pg. 1 February 2017 Assignment Brief RQF Unit 6 Managing a Successful Business Project Unit level 4 RQF Unit code D/508/0491 Term Start Date 27/02/2017 Hand out date 27/02/2017 Submission Deadlines 13/08/2017 Lectures & Formative Assessments 20 Weeks Guided learning hours 60 Module Leader Jonathan Sandling pg. 2 February 2017 Assignment title Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and its importance for sustainability and competitive advantage. Word count 3000 words approximately Assignment Summary: This is a Pearson-set assignment. You are required to submit this unit in three parts: Part 1 - Project Management Plan - 26/03/2017 (Formative Assessment) Part 2 - Project Log Book - 21/05/2017 (Formative Assessment) Part 3 - Performance Review - 23/07/2017 (Summative Assessment) Three sections (Create templates): The Project Management Plan: how project is being planned; executed; monitored; actions required. The Project Log Book: evidence of project development; ongoing reflection; changes in direction of project; problems encountered and steps taken to overcome. The Performance Review: evidence of reflection and evaluation of the project management process and individual performance; self-assessment and project assessment. When completing the tasks provided please ensure you directly address each assessment criterion paying particular attention to the command verb requirements. For ease of reference relevant command verbs have been underlined. Pearson-set theme and topic: Theme: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and its importance for sustainability and competitive advantage. pg. 3 February 2017 Topic: Implementing CSR activities within organisations to meet sustainable objectives. “CSR is the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large.” (World Business Council for Sustainable Development). Businesses worldwide have increasingly embraced the concept of CSR as a means to develop and adopt sustainable practices and approaches in their business operations. It is a multifaceted concept that encompasses many different aspects ranging from philanthropy, ethical responsibilities and environmental considerations. Most recently, in response to maximising stakeholder value and expectations, the strategic benefits of CSR has seen many companies having a competitive advantage. Together with the rise of globalisation, companies now employ CSR managers, experts and consultants to produce comprehensive CSR policies and programmes, to give them a competitive edge and build stakeholder trust and loyalty. This unit will enable students to examine the multi dimensions of CSR within the context of business operations applied to a small-scale project. This will provide the opportunity for students to contextualise the principles of CSR and explore the merits of CSR in relation to meeting competitive and sustainable organisational objectives. Part 1 Evidence: Project Management Plan You are required to use the ‘Project Management Plan’ template to complete this task. Pass: This task provides you with the opportunity to achieve: P1, P2 and P3. P1: Devise clear aims and objectives for your project. P2: Produce a project management plan incorporating: costs, scope, time, quality, communication, risk and resources. P3: Produce a work breakdown structure and a Gantt chart to provide timeframes and stages for completion. Merit: This task provides you with the opportunity to achieve: M1. pg. 4 February 2017 M1: To achieve M1 you are required to produce a comprehensive project management plan with clearly planned milestones and a schedule for monitoring and completing the aims and objectives of the project. You are not required to produce an additional document but rather incorporate this level of detail into the ‘Project Management Plan’ you completed for P1, P2 and P3. . Submission Date: 08/04/2017 (Formative Assessment) Part 2 Evidence: Project Log Book You are required to use the ‘Project Log Book’ template to complete this task. Pass: This task provides you with the opportunity to achieve: P4. P4: Carry out small-scale research by applying qualitative and quantitative research methods appropriate for meeting project aims and objectives. Merit: This task provides you with the opportunity to achieve: M2. M2: To achieve M2 you are required to complete the M2 section of the ‘Project Log Book’. In this section you are asked to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of the different research methods you have applied to your project. Distinction: This task provides you with the opportunity to achieve D1. D1: To achieve D1 you are required to complete the D1 section of the ‘Project Log Book’. In this section you are required to reflect on your Project Management Plan (completed in part 1) and your ‘Project Log Book’ in order to critically evaluate the project management process and the research methods used. Submission Date: 21/05/2017 (Summative Assessment). pg. 5 February 2017 Part 3 Evidence: Performance Review You are required to use the ‘Performance Review’ template to complete this task. Pass: This task provides you with the opportunity to achieve: P5, P6 and P7. P5: Analyse your research and data using appropriate tools and techniques. P6: Communicate appropriate recommendations as a result of research and data analysis to draw valid and meaningful conclusions. P7: Reflect on the value of undertaking the research to meet stated objectives and own learning and performance. Merit: This task provides you with the opportunity to achieve: M3 and M4. M3: To achieve M3 you are required to complete the M3 section of the ‘Performance Review’. In this section you are required to evaluate your selection of appropriate tools and techniques for accuracy and authenticity to support and justify recommendations. M4: To achieve M4 you are required to complete the M4 section of the ‘Performance Review’. In this section you are required to evaluate the value of the project management process and use of quality research to meet stated objectives and support own learning and performance. Distinction: This task provides you with the opportunity to achieve D2. D2: To achieve D2 you are required to complete the D2 section of the ‘Performance Review’. In this section you are required to review all aspects of Part 3 to critically evaluate and reflect on the project outcomes, the decision-making process and changes or developments of the initial project management plan to support justification of recommendations and learning during the project. Submission Date: 30/07/2017 (Summative Assessment) - to be submitted with Part 1 and 2. pg. 6 February 2017 Submitting your assignment You will combine Parts 1, 2 and 3 of the assignment and submit the full assignment for summative assessment. The assignment should be in a word document and preferably using Arial font size 12 and 1.5 spacing. Your assignment should be uploaded on the Turnitin Assignment submission section. It is advisable to use the Turnitin Plagiarism checker before uploading the final piece of work. Good luck Glossary of commonly used academic words Account for Give reasons for: explain why something happens. Analyse Examine something in very close detail and from a number of angles. Identify the important points and chief features, and understand their relationships. Argue Present a case for and against a proposal or statement and present your own opinion at the end. Compare Show how two or more things are similar. Contrast Look at two or more things and draw out differences. State whether the differences are significant. Critically evaluate Weigh arguments for and against something, assess the strength of pg. 7 February 2017 evidence on both sides. Define Give the exact meaning of. Describe Give a detailed account of the main features or characteristics ... Discuss Write about the most important characteristics of something. Give arguments for and against, look at it from a variety of perspectives. Distinguish Identify the differences between two items. Evaluate Assess the worth or usefulness of something. Use evidence to support your opinion. Examine Look at something in detail. You may be expected to 'critically evaluate' it as well. Explain Make it clear why something happens or why it is the way it is. Identify Recognise name and briefly describe something. Illustrate Use examples to further explain or justify something. Could be visual or verbal. Interpret Explain the meaning or significance of information or data that you are presenting. pg. 8 February 2017 Justify Provide evidence that supports an argument or idea. Outline Give only the main points, show only the main structure. Prove Present evidence in a logical structure to support an argument for a point of view. Relate (Two meanings) 1. Show how ideas / theories/ events etc are linked or connected. 2. Tell a story. Explain something in a narrative fashion. Review Survey and comment on the key aspects of something or a range of things. State Give the main features clearly and simply. Summarise Draw out the main points, omitting detail and examples. To what extent… How far is something true, or contributes to a final outcome. Also how far is it not true? In academic writing the answer is usually somewhere in the middle. Trace Describe the development of something; follow the order of different stages in an event or process. Adapted from Cottrell.S.(2003) The Study Skills Handbook. Basingstoke. Palgrave. pg. 9 February 2017