project, including human and technological resources. 4 Review the process and: • during the assignment, regularly confirm that the selected intervention is still appropriate and take any necessary action • at the end, evaluate the outcomes and process for oneself and the client, highlighting the value of the outcomes and any remaining areas for improvement. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and critically evaluate: 1 The contractual aspects of consultancy services and the legal aspects and ethical issues, legal, moral, personal and professional (including the CIPD Code of Professional Conduct) that the consultant may encounter and have to take account of in different circumstances. 2 Planning, selecting and allocating support resources and: • how to budget and control costs during an assignment • assessing the client’s capacity to pay, before starting work • credit control and how to deal with non-payment.

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3 Methods of maintaining and managing the interface with the client, including regular updates and resolving problems or difficulties. 4 Estimating the risk and the probability of success, including statistical methods, limitations, elapsed time and resource impacts. 5 Concluding a contract or initiative in the specified time or, when appropriate, before the deadline. Indicative content 1 The development of consulting. 2 The nature of consulting and different consulting roles. 3 Continuing professional development to maintain employability and competence. 4 The economics of consulting. 5 The interplay between time, scope and cost. 6 Estimating and costing work. 7 Project and budgetary control. 8 Implications of unrealistic estimates of time and cost. 9 Estimation of risk and probability of success, including: • statistical methods • limitations • elapsed time • resource impacts. 10 The management of risk. 11 Testing, proving/validating and laboratory techniques. 12 Customer satisfaction measurement. 13 Market research and identifying niche markets. 14 Matching the consultant’s expertise to market needs. 15 Selling consultancy, and public sector tendering. 16 Maintaining a client base and records. 17 Identifying the need for consultancy intervention. 18 Agreeing with the commissioning client the nature of the problem, the scope of the project, the parameters the consultant will operate within, the roles of others, timing, resource allocations and costs. 19 Initial research, and the content of the proposal letter or contract. 20 Legal considerations and liability for client and consultant. 21 Break clauses and termination of a contract.


3 Information-gathering techniques, diagnostic tools and consultancy interventions aimed at constructive changes in organisational effectiveness and efficiency Operational indicators




1 Identify the primary and any secondary clients, advise on the risks and resolution of ambiguity or conflict between them and clarify any differences in their expectations or requirements, particularly where it could affect the outcome of the assignment. 2 Select and use appropriate diagnostic tools and gather, record and interpret information and data, from a scoping study or otherwise. 3 Influence those not yet in favour of a course of action, using written material, presentations, group and individual meetings as appropriate. 4 Offer alternative intervention processes – not singlesolution consultancy – and select and apply the most appropriate in the circumstances. 5 Use political and interpersonal skills to increase the likelihood that the client will accept and implement the consultancy recommendations. 6 Deliver a high-quality consultancy project that meets the client’s needs in the most efficient and effective way both for the client and for the consultant’s own business.

1 The framework for stages of intervention and the necessary conditions for success at each stage, namely: • market niche research and planning • selling • ethics of advertising and publicity • initial contact • engagement • commencement • content stage review • disengagement. 2 Data-gathering and diagnostic methods appropriate to the range of advice and services on offer and: • their relative strengths and weaknesses • single and multiple methods. 3 The concept of intervention, the contingencies of effectiveness and approach and: • intervention processes and techniques, and why they are or are not appropriate in different circumstances • why and how to change from one role or process to another. 4 Different approaches to influencing, persuasion and overcoming resistance, and their use in different circumstances.

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Indicative content 1 Qualitative and quantitative methods, including statistical sampling techniques and computer analysis. Avoiding bias, solution-centred approaches and summarising with: • run charts • histograms • shape/centre/spread • source and variation • glyph/radar chart. 2 Criteria for selecting appropriately from the wide variety of methodologies and techniques available, given the particular circumstance and the respective strengths and limitations. (Practical applications need to be demonstrated alongside theoretical knowledge.) 3 Typical information-gathering techniques, including: • interviews • group discussions • observation • questionnaires • workshops • secondary research (existing data). 4 Techniques appropriate to particular circumstances such as: • brainstorming • checklists • computer support software • decision trees • Delphi techniques • flowcharts • force field analysis • mind-mapping • repertory grid methods • secondary analysis • SMART analysis • SWOT analysis • other new and well-tested methodologies,

as appropriate.

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5 Process approaches and methodologies. The theory, strengths, limitations and practical application of a variety of individual and group process tools and methodologies for assisting new thinking, commitment, conflict resolution and creative development, including: • action-centred leadership (Adair) • neuro-linguistic programming • thinking hats (De Bono) • synectics (Nolan) • intervention analysis (Heron) • process consultation (Schein) • other new and well-tested methodologies, as appropriate. 6 Influencing and communications • persuading, and influencing methodologies and the use of political and social skills to gain acceptance and/or implementation of consultancy interventions and proposals. • barriers to communication in different contexts, and their resolution. • communication audits • the design and development of appropriate solutions to communication problems.


4 Corporate ethics, governance, values and conflict resolution Operational indicators

Indicative content


1 CIPD codes, legal and probity requirements in the public sector, including codes for tendering. 2 Private industry regulatory bodies. 3 Dealing with ethical conflicts between the various codes. 4 Social, relativistic and transcendental values: differing cultural interpretations of ethicality and criteria for measuring ethical and non-ethical action. 5 The consultant’s responsibility for ethical conduct, their own value set and the implications when working in an organisation with similar or differing ethical values. 6 Establishing the success of a project or outcome – ethical considerations of ends and means in a project. 7 Diversity versus equality. 8 Personnel and development problems, issues and conflict resolution, including an international context in multinational or multicultural organisations. 9 Human rights in a work context. 10 The rights of any secondary client. 11 The consultant’s responsibility for dealing with infringements of rights, and techniques for doing so. 12 Selected case studies such as Enron, Shell, Equitable Life, Harold Shipman, Humberside Police and data protection, and other recent cases as appropriate.

1 Identify and resolve ethical conflicts between the organisation and professional codes (eg CIPD and other external codes) so the client gains insight into the issues in the organisation and with customers, and can begin to resolve ethical ambiguities and dilemmas for themselves. 2 Identify when a client’s actions or behaviour falls short of acceptable standards of probity and corporate governance and to determine what action needs to be taken and wherein lies the responsibility of the consultant. Knowledge indicators Practitioners must be able to understand, explain and


1 The importance of ethical issues in a consultant’s

work and the ways a consultant may assist a client

to identify and deal with ethical problems and

ambiguities within their organisation.

2 The need for confidentiality in all its contexts, the

hazards and penalties for breach and the reasons a

consultant should comply with the CIPD and other

confidentiality arrangements.

3 Ethical issues that must be considered in the

management of a consultancy project.

4 The different roles and accountabilities of the adviser and diagnoser/prescriber, compared with line and specialist managers and directors; the potential tensions, conflicts of interest and values that may emerge and strategies and techniques for dealing with them.

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professional Standards | Abbreviations

Abbreviations

216

ACAS

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service

IBEC

The Irish Business and Employers’ Confederation

ACOPS

Approved codes of practice

IiP

Investors in People

ADR

Alternative dispute resolution

ILO

The International Labour Organisation

ASEAN

Association of Southeast Asian Nations

IMF

The International Monetary Fund

BPS

The British Psychological Society

IS

Information Systems

CAC

The Central Arbitration Committee

IT

Information Technology

CBAAPS

The CIPD Certificate in Business Awareness and Advanced Professional Study

MCIPD

Chartered Member

NAFTA

The North American Free Trade Agreement

CBI

The Confederation of British Industry

NVQ

National Vocational Qualification

CCIPD

Chartered Companion

OECD

CEEP

The European Centre of Enterprises

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

CERLAP

The CIPD Certificate in Employment Relations, Law and Practice

OPRB

Occupational Pensions Regulatory Body

PDS

The CIPD Professional Development Scheme

CIPD


PESTLE

political, economic, social, technological, legal, environmental

COSHH

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health

SD

Standard Deviation

CPD

Continuing Professional Development

SEm

Standard Error of measurement

CPP

The CIPD Certificate in Personnel Practice

SERPS

State Earnings Related Pension Scheme

CRE

The Commission for Racial Equality

SMART

CRS

The CIPD Certificate in Recruitment and Selection

Specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timebound

SME

small and medium sized enterprises

CTP

The CIPD Certificate in Training Practice

SSADM

DETR

Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions

Structured Systems Analysis and Design Method

SVQ

Scottish Vocational Qualification

EAT

The Employment Appeal Tribunal

SWOT

strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats

ECJ

The European Court of Justice

TUC

Trade Union Congress

ETUC

The European Trade Union Confederation

TUPE

EU

The European Union

Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981

FCIPD

Chartered Fellow

UN

The United Nations

GATT

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade

UNICE

GCE

General Certificate of Education

Union of Industrial and Employers’ Confederations of Europe

HSC

The Health and Safety Commission

WTO

The World Trade Organization

HSE

The Health and Safety Executive

Issued: June 2005 Reference: 3409

Chartered Institute

of Personnel and

Development

151 The Broadway London SW19 1JQ

Tel: 020 8612 6200 Fax: 020 8612 6201

Email: [email protected] Website: www.cipd.co.uk Incorporated by Royal Charter Registered charity no.1079797 © Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development 2005