ASSIGNMENT BRIEF

Qualification BTEC Level 5 HND Computing and Systems Development

Unit number and

Unit 3: Employability and Professional Development
title

Assignment issued Assignment due

Assessor name

Assignment title Employability and professional development

To provide learners with the opportunity to acquire employability skills

Aim of the
required for effective employment and to manage their own personal
assignment
and professional development.

Specific Context
requirements Briefly describe the objectives and major functions of any organisation of
(see Appendix for your choice.
assessment criteria
and grade
descriptors) Task 1 : Be able to take responsibility for own personal and professional
development (LO 1)
Assume that you are working as an IT professional in any organisation of
your choice.
Task 1.1
As an IT professional working in your chosen organisation, use
appropriate management model(s) or tool(s) to reflect on your current
personal and professional skills and competencies against professional
standards and organisational objectives. (Note: You can use BCS or ACM
professional standards to carry out a skills audit).

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 Task 1.2
Considering the model(s) or tool(s) used in task 1.1 evaluate your own
developmental needs and the activities required to fulfil them.

Task 1.3
Considering your answer in task 1.2 devise a personal and professional
developmental plan to meet the identified needs.

Task 1.4
Using the personal and professional developmental plan devised in task
1.3, reflect on your own development against the set aims and
objectives. (You may like to compare your own development against the
organisational aims and objectives.) It is expected that you will complete
this task at the end of the unit session.

Task 2 Be able to demonstrate acquired interpersonal and transferable

skills (LO 2)

Consider you are working as an IT professional in a Company. Your

Manager has asked you to give a presentation to a team of 6 people
working at various levels (junior, seniors, etc.). The presentation should
improve the awareness of the project team about:
a) the importance of communication skills (both verbal and non-
verbal) at various levels (junior, management and executive) and
b) effective time management strategies.
Task 2.1
Make a 20 minutes presentation (using MS- PowerPoint or Prezi) to the
project team on the above two topics (a) and (b). You will have to
demonstrate effective use of communication at various levels and the
time management strategies during the presentation.

Note: Task 2.1 covers both assessment criteria 2.1 and 2.2. Attach
PowerPoint or Prezi presentation with the final report. The assessment
will cover both the presentation content and delivery.

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 Task 3 Understand the dynamics of working with others (LO 3)

Task 3.1

Discuss and analyse different roles people play in a team and how they
manage to work together to achieve shared goals.

Task 3.2

Discuss alternative techniques to manage team work and achieve team

goals.

Task 4 Be able to develop strategies for problem solving (LO 4)

Task 4.1

Provide a review of different methods and tools used for problem

solving.

Task 4.2

You are an IT professional in a company and have been asked to develop

a business information system for a retail store. Which system
development approach do you think is best if you have the following
requirements? The system should provide different functionality to
different users. Some requirements are more important than the other
and your client wants some requirements to be delivered first. However,
some requirements are not clear at the moment. This is a time
constrained project.

Task 4.3

Considering your choice of the system development method in task 4.2,

evaluate its impact on the business.
1. You should write this assignment in the essay style, although a formal
Student guidelines
essay structure will not be required.

2. You should use tables, diagrams and figures where appropriate and be

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 sure to give sources of information.

3. You should include a list of references to all cited sources using the
Harvard referencing system.

4. You should use font Calibri size 12 with 1.5 spacing for your report.

Submission Besides the soft copy, students are expected to submit hard copy of the
requirements report

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 APPENDIX 1: ASSESSMENT CRITERIA AND GRADE DESCRIPTORS

Merit grade:

Merit descriptors Indicative Evidence Assessor Achieved Internal

characteristics (Task number, comments/feedbac (Yes/No) verifier
other) k comment
s
M1 Identify and 1. Effective Task:
apply strategies to judgements have 1.1, 1.4, 2.1,
find appropriate been made. 3.1, 4.2
solutions

2. An effective
approach to study
and research has
been applied
M2 Select/design 1. Relevant theories Task:
and apply and techniques 1.2, 1.3, 4.1
appropriate have been applied
methods/techniqu
es 2. The design of
methods/techniqu
es has been
justified
M3 Present and 1. An appropriate Task:
communicate structure and 2.1, 3.2, 4.3
appropriate method has been
findings used and technical
language has been
accurately used to
present the
findings.

2. Communication
has taken place in
familiar and
unfamiliar contexts

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Distinction grade:

Distinction Indicative Evidence Assessor Achieved Internal

descriptors characteristics (Task number, comments/feedba (Yes/No) verifier
other) ck comment
s
D1 Use critical 1. Conclusions have Task:
reflection to been arrived at
evaluate own work through synthesis 1.1, 1.3, 2.1,
and justify valid of ideas and have 3.1, 3.2, 4.2
conclusions been justified

2. The validity of
results has been
evaluated using
defined criteria
D2 Take 1. Substantial Task 4.1, 4.3
responsibility for activities have
managing and been planned,
organising managed and
activities organised

2. Activities have
been managed
D3 Demonstrate 1. Self-evaluation has Task 1.2, 1.4
convergent/lateral taken place
/ creative thinking
2. Problems have
been solved

This brief has been verified as being fit for purpose

Internal
Signature Date
Verifier 1

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 Internal
Signature Date
Verifier 2

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